How about Big Blue?In a Sunday night divisional matchup straight out of the movie “The Little Giants,” Eli Manning and company manhandled the Dallas Cowboys in the swamps of Secaucus. It was a season-defining win for the Giants and makes them the only team in the league to have beaten the Cowboys this year. To put it lightly, the Giants have been the Cowboys kryptonite this season and all the credit can be given to Big Blue’s defense. A week after losing their best defensive player Jason Pierre-Paul to a sports hernia, the Giants’ front seven took it right to arguably the best offensive line in football. Rookie defensive end Romeo Okwara was making things difficult for the Cowboys offensive front and constantly providing pressure, collapsing the pocket around Dak Prescott. But it was not only the Giants’ front seven that stepped up. Big Blue’s secondary had one their best games of the season in a big spot and will have to continue to do so moving forward if Giants want to get to the postseason. Landon Collins and Janoris Jenkins have been playing the best football of their careers this season. Collins has really come into his own in his second season making some game changing plays in a number of games and providing a safety for his fellow defensive backs. Collins who has patented his game after the late Sean Taylor has shown flashes of greatness this year and moving forward could be a perennial All-Pro if he keeps it up. Jenkins, who signed a massive contract in the offseason, has been living up to the hype. Exhibit A was Sunday night when he had an interception and caused a fumble when he pried the ball from Dez Bryant’s paws late in the fourth quarter to seal the deal for the G-Men. The Giants will host the Detroit Lions next week and they have got to pick up where they left off Sunday night. I’ll take the Giants in a nail-biter.
Now on the contrary, the Jets have been nothing but frustrating for fans this season and they finally decided to make a change and surprisingly it paid off. Todd Bowles turned the reigns over to second year quarterback Bryce Petty in San Francisco on Sunday and they Jets walked away with an overtime win over the 49ers. It was an ugly win and I don’t have much to say about the remaining games in the Jets’ schedule because they honestly don’t mean anything as they are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Jets fans are hoping Gang Green can tank for these last couple of games and grab a top five pick in next year’s draft. That may not happen though as Todd Bowles will be trying to keep his job and last week’s win tilts the scales in his favor. I expect the Jets to come out next week and surprise the Dolphins who will be without their franchise quarterback Ryan Tannehill. The final stretch of the season for the Giants and the Jets could not be more opposite. There is already chatter about how this year’s Giants squad has the characteristics of the 2011 Super Bowl Champion Giants and the Jets, well there are back at square one again. It’s a story line New York football fans have become all too familiar with and doesn’t look to be changing anytime soon
Sid Rosenberg: Why the Giants are legit and the Jets should tank
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