By any objective measure, expectations for the Jets and Giants this season were modest. Ahead of the 2025 campaign, this writer projected 7-10 records for both rebuilding teams. For the Jets, upgrades in talent and the arrival of a new head coach, Aaron Glenn, and general manager, Darren Mougey, suggested clear signs of empirical and statistical improvement.
Those forecasts appear unlikely to materialize barring drastic changes. As Week 6 of the NFL season begins — with the Giants hosting the 4-1 defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles tonight at MetLife Stadium (streaming on Amazon Prime) and the Jets facing the 3-2 Denver Broncos in London on Sunday (9:30 a.m. EST kickoff) — the two teams have a combined record of 1-9.
The 0-5 Jets are the only winless team in the league and are last in the AFC East. The 1-4 Giants’ sole victory came in Week 4 (21-18) at home over the 3-2 Los Angeles Chargers; they are languishing at the bottom of the NFC East.
Sloppy play has been a shared characteristic. In Sunday’s 37-22 loss to the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium, the Jets committed 10 penalties for 61 yards and had one lost fumble. For the season, they have eight turnovers — tied for the fourth most in the league with five other teams, including the Giants. The Big Blue had five turnovers in Sunday’s 26-14 loss to the Saints in New Orleans: three fumbles and two interceptions by rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, making his second career start.
“It’s hard to win when you turn the ball over five times on five consecutive drives,” lamented Giants head coach Brian Daboll following the loss. “…too many DPI (defensive pass interference) penalties. You get five turnovers to zero, you’re not going to win in this league.”
The Giants’ 43 penalties are tied with two teams for the second most in the NFL and the Jets are knotted with four other teams for third most with 42.