If you wonder how tough times have been for our two NFL teams, consider the recent announcement of the NFL's 2010s All-Decade Team. Just one player from 20 combined seasons from the Jets and Giants made the team. And it feels like that player, Darrelle Revis, played ages ago.
Consider that between the 2007 and 2011 seasons, the Giants won two Super Bowls, and the Jets reached two AFC title games. In the eight years since, the Giants have had just two winning seasons, and played in one playoff game. Meanwhile, the Jets have not reached the playoffs and finished with a winning record just once, in 2015.
So as the sun rises on the new decade of pro football, it's hard to say for certain which squad has a brighter future. But we'll try. (Keep mind each roster will be altered by the NFL Draft, to be held virtually from April 23-25, and could tip one or two scales listed below.)
Offensive Line
Both teams are pouring cash into their front lines, which were eyesores in 2019. The Jets, in particular, have spent $72.9 million (according to USA Today) on a gaggle of guards and centers and such, adding G Greg Van Roten, C Conner McGovern, T George Fant, G Alex Lewis, and C Josh Andrews to what was by far their weakest unit a year ago. There's no better example than starting center Ryan Kalil, who returned from retirement, was lousy for the first half of the season, and missed the second half with a knee injury. So rather than overspend or overreach for a big name, such as Trent Williams, the Jets are building the boring - but absolutely the right - way.
Nate Solder has been a bust for Big Blue. Guards Will Hernandez and Kevin Zeitler are pretty stout. The Giants signed tackle Cameron Fleming at right tackle, which doesn't round-out a rather impressive line. But if the volumes of mock drafts ring true, then Big Blue could add a franchise tackle - such as Louisville's Mekhi Becton or Iowa's Tristan Wirfs - with the fourth overall pick, and perhaps a big-time center, like Cesar Ruiz, in the second round.
Edge: Jets
Wide Receiver
The Jets lost deep-threat Robby Anderson, who signed a four-year deal with the Carolina Panthers. They've replaced him with Breshad Perriman, a bust with Baltimore who revived his career last year with Tampa Bay. Quincy Enunwa is wildly talented but too often injured. Jamison Crowder is a solid receiver who had some big games for Gang Green in 2019. But the Jets need help at wideout, and could get a lift from Oklahoma speedster CeeDee Lamb or Alabama WR Jerry Jeudy.
The Giants look pretty good here. The have the productive veteran Golden Tate. When healthy, they have a possible No. 1 receiver in Sterling Shepard. And Darius Slayton is coming off a sizzling rookie season and clearly had chemistry with QB Daniel Jones.
Edge: Giants
Tight End
The Giants drafted undersized TE Evan Engram, and some of us questioned it. But Engram proved he's lethal running routes, and almost impossible to cover. As a rookie, Engram snagged 64 passes for 722 total yards, and scored six touchdowns. Like so many Giants, however, he's been plagued by injuries, missing 14 games over his three-year NFL career. Still, it's hard to give up on a 25-year-old with his hands and athletic splendor. In case Engram misses more games, the Giants signed the 6-foot-8, 270-pound Levine Toilolo.
The Jets can say much the same with Chris Herndon, who can't stay healthy and was also saddled with a PED suspension. His rookie year showed ample promise, when he snagged 39 passes, four touchdowns and averaged a robust 12.9 yards per catch. But he played just one game last year, and caught one pass. The Jets were worried enough to bring in Ryan Griffin before the 2019 season. The former Houston Texan played well enough to earn a three-year deal with Gang Green. But Herndon has a much higher ceiling.
Edge: Giants
Running Back
The Giants have Saquon Barkley. That wins the argument for almost any NFL team. In a quietly clever move, the G-Men brought in former Patriots and Titans halfback Dion Lewis, who is a perfect compliment to the thunderous Barkley, and is equally potent catching balls in the flat.
The Jets thought they hit the lotto when they stole Le'Veon Bell from the Pittsburgh Steelers. But it turned out Bell was much better when he ran behind Pittsburgh's all-world offensive line and caught passes from future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger. Bell had a big opening act, then statistically dissolved in a fraction of his formerly fantastic self. In his finale season as a Steeler, Bell lead the league in rushes, and amassed 1,946 total yards. In his maiden year for the Jets, he totaled 1,250 yards, averaging a paltry 3.2 yards per rush.
Edge: Giants
Quarterback
It's painful for dumb pundits — like yours truly — to admit that Daniel Jones is infinitely better than we thought he would be. No Duke QB had ever been selected in the first round of an NFL Draft, so we mauled G-Men GM Dave Gettleman for plucking Jones with the sixth overall pick last year. Yet Jones had flashes of brilliance, with a hybrid of mobility and accuracy that earned him an instant sobriquet, Danny Dimes. If he can stop coughing up the ball all the time — he lapped the league last year with 18 fumbles — he has the chance to become a franchise quarterback.
Sam Darnold is as confounding as any Jets QB. In one game, against the Patriots, he was caught live, on national television, saying he saw ghosts. Yet he also went 7-6 last year as the Jets starting quarterback. Gang Green went 0-3 while Darnold missed three games from contracting mononucleosis. Over his star-crossed two seasons in New York, Darnold has produced sad and sublime games. Most folks agree that franchise quarterbacks start coming into their own by their third season. Sadly, Darnold will miss ample practice time through no fault of his own or his team, but rather by this global plague we call COVID-19.
Edge: Giants
Defensive Line
The Giants drafted Dexter Lawrence last year with their first pick. They also traded for Jets tackle Leonard Williams, who has underachieved but showed promise with a new team in the same stadium. They also have Dalvin Tomlinson and B.J. Hill, and just added former Titans tackle Austin Johnson.
The Jets have Quinnen Williams, whom they drafted third overall last year, with mixed results. Joining Williams is a pretty deep lineup of Steven McLendon, Henry Anderson Folorunso Fatukasi, Kyle Phillips, and Nathan Shepherd. The Jets may also draft a lineman, something they've done every draft except one since 2011.
Edge: Jets
Linebacker
The Giants added Packers LB Blake Martinez, who totaled at least 140 tackles over each of his last three seasons. Not sure why Green Bay wouldn't pay three years, $30 million for that kind of production, but Big Blue did. They also signed Kyler Fackrell. Joining them will be Lorenzo Carter, Oshane Ximines, David Mayo and Ryan Connelly. The Giants don't have to draft a linebacker, but if they snag Clemson's Isaiah Simmons, they get exponentially better.
The Jets' two best linebackers are C.J. Mosley and Avery Williamson. Losing Mosley to injury really hurt the Jets last year, and weren't close to the same defense without him. Williamson played even less after blowing out his knee. Still the Jets should be deep at linebacker this year. Joining Mosley and Williamson are Neville Hewitt, James Burgess, Patrick Onwuasor and Black Cashman. Gang Green is pretty deep at linebacker.
Edge: Jets
Secondary
The Jets start the best safety in football, in Jamal Adams. Joining Adams at safety is Marcus Maye, who had 79 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble. The Jets lineup at cornerback includes Blessaun Austin, Kyron Brown, Pierre Desir, Nate Hairston and Brian Poole. Gang Green had the 16th-ranked secondary after the 2019 season, according to Pro Football Focus. Expect about the same.
Big Blue had a woeful secondary last year, ranked 30th out of 32 teams by Pro Football Focus. So the Giants signed former Panthers CB James Bradberry to a three-year deal, filling a gaping hole at the position. DeAndre Baker, who improved over his rookie season, is the other starting cornerback. Backing them up will be Sam Beal, Corey Ballentine, and Grant Haley. Big Blue added gifted safety Jabrill Peppers when they traded Odell Beckham Jr. to the Browns. Joining Peppers at safety will be Julian Love, who showed promise over five games in 2019, with 37 combined tackles, one pick and one forced fumble.
Edge: Jets
Coach
Adam Gase can be surly and condescending with the media, traits unbefitting a coach with a career record of 30-34. But Gase did go 7-6 when he had Sam Darnold under center, and actually had a winning record in Miami when Ryan Tannehill was healthy.
Considering how sterile and stuffy the Giants can be with coaches, they went all flower child on us when they hired the wholly unproven Joe Judge as head coach. The 37-year-old Judge has the misfortune of entering his rookie season sans spring and perhaps summer practice because of the coronavirus. Perhaps it's not how Judge learned to coach, but where — at the altar of Bill Belichick. And for those who wince at the idea of a special teams coach leaping all the way to head coach, that was the path taken by John Harbaugh.
Edge: Jets
General Manager
Dave Gettleman loves to talk, about himself, his prowess and his success. The Giants would like to finally see some of that come to fruition. Gettleman hit it big with Barkley in the 2018 draft, and seemed to shock us all by nailing it in 2019 with Daniel Jones. But still the Giants finished 5-11 and 4-12 over their last two seasons. In the emaciated NFC East, there's no reason the G-Men can't win at least seven games in 2020. How Judge coaches, and the Giants play, is squarely on the GM who muses over Hog Mollies and boring bromides.
Everyone cheered when the Jets hired Joe Douglas as their GM. Only problem is they hired him last year after free agency and the NFL Draft. So Douglas entered his first year all but powerless to improve the club. But no one doubts his pedigree as a former offensive linemen who learned about NFL front offices from the Eagles, a team that handles their personnel business about as well as anyone. It's quite fair to consider this season as the first for Douglas.
Edge: Giants
Owner
Hands down the Mara family, which has owned at least half the Giants since the team was founded in 1925, wins this matchup. The Giants have been to five Super Bowls since 1986, won four of them, and have shown the pride and patience necessary to build a winner. There's been some odd, corporate turbulence since they canned Tom Coughlin. But you must trust the pedigree.
The Jets are owned by the Johnsons, run by Woody and Christopher. The patron saint of pro football in these parts, Bill Parcells, famously said, you are what your record says you are. And the Jets still haven't sniffed a Super Bowl since 1969.
Edge: Giants
Overall
Slight edge: Giants
