The hope for a playoff spot dissipated weeks ago for the 2-8 Giants.
For the Jets, a loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on the road this past Sunday left them with the sight of just a speck of light at the end of the tunnel as far as playoff hopes—but it is fading fast.
The Giants were battered again by the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday after a season opening 40-0 loss at home at MetLife Stadium on September 10. This time on the road the final score was 49-17 but it had the feel of a shutout after the Cowboys took a 28-point halftime lead, scoring 21 in the second quarter.
The Giants have eight weeks remaining, including their Week 13 bye week, and yet the most intriguing question of their schedule ahead is how high will they be drafting next April? With an impotent offense that for the moment is being operated by their rookie third string quarterback, Tommy DeVito (who passed for only 86 yards on 27 attempts versus the Cowboys) it is tough to envision the Giants, even with four of their seven games left set to be played at MetLife, surpassing five wins and selecting any lower than No. 6. It’s likely their pick will be in the top five.
They are last in the 32-team NFL in total yards per game (259.2) and points per game (11.8). Heading into this Sunday’s (1 p.m.) road matchup versus the 4-6 Washington Commanders, the Giants were tied with the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots, both also 2-8, for the second worst record in the league. The Carolina Panthers are 1-8.
The Giants’ regressing defense also shoulders culpability. They surrendered 640 total yards with little resistance to the Cowboys. It was 12 yards short from Dallas’ single game franchise record.
“We are at where we are at, and that’s where we’re meant to be right now, relative to what we’ve done,” said Giants head coach Brian Daboll on Monday.
“So, you don’t feel sorry for yourself, you got about it with the right mindset and your head down.”
The Jets left Vegas after midnight Eastern time on Sunday with a 16-12 defeat and no actionable solutions as to how to consistently generate points. They have gone 11 straight quarters and 36 consecutive drives without scoring a touchdown with QB Zach Wilson guiding the offense.
The Jets’ last touchdown was against the Giants in the first quarter of their October 29 Week 8 13-10 overtime victory. The scoring versus the Raiders came on 47-, 53-, 30- and 45-yard field goals by kicker Greg Zuerlein. The Jets’ potential comeback victory was halted when Wilson threw an interception to Raiders linebacker Robert Spillane at the Las Vegas 15-yard line with 1:14 to go.
The offense got the ball back on downs with 13 seconds to go and failed to score on two plays as a last gasp throw in the end zone fell nearly snagged by wide receiver Garrett Wilson fell to the turf as time expired.
“We’re looking at some things, some different personnel changes, which I’m going to keep here with me, but we’re looking across the board to see if we can find a way to generate some offense,” said Jets head coach Robert Saleh on Monday as his team prepares to face the Bills in Buffalo this Sunday (4:25 p.m.).