It’s the opening weekend of another NFL season!
The 2023 season saw both local franchises — the Giants and Jets — miss the playoffs and leave their fanbases wanting more. Luckily, with the dawn of a new season comes the eternal spring of hope for loyal followers of Big Blue and Gang Green — including several of our diocesan priests.
Starting with the Jets, last season seemed like it was over as soon as it started when four-time MVP quarterback and highly touted offseason addition Aaron Rodgers tore his left Achilles on the fourth play of the season. Typical Jets.
Yet the 40-year-old Rodgers — who did not play a single snap in the preseason — appears healthy and will try to disprove the naysayers who think his career is finished. True Jets fans, though, are relying on optimism when it comes to their star quarterback.
“I’m counting on Rodgers being in tip-top shape and ready to play,” said longtime suffering Jets fan Father Bill Sweeney, pastor of St. Francis de Sales, Belle Harbor. “I’m cautiously optimistic, but I’m a Jets fan. You know what could happen. Things could go wrong.”
The Jets have some offensive weapons — especially running back Breece Hall and wide receiver Garrett Wilson — so if the offensive line can protect Rodgers, the team should be able to score some points.
“The one thing we missed out on with Rodgers is just his true presence, both on the field and also off the field,” said Father James Kuroly, rector principal of Cathedral Prep and Seminary, Elmhurst, as well as the spiritual liaison to the diocesan Catholic Youth Organization. “Everyone else still has to do their jobs, but Rodgers brings such a presence to the table.”
While there will be a heavy reliance on Rodgers to lead the offense, the Jets’ defense is among the best in the league. Cornerback Sauce Gardner, defensive lineman Quinnen Williams, and linebacker C.J. Mosley lead a talented group expected to keep the team in every game.
If the defense can hold opponents to under 20 points per game, the Jets can be successful. In a tough AFC East division featuring the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins, every win will be precious as the Jets attempt to make the playoffs for the first time since 2010.
Given Rodgers’ age and massive contract, many Jets fans feel it’s Super Bowl victory or bust this year. Yet this is a team that hasn’t made the postseason in over a decade — just get there first and then see what happens.
For the Giants, which will be celebrating its 100th season, fans hope the team can exceed expectations, which are relatively low heading into the year. Quarterback Daniel Jones has shown flashes of greatness, but overall, he’s been too erratic to be counted on consistently. On top of that, he’s coming off a right knee injury that cost him half of last season.
A big key for the Giants’ offseason was strengthening the offensive line so that if Jones finds himself healthy for most of the year, he’ll be protected enough to get the ball to some capable wide receivers, including first-round draft pick Malik Nabers. New faces along the line include a handful of veterans — Jon Runyan, Jermaine Eluemunor, and Greg Van Roten, who played high school football in the local Catholic High School Football League with Chaminade H.S., Mineola, Long Island.
“I think they did a good job of reinforcing the offensive line,” said die-hard Giants fan Father Ralph Edel, chaplain at St. Francis Prep, Fresh Meadows. “I think they’re going to throw the ball down the field a lot more. That’s been the indication out of camp.”
Losing star running back Saquon Barkley to the rival Philadelphia Eagles was a tough pill to swallow. However, the Giants have always relied on their defense when the team made its championship runs.
New linebacker Brian Burns amassed 46 sacks in five seasons with the Carolina Panthers. He’ll join third-year star pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux and run-stopping defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II in pressuring opposing quarterbacks.
“I love that in our 100th year, we’ve reminded ourselves exactly what Giants’ football is all about,” Father Edel said. “Whenever the Giants have a good defensive front, that’s always a great place to start. It’s the defense that will define the team and the franchise.
“There’s nothing that cleans up a bad secondary better than hitting the quarterback.”
The NFC East will be tough, with the Eagles and Dallas Cowboys — both of whom the Giants have struggled with in recent years. If this team is going to be successful, they’ll have to play mistake-free football and eke out close victories. Jones though has been prone to costly mistakes, so he will have to protect the football and make wise decisions for this team to make some noise.
Both New York teams have plenty to prove, and it all starts this weekend, with the Jets traveling to San Francisco to take on the defending NFC champion 49ers on Monday Night Football, while the Giants host the Minnesota Vikings.
Are you ready for some football?