NFL Power Rankings Week 9: Jets Drop, Giants Stay At No. 29
Oct 27, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) leaves the field after the second half against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Giants won the game 15-7. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Another week of football is in the books, ladies and gents’; Week 8 provided us with a roller coaster ride that saw the return of Kellen Clemens, the Broncos almost losing to a weak Redskins team (Peyton Manning is not a machine!), Bill Belichick still crying about the loss to the Jets two weeks ago, and the Jets being the Jets.
Speaking of rankings, before the start of the season, NFL’s power rankings ranked the New York Jets at No. 32 and ranked the New York Giants at No. 12. Well, things have sure changed eight weeks into the season. Let’s check where the ESPN rankings have the Jets and Giants going into Week 9.
New York Giants
This week the team is ranked No. 29, same as last week.
Oct 27, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) looks to hand the ball off during the fourth quarter of the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The New York Giants won the game 15-7. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports
The Giants are heading into their bye week on a two-game winning streak. Congratulations. Are they on their way to winning the NFC East? The sad thing is that it’s totally possible. The Giants are 2-6 and only two games out of first place in the division. The Giants have looked terrible all season — even in the games they’ve won — and in order to keep this streak going, the team is going to have to keep the gameplan they have.
The reason why the Giants are riding a two-game winning streak is because they have gone old school. The Giants are running the ball more, taking it out of
the turnover machine’s
Eli Manning’s hands; running the ball, the Giants chew away at the clock, giving the opposition less time to do damage. Another reason is that the Giants are finally playing some solid defense, not letting defenses scorch them.
New York Jets
This week, the Jets are ranked No. 16, sliding down one spot from last week’s No. 15 ranking.
Oct 27, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) throws a pass against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
Wow, when these guys are bad they are BAD. Jets rookie quarterback, Geno Smith, has taken Jets fans on one helluva roller coaster ride this season. In one game, Smith will look like a hero and the future of Jets football, the next, Smith will play like … well, like the Sanchez of 2012.
The Jets were a disaster this past Sunday against the Bengals. Two pick-sixes from Smith aside, the team’s defense got steamrolled. I thought the Jets were supposed to have one of the top defenses in the league? They sure didn’t play like it. The secondary (Dee Milliner will have nightmares for years to come) got scorched by Andy Dalton for five touchdowns! Again, by Andy Dalton!
Next up: the New Orleans Saints. If Dalton did what he did to the Jets, just imagine what Brees will do to the Jets on Sunday.