Dylan Ruhl
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The New York metropolitan area, with a population of more 18 million, is large enough of a market to hold two NFL teams. Yet the Giants and Jets, both bad as usual, look to be the two worst teams in the league. Both have yet to win a game through four weeks, and in a city that also plays host to the Mets and Knicks, it’s football that has become the local laughingstock.
First of all, this is nothing new. The Giants started last season 2-11 while the Jets began 1-7, stringing together a few wins late to hurt their draft position and further damage their chances in 2020. The Jets made the questionable move to fire their general manager after the 2019 draft, giving current GM Joe Douglas a roster he played no part in constructing. Almost more shocking is the fact that Dave Gettleman remains at the helm of the Giants’ football operation, as they’re now 9-27–worst in the NFL–during his tenure.
Most major bookmakers are now offering odds on whether either team–or both–will finish the year winless. With three-quarters of the way still to go, it’s definitely a stretch but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on. These two in-city rivals don’t play each other this year and it’s hard to see either of them beating any other NFL team at the present time.
All kinds of problems
Each week this year, the Jets have given up more points than in their previous game. Quarterback Sam Darnold hurt his shoulder in Thursday’s loss to the Broncos, and while he won’t miss extended time he could be out for a couple of games. They next face the Cardinals and Chargers and will most likely need to steal a win in one of those in order to avoid an 0-9 start, as their following three are against the Bills, Chiefs and Patriots.
At least the Jets had one good play before Darnold got hurt.
SAM DARNOLD’S UNREAL TD RUN 😳
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/f636EYnnPt
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 2, 2020
The Giants’ problem is on the other side of the ball; they just can’t score. Sixteen points in an NFL game is not a lot by any means. The Giants have played four games and that’s their season high… by an entire field goal. Their defense has held up better in some weeks than others; they held Jared Goff and the Rams to just 17 points on Sunday. But without Saquon Barkley, their offense won’t get any better.
Lots of things can happen over the course of the next 13 weeks, but never before have two NFL teams–much less two from the same city–finished winless in the same season. That being said, this is the most bizarre NFL season in the most bizarre year of our lives, and what a way that would be to cap off 2020 (a year in which it seems that nothing is impossible) for better or worse.
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