Silverman: Bottom Line? Giants Have Legit Championship Hopes, And The Jets Don't
By Steve Silverman
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It doesn't matter that the Giants came out with an embarrassing effort last Sunday against the Redskins, and have let at least three other potential victories get away from them as a result of last-second mental mistakes or a complete lack of execution on the defensive end.
It doesn't matter that the Jets have exceeded expectations with a new coach on the sidelines and a hard-trying quarterback with clear limitations.
Both of these teams are on the outside of the playoff picture looking in at this moment.
WHO HAS PLAYED FOR BOTH THE JETS AND GIANTS?
Both could get there. The Giants and the Redskins have the same record right now, and the Redskins have what appear to be a favorable schedule. But the Redskins have not won a game on the road this season, and three of their remaining five games are on the road.
These are the Redskins, and they could easily go 1-4 the rest of the way.
The Giants have Eli Manning at quarterback and he has shown what he is capable of doing this season. Manning has thrown for 3,021 yards while completing 63.0 percent of his passes. He has a 23-9 TD-interception ratio, and that stat would look a lot better if he had not been so generous against the Redskins last Sunday by throwing three interceptions.
PALLADINO: BEATING JETS COULD TAKE HEAT OFF COUGHLIN — FOR NOW
The point is that Manning has proven he can take a team all the way to the top and then play his best game once he gets there. The numbers he is putting up this year tell New York football fans and the sport's key decision-makers that he is just as good as he ever was.
On the other hand, Ryan Fitzpatrick (2,476 yards, 20-11 TD-interception ratio) has never come close to playing at that kind of level. There is no doubt about his guts, and his Harvard background tells you all you need to know about his intelligence. He gets the absolute most out of his physical ability. But that ability is limited, and while he could get the Jets to the playoffs -- and possibly win a game if all goes well -- he is not getting to the Super Bowl and he is certainly not winning it.
Even if that assessment is wrong and Fitzpatrick could use his smarts to advance through the playoff structure, the Jets are not a good enough team to get past the Denver Broncos or the New England Patriots. They weren't even good enough to beat the Oakland Raiders or Houston Texans.
The AFC has two elite, high-quality teams that the Jets won't be able to beat in a big game.
GIANTS HAVE TWICE USED WIN OVER JETS AS SPRINGBOARD TO SUPER BOWL
Now look at the NFC. Yes, the Carolina Panthers are undefeated and they are smacking everyone in the mouth who does not believe they are an elite team. They are a superb regular-season team, but Cam Newton is still going to have to prove it in the postseason. He has had opportunities before in the playoffs, and he has been exceedingly mediocre.
The Arizona Cardinals are healthy, and they look like a potential Super Bowl team, but are they really a locomotive that won't stop until they get to Levi's Stadium and compete in the Super Bowl? They have played a couple of clunkers this season, and they are no sure thing.
The most dangerous teams currently in the NFC playoff picture are the No. 5-seeded Packers and the sixth-seeded Seahawks. Neither team is as good as it has been in the past couple of seasons. Aaron Rodgers does not have the array of big-play receivers that he needs to take advantage of his accuracy and playmaking ability, while the Seattle defense has lost much of its bite.
That's why this Sunday's game between the Giants and the Jets is ultimately much more important to Tom Coughlin's team.
Under the right circumstances, the Giants will come back and win the NFC East. If they do, they have the talent and ability to win the NFC title. If they could manage that, they have already proven they are good enough to push the New England Patriots for 60 minutes and possibly steal the game.
The Jets are not good enough to do that. They can feel good about being over .500, but they are not a championship-caliber team.
The NFL has long been a quarterback's league, and it still is. Manning is good enough to bring home the big prize, and he needs to be good enough to not let the opportunity slip through his fingers.
They won't be able to do that if they go two games under .500 by losing to the Jets. That's why this game is ultimately more important to the Giants than the Jets.
