Jets win battle of New York in costly loss for Giants
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Breaking down the New York Jets’ 23-20 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
THE BIG PICTURE: One week after a disappointing loss against the division-rival Washington Redskins, the Giants (5-7) officially fell out of a first-place tie in the NFC East (Washington plays Monday night).
A 48-yard missed field goal by Giants placekicker Josh Brown in overtime sealed the loss.
Making this one hurt even more, it was a Giants coaching gaffe that cost the team. In the fourth quarter, the Giants had a 17-play, 67-yard drive end with an Eli Manning interception on fourth-and-2 from the Jets' 4-yard line. They held a 10-point lead at the time. Hindsight is always 20-20, but a field goal — and 13-point margin — likely would have made it impossible for the Jets to climb back in this game.
The Giants have battled inconsistency throughout the season. It’s hard not to think of the first two weeks, when they also held 10-point leads in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons but lost both times.
The Redskins (5-6) entered Sunday with the tiebreaker advantage over the Giants, and securing a division victory against Dallas tomorrow would help extend that. There’s no other way to paint it: the Giants missed a huge chance.
For the Jets, it’s impossible to look at Sunday's win as anything but a huge sigh of relief. In the hunt for a wild-card berth in the AFC, they began the day on the outside, looking in. Now at 7-5, the Jets are most certainly alive and well.
The biggest issue facing the Jets is that the Kansas City Chiefs (6-5) have an extremely favorable record the rest of the way, and there is a logjam of teams vying for the two spots.
KEY PLAY: The Jets faced a fourth-and-6 from the Giants 36-yard line with the game on the line. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick took the snap and dropped back, only to see all Jet receivers blanketed. He took off and gained 15 yards on a scramble up the middle, setting up the game-tying 9-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall.
POSITIVE SIGN: The Giants entered this game last in the NFL in sacks allowed (12). But thanks in part to an excellent game by defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, the Giants generated a solid pass rush against the Jets and picked up three sacks.
Pierre-Paul was aggressive Sunday, often beating Jets offensive tackles D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Breno Giacomini. Though JPP didn’t notch a sack in the game, it was his disruption that helped allow Robert Ayers and Cullen Jenkins to take down Fitzpatrick.
WHAT’S NEXT?: The Jets, even though they were the “away” team in Sunday’s game, stay at home next week, when they host the Tennessee Titans.
The Giants have an extra day of rest this week, as they travel to Miami to face the Dolphins in Week 14’s Monday night game.
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Follow Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @LorenzoGReyes
PHOTOS: Week 13 NFL action