The Battle for New York (or New Jersey?) may or may not be a true rivalry, but there is no debate about the importance of this game for the Giants and Jets. Both teams are desperate for a win to keep their flickering postseason hopes alive and would like nothing more than to ruin each other's season.
Jets vs. Giants 2015 live stream: Game time, TV schedule and how to watch online
This year’s Snoopy Bowl has huge playoff implications for both the Giants and Jets.
Heading into Week 11, the Jets had lost four of five games and were on the verge of falling out of the wild card chase. But in beating the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, they put together their most complete effort in nearly two months and ended a free fall that had threatened to ruin their promising start. They are 6-5 and still in contention for a playoff spot, but sit on the periphery of the race, holding the seventh seed in a six-team field.
With the red-hot Kansas City Chiefs heavy favorites to make the playoffs, the rest of the AFC is left fighting for that final wild card spot and it promises to be a fierce battle that will likely come down to the final week of the season. The Houston Texans are currently in the No. 6 position, but the Jets (6-5), Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5), Buffalo Bills (5-6) and Oakland Raiders (5-6) all have legitimate chances to make some noise down the stretch.
If the Jets are going to remain in the postseason hunt, they have to take advantage of this soft spot in their schedule. They face three sub-.500 teams in their next three games (Giants, Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys), before hosting the New England Patriots in Week 16 and then traveling to Buffalo for what could be a play-in game against the Bills in the season finale.
The Giants wasted a huge opportunity to wrestle control of the NFC East race last Sunday, losing to Washington and falling below .500 for the first time since September. The Giants, fresh off a bye week, came out flat against Washington and looked rusty on offense. Their first 10 drives resulted in three interceptions and seven punts. The Giants hardly looked like a playoff contender and were badly outplayed for much of the game.
Their postseason hopes took a big hit with the loss, per Football Outsiders’ projections -- the Giants and Washington essentially flipped spots in the division pecking order following their Week 11 matchup. The Giants have a 28 percent chance to earn the crown, while Washington is now the frontrunner at 54 percent odds.
Yet, because of the mediocre mess that is the NFC East, the Giants can’t be counted out of the race. It’s likely that the champion will have only seven or eight wins, and the Giants already have five on their ledger. But the road ahead is a rocky one. Their upcoming opponents have a combined win percentage of .600, the third-hardest remaining schedule among NFC contenders.
In a season of coulda-beens and shoulda-beens, the Giants could have easily had this division wrapped up if they’d been able to finish games. They’ve squandered four fourth-quarter leads this season, and are now in catch-up mode as they try to avoid their fourth straight playoff-less season.
How to Watch
When: 1 p.m. ET
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.
TV: CBS
Announcers: Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts, Evan Washburn
Online: NFL Game Pass
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