We’re just two weeks away from the start of the real NFL season. And although some have questioned the logic behind these preseason games, Week 3 will provide two teams a chance to renew their long-standing rivalry.
The New York Giants and the New York Jets square off on Friday night at MetLife Stadium with both teams putting their unbeaten preseason records on the line. Who will emerge unscathed between these two squads? Read on for a complete preview of this game and check out our other preseason coverage of the Packers-Raiders and Eagles-Steelers Week 3 games to get the full picture heading into the most significant week of the exhibition schedule.
[sc:Football ]New York Giants vs. New York Jets (7:30 PM ET)
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
When: Friday, August 22, 7:30 PM ET
Line: New York Giants at New York Jets – see all NFL lines
Why This Game Matters
[sc:NFL240banner ]Both New York franchises are unbeaten thus far in the 2014 preseason, but that doesn’t mean been strictly smooth sailing for the twoi clubs. Their starters have struggled so far this campaign and with the start of the actual season just a few weeks away, it is time for their key players to step up their game and match the quality of play of their reserves who have so far carried their squads this preseason.
Betting on the New York Giants
Eli Manning has admitted it himself. The New York Giants are still trying to understand the nuances of their newly-installed offense under offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. Although the Giants stretched their preseason record to a perfect 3-0 with their impressive come-from-behind win against the Colts last Saturday, Manning is still trying to get a handle of the up-tempo style of play that McAdoo wants to employ.
He just completed 1 of 7 passes for a disappointing total of six passing yards against the Colts. He was also fortunate to have an interception wiped out by a Colts penalty. This performance follows his atrocious 0-for-2 showing against the Steelers the game before, and midway through the preseason schedule, there’s a growing concern among Giants fans about their team’s ability to execute McAdoo’s West Coast offense with just three weeks remaining before the start of the new season.
Manning has said it himself: “the new offense is taking more time than expected to sink in. I didn’t know the new offense, how long it takes to get a great feel for it or how long it takes to grasp it all.”
In fact, the Giants starting unit stayed on the field for four offensive series and ended up with a grand total of 38 yards – poor even by preseason standards. Their first two offensive series were three-and-outs. Victor Cruz, who led the Giants in receiving yards last year with 998, remained reception-less in the preseason but remained positive that the Giants have enough time to grasp the new offensive schemes before the start of the new season.
Their preparations for the new season suffered a blow though when four Giants players suffered injuries in their game against the Colts. They are cornerback Prince Amukamara (groin), offensive tackle Charles Brown (shoulder), defensive tackle Markus Kuhn (elbow) and safety Cooper Taylor (toe).
Betting on the New York Jets
Ever since Rex Ryan took over as head coach back in 2009, he has molded the Jets into a defensive football team. Based on their performance against the Bengals in their last preseason game, this team might not live up to those of their predecessors.
Even though they pulled off a 25-17 victory at the end to somewhat avenge the 49-9 humiliation they suffered at the same venue last year, much of the attention after the game was given to the Jets defense and its inability to control QB Andy Dalton and the rest of the Bengals offense.
Andy Dalton went a perfect 8-for-8 for a total of 144 yards and a touchdown in three offensive drives for the Bengals.
Given that Dalton is not an elite passer yet, it is alarming that the Jets were unable to stop the 26-year-old even once. One of the main reasons behind the Jets’ struggles was the injury bug that has hit their lineup, particularly in their secondary. Cornerbacks Dee Milliner, Dimitri Patterson and Dexter McDougle all missed the game because of injuries with McDougle now out for the entire season with a knee injury.
Milliner, on the other hand, was suffering from a sprained ankle while Patterson had some leg problems. This forced Rex Ryan to experiment with Antonio Allen as he moved the safety to the troublesome cornerback position to cover the Bengals’ A.J. Green. Consider this experiment as a failure as Green caught three passes for 69 yards as Allen was just no match for Green’s speed.
One bright spot for the Jets in their last game was Geno Smith who somewhat redeemed himself after his horror show at Paul Brown Stadium last year. He played the entire first half for the Jets, going 10-of-13 for 98 yards with a passer rating of 65.5 as he continues to solidify his hold on the starting QB position ahead of Michael Vick.
Rookie safety Calvin Pryor also made an impression, recording six tackles, one for a loss, recovered a fumble and defended two passes in his preseason debut. Pryor certainly looked at ease in his first NFL game, even knocking out Bengals running back Rex Burkhead out of the game by drilling him behind the line of scrimmage.
He played a team-high 65 percent of the defensive snaps and will definitely see more action in the game against the Giants on Friday.
Writer’s Prediction
The Jets will emerge victorious in this battle of unbeaten teams. Create a betting account now and cash in on this Big Apple battle.
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