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When it comes to the NFL, there is a question as to who rules New York City. Though the New York Giants and the New York Jets hail from the same city (both even play in the same stadium) they do not play each other very often. It may be strange to note that the two teams may have a rivalry yet they play in two different conferences yet you can still bet on either team in our NFL money lines. Though the New York Giants play in the National Football Conference and the New York Jets play in the AFC East, there is still some rivalry between the two teams.
The Start Of The Instate Rivalry
The instate rivalry of the Giants vs. the Jets began when the American Football League started all the way back in 1960. As the AFL was a rival in itself to the NFL, Harry Wismer was granted a charter franchise, and the New York Titans were born.
The Titans also played in the same stadium as the Giants, in the Polo Grounds, and ended that first season in 1960 with a record of 7-7. In 1963, the Titans of New York became known as the New York Jets yet as the two teams play each other so infrequently there is some doubt over whether there is a tangible rivalry. To make your own decision on what is going on in the league, check out the section on NFL news and rumors.
Both Play In The Same Stadium (Not In New York City)
It would likely make more sense to have both teams share the same stadium if they both played in the same conference. The New York Giants and the Jets hail from New York City and both play their home games in New Jersey. That’s right, neither of them actually plays in New York City but at the MetLife Stadium which is in East Rutherford, hence the claim that the match between the two is the shortest round trip in the NFL.
They actually began playing in the same stadium in preparation for the 1984 NFL season. Many Jets fans hoped that the move from Shea Stadium to Giants Stadium would come with a name change. However, the Jets continued to play at the Giants’ home yet many fans simply could not abide by this and decided to give their home its own name. To many Jets fans, Giants Stadium does not exist and it is simply known as The Meadowlands yet, to Giants fans, that pettiness is another reason why they will continue to be a bigger draw than their little brother.
Though the two teams now play at a neutrally named venue in the open-air multi-purpose MetLife Stadium, it still replaced Giants Stadium in 2010. The stadium can even go by another name itself to suit Jets fans; Meadowlands Sports Complex. Alas, due to playing in two different conferences, it fails to create too much of a problem as both franchises have an equal 50% share.
Those matchups rarely happen, in the regular season, you can expect the teams to play each other once each four years when the AFC East clubs are drawn to play the other four NFC East clubs. That has changed with the extra inter-conference game that could draw up the possibility of the match being played every other year. That’s if the rotation cycle and division rank allows it. Of course, there are annual preseason matches yet they could face each other in the Super Bowl itself which could happen.
Crucial Matchups
Though the teams rarely face each other, that’s not to say that the rivalry hasn’t resulted in some crucial matchups. In 1988, the Jets played the Giants in the final game of the regular season with the Jets having little to play for. Without hope of the playoffs, many anticipated a routine Giants’ victory to secure the division title and their playoff spot. However, the Giants failed to get past the Jets’ defense and Phil Simms was sacked eight times as quarterback in the 27-12 loss.
Few matches have given Jets fans something to be proud of yet in 1988, they essentially ruined the Giants’ season right at the end. Though other results went against them, notably wins for both the Eagles and the Rams, defeat to the Jets meant that the Giants failed to make the playoffs.
Their Super Bowl Success
They still harbor some proximity to each other yet the Giants are a little patronizing towards the Jets due to having more postseason success and a longer history in general. Indeed, the New York Jets can only claim a single Super Bowl, all the way back in 1969. They did win the AFC East championship in 2002 yet that’s a minuscule list of achievements compared to their ‘big brother’; the New York Giants. The Giants can claim four Super Bowls (XXI, XXV, XLII, and most recently Super Bowl XLVI) and four NFL championships in 1927, 1934, 1938, and 1956.
Summary
The instate NFL rivalry between the New York Giants and the New York Jets should mean much more. Both share the same venue yet neither play in the same conference and such infrequency of their matchups means that the rivalry has little history. Though The Giants can claim more Super Bowls, the defeat to the Jets that saw them miss out on the playoffs in 1988 still rankles.