The Two Best NFL Teams Reside In Jersey

It is a very rare occurence when New York/New Jersey fans can be proud of their teams. It has been a long time since the Yankees and Mets were playing at the pinnacle of their games, when the two matched up in the World Series in 2000. It has been a long time since New York's beloved hockey Rangers last won a Stanley Cup, and it has been an eternity since basketball actually mattered on either side of the Hudson.

But, for some reason, this season is different. Not only are the Giants defending Super Bowl Champions and playing like it with each passing week, they are joined by a familiar neighbor from across the street. Yes, folks, the Jets.

The last time New York got this excited about Jets/Giants was 1986, when both teams were in first place of their respective divisions. The Jets were 10-1 and the Giants were 9-2. Big Blue raced all the way to Super Bowl XXI, beating the Denver Broncos 39-20, while Gang Green gagged on six losses in seven games, including a 23-20 loss to Cleveland in the second round of the playoffs.

That is enough to show you that anything can happen in the final two months of a football season; nevertheless, for the first time since Week 12, 22 years ago, fans can dream the impossible dream.

The Giants have been the most dominant team in football this season. They can run with the power of Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw; they can rely on the now steady arm and heart of Eli Manning; they can count on the strength of a defense that loves to eat quarterbacks for breakfest, lunch, dinner and a midnight snack.

There is no team in the NFC, right now anyway, that can beat the Giants. They are that good. Whenever faced with a tall order, whether it be going into Philly on a Sunday night, or playing a physical Ravens' team, the Giants have answered the call.

The Jets, on the other hand, were a nice story in August, when the team jettisoned the fans target of hatred and criticism, Chad Pennington, as far away from Florahm Park as possible, and, in his place, called on the gods of pro football to save their ship: Brett Favre. Favre, along with DT Kris Jenkins, have injected renewed confidence in a team that had lost its mojo many years ago.

After a rough start that included a hard to figure loss to Oakland, the Jets have taken off. First, they beat the then first place Bills, then they destroyed the Rams; then, they stole one away from the hated Patriots, and finally, stomped all over the once unbeaten Tennessee Titans.

Favre has done his part, throwing for 20 TD's and helping the Jets become the second highest scoring offense in the league behind only ... the Giants. Jenkins has done more, leading a brutal defense that stuffs the run and harasses quarterbacks with constant pressure from the front line to the secondary.

Even though it is a long season, the Steelers, Patriots, and Titans figure to give the Jets all they can handle in January, while the Panthers, Buccaneers, and, possibly, the Cowboys could be obstacles for the Giants. It is easy to dream of Super Bowl XLIII becoming the Jersey Bowl, or Subway Super Bowl, or the FUGGEDABOUTIT Bowl, or the BADA BING Bowl, or the intersection between Route 3 and 17 Bowl. Yes, children, there is a Santa Claus, and he could have a Super Bowl for all New Yorker/New Jerseyans tucked away nicely in that bag of his. Ho. Ho. Ho.