With the first half of the NFL season well underway, fans have been getting an idea of how their teams are competing. Therefore, it is a pleasure to say that for the first time in several years, the New York football teams have had a monumental start to the season. Unfortunately, this is very uncommon for both organizations, the New York Giants and the New York Jets, as their supporters are accustomed to their little success from the previous seasons. The Giants and the Jets shared the same record at the end of last year’s regular season with a common statistic of 4 wins and 13 losses, leading to a last-place standing in both of their divisions. However, within these first eight games, the NY franchises’ starting successes have elicited disbelief in their fans, demonstrating that this year may not turn out like the others. 

The New York Giants had a successful game last week on Sunday, November 13, in which they continue to extend their impressive record that has placed them in relatively high standings. Their accumulated victories have ranked them second in their division, the NFC East (National Football Conference)—one of most dominant divisions in the league. They now have an admirable record of seven wins to only two losses. As for the Jets, they fill the second place in the AFC East (American Football Conference) with an also remarkable record of six wins and three losses. Furthermore, the pride of the NY fans also stems from the teams’ leading spots in the top five of their conferences and the top ten in the overall league rankings. 

Largely contributing to the success of their franchises are certain players who have created an image for themselves from their outstanding abilities this season. For the Giants, this group includes quarterback Daniel Jones, running back Saquon Barkley, and on the defensive side, Dexter Lawrence who plays defensive tackle. Jones has especially stuck out with some amazing stats: 1,596 passing yards, 387 rushing yards, 8 passing touchdowns, and 3 rushing touchdowns. In the season’s Week 7, he became the first NY Giants player to produce 200 rushing yards and 100 running yards in a single game, which led to his notable award in that same week of NFC Offensive Player of the Week. His performance has served to prove that the NY Giants’ refusal to extend his rookie contract this year was a regretful decision. However, when questioned about this matter, he replied, “I don’t think it was ever really my focus to prove to people one way or the other. My focus was to play as well as I thought I could play and put the team in a position to win.” In addition, on the field, he and Saquon Barkley have revealed that they can be a dominant duo together as they have established a record of being the first quarterback-running back duo in the history of the franchise to “rush for 100 yards a piece in one game,” as stated by USA Today. They were also the third pair to reach this accomplishment in NFL history. 

From the Jets’ roster, a few players have also stood out in this half of the season: their rookie cornerback, Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner and one of their running backs, Breece Hall, even though he’s now injured. Gardner has had the nickname “Sauce” since he was a child, but just like in college football, where he played for Cincinnati, he has earned the privilege of being called this nickname by his Jets teammates. The name also derives from his endorsement deal with Buffalo Wild Wings in which they gave him his own signature sauce. Gardner was picked fourth in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and since then, he has demonstrated that he’s an integral part of the team. After impressing his coaches in the preseason, he took the starting cornerback spot over veteran Bryce Hall. He then used this opportunity to showcase his talent in games, carrying out astonishing statistics—being first in the league for passes defended (13 in total) as the most astonishing of all. Based on his performance so far, fans are considering him the best rookie cornerback in the NFL. 

Furthermore, aside from the players, one of the major reasons of the successes of the teams is their relatively new head coaches. This is Bryan Daboll’s first year as NY Giants head coach, while it’s Robert Saleh’s second year as NY Jets head coach. Although this season is both coaches’ first head coaching position, they have had much experience working with players in the NFL. Daboll has served as the offensive coordinator for four different NFL teams—the Browns, the Dolphins, the Chiefs, and the Bills—and was also assistant coach for the Patriots. On the other hand, Saleh was the defensive coordinator for the 49ers for four consecutive seasons. Up to this point, the two NY teams have thrived under the leadership of both head coaches. 

From this season’s showings of the New York Giants and the New York Jets, their supporters now wear a new sense of pride. The two teams have hinted at the beginning of a new and successful era and the end of a stagnantly negative one. Hopefully, they will not disappoint and will maybe even bring the Vince Lombardi Trophy to New York.