The national NFL punditry thinks about the Giants and Jets. They just don’t think much.
Last year marked the second season in a row neither New York football team qualified for the playoffs, and if the preseason power rankings coming out before training camp hold to form, it will be another mediocre season.
In the five polls consulted, the Giants checked in at an average of 19th among the 32 teams, with a high of 18 and a low of 21. That’s only marginally better than the Jets, who averaged 20.4 with slightly more variance —Â a high of 17 and a low of 23.
Here is the sample:
CBS: Giants 18, Jets 23
ESPN: Giants 19, Jets 21
NFL.com: Giants 19, Jets 17
Pro Football Talk: Giants 18, Jets 19
The Giants — who opened training camp Tuesday — started 0-6 last season before closing with seven wins in their final 10 games. They made sweeping changes in the offseason, signing a whopping 19 free agents and bringing in former Packers quarterbacks coach Ben McAdoo to run the offense.
The Jets surpassed expectations en route to an 8-8 finish. GM John Idzik made offseason moves to add to the skill positions on offense (Eric Decker, Chris Johnson) and fortify a sturdy defense, it remains to be seen whether Geno Smith is the quarterback of the future.