New York teams are having quite the start to the 2022/23 season. The Buffalo Bills were always expected to do well; they are the Super Bowl favorites after all and are coming off a big win against the Kansas City Chiefs. But the Giants and Jets have taken just about everyone – including, possibly, themselves – by surprise.
The Giants are 5-1 while the Jets are 4-2 and are both looking like they can keep this going. The former hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2016 while the latter hasn’t graced postseason play in 12 years. They also haven’t gotten to the playoffs in the same year since 2006. This season, though, they both have the look of playoff-bound outfits.
Fans of both these sides are undoubtedly excited over their prospects while New York NFL betting sites must be buzzing. The Giants are especially worth throwing some money on this season; they have a really good thing going. They’re playing great football and are no longer making the costly mistakes that have kept them pegged back in the past.
Head coach Brian Daboll, who is operating in the role for the first time, has been urging his team to be tough, smart, and dependable and it appears they are listening. The confidence is there and everyone seems to have bought into what Daboll is selling.
The new coach has set out a winning formula that is simple and practical. It has been working near perfectly so far. The Giants are running the ball, doing just about enough in the air, playing great defense, and making stops in the red zone. They have outscored opposing teams 88-49 in the second half, which is the period during which they win games
It does beg the question of how far this could last and who knows? A 5-1 record suggests the Giants should continue doing what they’re doing, especially given their upcoming games are all contests they could win amid this rich vein of form. The Giants will play the Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, and Detroit Lions before they face the Dallas Cowboys on November 24. The Cowboys have most folks on the fence right now but the picture will be a whole lot clearer by then.
Also going the Giants’ way is the fact that players are coming back from injuries. Defensive lineman Leonard Williams and first-year wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson returned this week and were both instrumental in the 24-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday.
Azeez Ojulari, an edge rusher, should be back for the Jaguars game after being sidelined with a calf problem while WRs Kadarius Toney and Kenny Golladay are also close to returning from hamstring and knee injuries respectively.
As for the Jets, they’re doing it with defense. No longer a liability when the defensive unit is on the field, the Gang Green have only allowed 47 points from their last three games (all wins). It also appears as if the defense is getting better with every game, having held the Green Bay Packers to just 10 points on Sunday.
The Jets’ defense stank last season and was dead last in multiple statistical categories. It’s clearly much improved on the back of acquisitions of cornerbacks Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed, plus the return of defensive end Carl Lawson. Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, also back from injury, has been playing lights out.
These factors have helped the Jets push to No.18 in yards allowed and No.4 over the span of the last three games. The Gardner and Reed combo has been very beneficial to the pass rush while coaches have more wiggle room with their calls.
The Jets should also benefit from the fact that Buffalo’s Josh Allen is the only elite quarterback they have to face in their remaining games. Unfortunately, however, they will have to play the Bills twice.
The Jets have been doing pretty well offensively too. The defense has complemented the formidable run-first offense, with rookie Breece Hall starring therein. They’ve built an identifiable offensive regimen, something which has been lacking for years, going at defenses with aggression and mixing it up with misdirection runs.
Of course, there is room for improvement so they might consider adding to the tackle positions as they’ve had a bit of difficulty there. But they could absolutely get by with the roster they have right now.
The Giants, on the other hand, don’t have adequate cap space for a major deadline move, though they would do well to bring in a wide receiver.