Week 6 NFL Power Rankings: Jets up, Giants Down

Oct 7, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; New York Jets place kicker Nick Folk (2) celebrates the game winning field goal kick in the second half against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome. The Jets won 30-28. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
Another week of football in the books, ladies and gents’, and it was an exciting one. Thanks to the Broncos and Cowboys for treating us to an amazing football game; we also witnessed the Chiefs — who are on a roll — solidify their spot as a contender in the AFC, and last but not least, the New York Jets treated us to one helluva Monday Night game, which the Jets won by last minute heroics by Geno Smith and Nick Folk.

Before the start of the season, NFL’s power rankings ranked the Jets at No. 32. and ranked the New York Giants at No. 12. Well, things have sure changed five weeks into the season.

Here is where ESPN’s NFL Power Rankings ranked the Jets and Giants:

New York Giants:
This week the team is ranked No. 31, dropping down from No. 30 last week.
Oct 6, 2013; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) reacts after throwing an interception in the 4th quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles during the game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
No one thought the New York Giants would be where they are now. That is, no one thought they would be a disaster. The Giants haven’t been doing anything right — some fans are pointing blame on Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who is responsible for 13 turnovers (12 interceptions, one fumble), but it’s not all Manning’s fault.

Yes, he hasn’t played this bad since his rookie season, but let’s take a look at what may be the cause of his downfall: The pass protection, or lack thereof, is not giving Manning the time he needs to make his throws. So if he can’t make his throws, his playmakers can’t make plays. The Giants are also having a hard time running the ball, and they can’t set up the pass without developing a run game. Let’s not forget that the once mighty defense is also gone.

So what does that leave you with? An 0-5 team.

New York Jets
This week the Jets are ranked No. 18, moving up four spots from last week’s No. 22 ranking.
Oct 7, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) celebrates in the second half against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome. The Jets won 30-28. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
Geno the hero (write that down). One of the reasons why the New York Jets are 3-2 is because of their rookie quarterback. Geno Smith played the best football of his young professional career, completing 80 percent of his passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns — and more importantly, Smith was error free.

The New York Jets went into the season with a chip on their shoulder. As mentioned earlier, this New York team was ranked 32nd in the league. Rex and the team knew they were better than that. This season, the Jets have one of the best defense’s in the league, and their offense isn’t as bad as people thought it would be. Yes, they have a mistake-prone rookie quarterback, but with new offensive coordinator in Marty Mornhinweg, the Jets have found an answer to their offensive struggles.