Now that two New York teams have won the National and American Leagues of baseball, it begs a question: Can two New York teams win the National and American Conferences of football?
While a Subway Super Bowl does not have quite the ring of Subway Series (plus, there's really no need to take a Subway from Giants Stadium to, well, Giants Stadium), it could be just as compelling. After all, it would be just one game on the biggest stage in sports that would transcend the Big Apple. And through mid-October, not only does it seem that the stars are aligned for New York to take over the sports world, but the New York Jets and New York Giants currently look as good at the same time as they have at any point since 1986.
Each team has surprised people with a quick start and finds itself in a tie atop its division. Yes, each has holes and has had at least one stinker of a performance. But both squads playing for a championship may be more possible than people think.
Giants fans would not have expected such statements after the team endured a miserable, winless preseason. With rumors swirling that coach Jim Fassel was finished if the team did not make the playoffs, and Big Blue still trying to recover from an ugly 1999 campaign in which the offense and defense started pointing fingers at each other, things did not look good.
But the G-Men seem to have emerged from the turmoil of August and used it to their advantage in September and October. The team jumped out to a 3-0 start, disposing of the Arizona Cardinals at home, then going on the road and deflating a tough, young Philadelphia Eagles team that was fresh off a thrashing of the Dallas Cowboys. That performance was followed by another road win in Chicago, before the team appeared on the brink of a collapse after two straight losses. But the Giants have rebounded with two wins against weak opponents, the Atlanta Falcons and Cowboys, whom they defeated 19-14 last week.
Heading into a bye week, the team looks significantly more complete than a year ago. Foremost, New York has upgraded its offensive line and running game, its strengths back when it was among the NFL's elite. The additions of Lomas Brown, Glenn Parker, and Dusty Ziegler have shored up the all-important left side of the line, giving quarterback Kerry Collins more time and boosting the running game.
That running game has been helped by more than an improved line, though. The addition of Ron Dayne, via the draft, and the emergence of Tiki Barber as a consistent threat has catapulted the New York running game, arguably the team's biggest weakness a year ago, into the second-ranked attack in the league. Thunder and Lightning, as the media has dubbed Dayne and Barber, have carried the offense. Dayne, a big bruising runner, has picked up 358 yards through seven games, and scored three touchdowns. But the biggest threat has been Barber, who has used speed and quickness to run for 516 yards on 85 carries, an average of 6.1 yards per game, the highest of anyone in the league with over 50 carries.
With the best signal-caller that the team has had during the Fassel era in the talented Kerry Collins, the offense finally looks NFL-caliber. That has energized the defense, which, led by Pro Bowlers Jessie Armstead and Michael Strahan, ranks third in rushing defense and ninth overall. With a fairly soft schedule this season, the team has a very good chance for double-digit wins and, if it can somehow win at FedEx field on Dec. 3, would be a real contender for a division title.
The Giants' co-tenants are off to their best start in over a decade, sitting in a first-place tie with the Miami Dolphins at 5-1 and awaiting a Monday Night showdown with the Fish. The Jets' task may be tougher, playing in the best division in football with a fairly tough schedule still looming. But with road wins at Tampa Bay and New England, the latter accomplished in a dominating 34-17 performance last week, the Jets seem to have developed mental toughness following a trying 1999 season.
First-year coach Al Groh has out-coached five of the first six counterparts he has faced this season; in fact, the only loss he has suffered came at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers after quarterback Vinny Testaverde left with a pinched nerve. If Testaverde and running back and team MVP Curtis Martin can stay healthy, New York will get enough offense to support its emerging defense.
With a proven corps of linebackers, two outstanding cornerbacks in Aaron Glenn and Marcus Coleman, and a Pro Bowl-caliber safety in Victor Green, the only question mark was the defensive line. But that question was a big one - New York did not have a consistent pass rush at any point during Bill Parcells' time as coach. But, just like with the Giants running game, that dilemma appears to have been solved with the draft.
With two first round picks, Shaun Ellis and John Abraham, in the mix, the pass rush is suddenly dangerous. Ellis has shown bursts of potential, especially in Week One against the Green Bay Packers by putting pressure on Brett Favre from the outset. Abraham is quietly drawing comparisons to Jevon Kearse and Lawrence Taylor. He has used outstanding speed and elusiveness to compile 4.5 sacks and create havoc for opposing teams. Although he suffered a strained abdominal muscle in the middle of a two-sack performance last week, Abraham has helped turn around a long-suffering pass rush. And that is as big a reason that the Jets are one of the NFL's biggest surprises.
But the mildly surprising success of the Jets and Giants in the early part of this season could pale in comparison to a potential head-to-head matchup. Go ahead, say that it can't happen. But remember, they said the same thing about a Mets-Yankees World Series.
Magic Flutie may save Bills.
In keeping with the New York theme, the only team to play its home games in the Empire State had the monopoly on irony last week. It would seem that a false start by Buffalo Bills' center Jerry Ostroski winning his team the game would be strange enough (kicker Steve Christie missed a 42-yard field goal, but the penalty forced a re-kick from 47 out, which he hit). But then an injury at the most important position caused the Bills to stumble into a situation they should have put themselves in much earlier.
That is because Rob Johnson was not getting the job done at quarterback. And when he suffered a separated shoulder that will sideline him for 2-4 weeks in overtime against the San Diego Chargers, it once again opened the door for Doug Flutie to serve as Buffalo's savior, as he did two years ago.
This is not to say that Flutie is a better quarterback than Johnson. If the Bills had the St. Louis Rams' offense, or even a decent offensive line, Johnson would be better suited to lead them, with his height, arm strength, and accuracy. But Johnson has a pitiful line that has left him subject to weekly poundings. As a result, the immobile quarterback has been sacked 25 games in six games and looked tentative in the pocket.
Flutie, unlike Johnson, can move around, which is vital given the state of Buffalo's line. With no running game to take pressure off of the quarterback, whoever is calling the signals has to be able to run for his life. And Flutie can do that.
In the end, the situation may wind up looking a lot like what happened in 1998. In that season, Johnson was injured and expected to miss two weeks, with the Bills struggling early in the year. Two weeks turned into over a year, as he didn't get the starting job back until Week 17 in '99. If the Bills are smart, history will repeat itself.
