Empire State of Football: NFL witnesses the rise of three New York franchises
The Buffalo Bills, New York Giants and New York Jets are the envy of the league and occupy the highest positions in the standings, something unthinkable until last season.
Aside from the Philadelphia Eagles, who remain undefeated with an unblemished 6-0 record, the football world has turned its spotlight on the NFL's three New York franchises. The Bills, Giants and Jets have made the headlines in recent weeks for their positive starts, a situation that has rarely been seen at this stage of the regular season at the same time.
To give you an idea, the Jets had the dubious honour of being second to last (31st) in 2020. They also haven't been to the Playoffs since 2011, when they lost in the Conference Finals to the Pittsburgh Steelers (13-38). Now, they are 4-2, which puts them in third place in the AFC. Only the Ravens and Bengals have been able to beat their fantastic defence this season.
Only Philadelphia is capable of bettering New York's most successful team at the start of the season. The Giants follow closely in the NFC East behind the undefeated Eagles with their 5-1 record. It's a spectacular record for a team that, in 2021, were tied for 28th with their neighbours. Fortunately, they have already forgotten that time and now the "concrete jungle" is once again a fearsome place for visitors. They won every game they played in the preseason and only the Cowboys, their division rivals, have managed to topple them so far this season.
Less surprising is the Buffalo Bills' march to the top of the AFC standings. Since being ranked No. 22 in the NFL in 2018, they have undergone a deep rebuilding process in which they have reached the Divisional Round of the Playoffs twice and the Conference Final once. Only their main executioner, the Kansas City Chiefs, has kept them from reaching the coveted Super Bowl in both 2021 and 2022.
A return to the turbulent 1980s
The 1970s and '80s were a time of steep social and political decline for New York City. Neighbourhoods like Harlem and the Bronx saw poverty encroach and could do nothing about it. Crime was the order of the day, and the authorities looked the other way. But these were good times for NFL franchises in the state of the same name.
If we travel back to 1981 we come across the last season in which all three teams appeared at the same time in a post-season. They all suffered the same fate. They were all eliminated and did not lift the championship trophy. The Jets were eliminated in the Wild Card Round and both the Bills and Giants were eliminated in the divisional playoffs.
Although they didn't reach glory on that occasion, they have each managed to touch it on at least one occasion. The New York Jets' first and last time was in 1968, a few years after adopting their current name, which replaced the New York Titans. The Giants have lifted the Vince Lombardi Trophy more frequently, most recently in 2011 under the guidance of Eli Manning (41), and have eight championships to their name. Buffalo has not tasted success for the longest time of the three, since 1965.
Three very different styles
They got to where they are with very different ways of doing things but all of them have proven to be successful methods. The Jets are a team with a lot of confidence in their defence's ability to slow down opposing offensive lines. They build from the back. This has led them to have players who rank very high in the defensive stats rankings. For example, linebacker CJ Mosley is fourth in the league in tackles made with 62.
As we have already said on more than one occasion, Saquon Barkley (25) is the absolute leader of the New York Giants. The return of the young running back from a long-term injury has changed the face of the Giants. They base their game on the run and he is key to that approach. In the last two weeks, he has decided games with important touchdowns. In addition, the Bronx native is second in the NFL in ground yards.
As for the Bills, all they need to think about is throwing and receiving. They have the best quarterback in the game for that. Josh Allen (26) needs very little to warm up his arm, as evidenced by the 1,980 passing yards that make him the NFL's most prolific quarterback. He has by his side the best ally for this task, Stefon Diggs (28). The Maryland receiver catches everything, which is why he has the third most yards - 656 - in the league and has scored six of the 17 touchdowns Allen has thrown.
Of the three teams, the one with the most doubts about whether they can keep up the pace is the Jets. However, until that is determined, we will continue to enjoy the New York hits that are flooding the best football league in the world.
