If all the green and blue talk this week showed one thing, it's that there may be 50 shades of rivalry in the NFL.
As Jets head coach Todd Bowles said, "I don't think it's a rivalry because we don't play the Giants as much." True, Sunday's meeting at MetLife Stadium is only the teams' 13th since 1970. (As an aside, not once have both teams come in with winning records.)
Yet since these organizations have shared the same stadium since 1984, played each other in the preseason every year since 1969, and split up the New York metro area since 1960, this is a different breed of spat. And although the players jump through hoops to downplay it, the fans of both teams — and especially Jets fans, who haven't tasted victory in this, well, rivalry, since '93 — want this one bad.
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick said when he left the Rangers game he attended this week, "There were a couple of chants going back and forth, whether they were for the green team or the blue team — some animated fans. That was one of my first tastes of maybe some of the hostility between the fans. That was a cool experience for me. That was fun."
But it will be more fun if the Jets can survive the hostility of being the road team in their own building, improve to 7-5 (two games over .500 this late in the season for the first time in four years), and elevate their AFC playoff profile, all at the same time.
"I know how much we're putting into each week, how much we care about this game, and how much it means to us," Fitz said. "I think that's the focus."
Here are seven more points of consideration about Jets vs. Giants:
1. Uneven Playing Field
The series has tilted the Giants' way since the Jets' last win — they've won the last five to take an 8-4 lead. Of small comfort for Green & White fans: The Jets have played better as the road team with three of their four wins, including their 26-20 win at the Yale Bowl in 1974 on Joe Namath's tying keeper and winning OT pass to Emerson Boozer, a nine-sack game of Phil Simms in a 26-7 win in the Meadowlands in '81, and a rainy 10-6 triumph with Boomer Esiason besting Simms in '93. Yeah, we know. Ancient history.
In Addition to Annual Preseason Matchups Dating Back to the Yale Bowl in 1969, the Jets & Giants Have Met 12 Times During the Regular Season, Most Recently on Dec. 24, 2011
In a matchup that felt more like a regular-season rivalry than a preseason game, the reigning Super Bowl III champions, the Jets, beat the Giants 37-14 at the Yale Bowl. Above, Matt Snell and Emerson Boozer watch as the first meeting between New York's pro football teams unfolds.
RB Bill Mathis (31) takes a handoff from QB Joe Namath (not pictured). Namath went on to throw three TD passes in the preseason victory.
RB Matt Snell (41) in action at the Yale Bowl.
A wall of New York Jets stops the attempted drive of New York Giants running back Tucker Frederickson on the one yard line for no gain. A brawl erupted shortly after the play. Giants went on to win 22-10.
New York Jets CB Steve Tannen (21) knocks down pass intended for New York Giants WR Clifton McNeil (18) during first quarter action between Giants and Jets at Shea Stadium.
Giants QB Fran Tarkenton (10) watches as teammate Tucker Frederickson (24) drops a pass at Shea Stadium. Future Ring of Honor member, Larry Grantham (60) helped to induce Frederickson into his dropped pass.
Joe Namath hands off to John Riggins (44) during second period action in the Yale-United Way NFL preseason game between the Jets and Giants at the Yale Bowl in New Haven, CT. Also photographed is Emerson Boozer of the Jets (32).
Joe Namath fades back to complete a pass for 11 yards and a first down in the opening minutes of the game.
Namath waves as he trots by defender Eldridge Small (18) and across the goal line for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Namath's TD tied the game at the end of regulation, sending it to OT, where Namath won it on a 5-yard pass to Emerson Boozer.
Broadway Joe releases a pass completed to Jets running back Bob Burns in overtime. The Jets came out on top, 26-20.
DT Ben Rudolph (76) goes in for the sack of Giants QB Phil Simms (11) in the 26-7 win over the Giants.
New York Jets coach Joe Walton, right, greets New York Giants coach Bill Parcells following their game in the Meadowlands.
Mark Gastineau looks on during a preseason game in the Meadowlands.
The Meadowlands, home of the New York Giants and the New York Jets in East Rutherford, NJ.
Jets Quarterback Ken O'Brien (7) celebrates after throwing a fourth quarter touchdown pass to wide receiver Al Toon to defeat the Giants, 27-21.
QB Boomer Esiason (7) signals touchdown after RB Brad Baxter ran for a two yard touchdown. Baxter scored the only TD in the Jets' 10-6 victory over the Giants.
Giants quarterback Phil Simms (11) throws a pass while under pressure by Jets linebacker Bobby Houston (55).
Jets running back Curtis Martin (28) takes off on an 80-yard touchdown run in the second quarter of a preseason game. Giants tackle Christian Peter (99) and linebacker Scott Galyon (52) attempt to stop Martin.
Jets CB Aaron Beasley (21) makes a tackle in the 31-28 OT loss to the Giants.
Giants LB Brandon Short (53) attempts to tackle Jets TE Anthony Becht (88).
QB Chad Pennington (10) waits for the snap.
Sam Madison (29) of the New York Giants does his best, but cannot break up a completion to Laveranues Coles (87).
Brad Smith (16) catches the ball for a touchdown against the New York Giants.
Eli Manning (10) scrambles under pressure from Bryan Thomas (99) and Shaun Ellis (92).
In the Spring of 2010, MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ was opened to serve as the new home of both the New York Jets and the New York Giants. The Jets and Giants first went up against one another in the regular season on Dec. 24, 2011. Dec. 6, 2015 will mark only the second time that the tenants of 1 MetLife Stadium have faced off in regular season play.
David Harris (52) sacks Eli Manning (10) in the first half of play.
Jeremy Kerley (11) is tackled by Antrel Rolle (26) of the New York Giants in the second quarter.
David Harris (52) is tackled by Hakeem Nicks (88) and Kareem McKenzie (67) of the New York Giants after intercepting a pass in the second half.
Giants QB Eli Manning (10) is forced to throw away a pass by DE Muhammad Wilkerson (96) and LB Demario Davis (56) during the first half of the preseason game.
Jets WR Brandon Marshall (15) stiff-arms Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (41) during the first half preseason play.
RB Chris Ivory (33) hurdles over defenders in the 28-18 preseason victory.
Giants WR Odell Beckham, left, and New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall, right, exchange jerseys on the field following the Jets' preseason win.
2. Ivory's Run
What did Chris Ivory think of his 31-yard TD run vs. Miami? "I was impressed with it," he said with a smile. He should've been. In breaking five tackles, he unfurled one of the highlight runs of his career. And in first being hit 2 yards behind the LOS, the play was typical of his day: He absorbed first contact behind the line on 10 carries, gained only 1 yard before contact, yet had 86 yards after. He's still 234 yards away from his first 1,000-yard rushing season, but another milestone is within reach against the Giants: 54 yards rushing/receiving will give him his first 1,000-yard scrimmage season.
3. Battle Turnover
What makes the Giants so dangerous? Perhaps it's their takeaway talents. Their 23 TAs are second in the NFL and their plus-10 turnover margin and 73 points off turnovers are both third. The Jets can go toe-to-toe in TOs, except that their top two pickpockets, Darrelle Revis and Marcus Williams (6 takeaways each) could both be injury scratches. But Eli, they're comin' — the Jets lead the NFL with 11 fumble recoveries, with five of them coming on strip sacks and three of those occurring in the past four games.
4. Rockin' Red Zone O
OC Chan Gailey said Bowles had the Jets "start working on red zone from almost the third day we got here. He really believes in situational football." It showed up against Miami with four RZ touchdowns, giving the Jets a 73.0% TD rate that remains first in the NFL and, if it holds up, would set the team season record, as would the 5.8 points/RZ drive. The Big Three — Eric Decker (8), Brandon Marshall (5) and Ivory (6) — have scored 19 TDs and Fitzpatrick has 16 TD passes, no INTs and a 105.8 rating "in the zone."
5. Rock-Walled Red Zone D
And let's not forget the defense inside the opponents' 20. Williams' interception of Ryan Tannehill last week was the Jets' fifth RZ takeaway, and marked the eighth time foes didn't score on a trip into the zone. And Miami's two late TDs couldn't knock the Jets from the No. 1 perch on the defensive side of the NFL's red zone ledger with a 38.5% TD rate that, if that holds up, would be the team's best rate since 1972.
6. Three-and-Out Algebra
The Jets have "ascended" to the worst 3-and-out offense in the NFL, averaging three plays and a punt on 28.4% of their drives. The Jets defense, however, has climbed to second-best in opponents' 3-and-outs (29.7%). The Giants, on the other hand, have the worst D in the league in forcing punts (30.2%) and third-worst in forcing 3-and-outs (16.7%). We're not sure if all of this cancels out, but it seems the Green & White offense might have a chance to extend drives while Manning and the blue team might not.
7. Air Fitz
This would be a fine milestone for Fitzpatrick. A win would mark the first time in his 11-year career that he won seven games as a starting QB. And coming off his 4-TD, no-INT, 118.9 rating against the Dolphins, he could continue his personal air raid in the same stadium vs. the Giants, who are last in the league in total yards allowed, passing yards allowed, and yards allowed on first downs (6.54). All he has to do is outscore Manning-to-Odell Beckham et al. Should be a fun renewal of this rivalry.
