A Time to Resume Pleasantries
The Jets and the Giants play in the regular season once every four years. So while it may not be a rivalry, there remains plenty to be excited about:
Good Omen
Three of the Jets' four regular season wins against the Giants have come when they were the road team. The Green & White will dress in their own locker room Sunday, but it’s an away game.
Lucky 13?
The Jets and Giants have met a dozen times in regular season play. Let's take a look back at some of the images:
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.
Sheldon Enters the (Jets) Spotlight
While attending Gateway Technical in high school, Sheldon Richardson was a 275-pounder who played all over the field including QB, WR and KR. Still a versatile performer, Richardson recently sat down with me and talked about his movement at DE, DT & OLB in 2015:
Henderson Raising the Roof
Veteran ILB Erin Henderson has earned a bigger role and our Randy Lange caught up with him after a practice this week. Henderson played awfully well in his last meeting with the Giants.
Pryor Delivering on Teams Too
Safety Calvin Pryor continues to make a difference on defense, but he also provided the key block on Jeremy Kerley's 58-yard punt return against the Dolphins. More from the coordinators.
The Other Side
WFAN reporter Paul Dottino provides some perspective on the Jets' upcoming opponent:
Fantasy Advice
Brandon Marshall has six 100-yard games in 2015 and has scored in eight of 11 games. FanDuel provides the skinny on Week 13’s matchup at MetLife.
Decker Is the Jets' Walter Payton Man of the Year
Wideout Eric Decker and his wife, Jessie, are making a difference with Deckers Dogs and through anti-bullying awareness. "It's a great award, probably the biggest nomination I've gotten in my career," Decker said. "Getting to the Super Bowl, statistics, they're all great things, but I think the bigger picture is what you do outside the building."
Mo at Morton's
Muhammad Wilkerson, a Linden NJ native, isn't afraid to try new things as he continues to help provide scholarships for students in Union County:
Five One-Game SeasonsHeading into the weekend, there were five teams in the AFC with 6-5 records.* *How do the Jets get to 7-5? I examine in my latest Q&A.
