Jets, Giants to meet on Christmas Eve
Quarterback Mark Sanchez calls plays during the AFC title game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Jan. 23, 2011) Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
The Jets will have the ho-ho-home field advantage when they play the Giants at New Meadowlands Stadium at 1 p.m. Dec. 24, just one of the highly anticipated games that the two New York-area teams will be participating in if the 2011 NFL schedule goes forward as announced.
There is the slight matter of a lockout and no current collective-bargaining agreement -- "We have every intention of playing the full schedule and that's why we're releasing it as we normally do," commissioner Roger Goodell said during the unveiling on NFL Network Tuesday night -- but as it now stands, the Giants and Jets will play in a total of nine prime-time games.
"I think that really speaks volumes about our team, where our franchise is at, and how the league and everybody else in the league basically sees us the same way," Jets coach Rex Ryan said. "They know we're an elite team and I think that's why we have five prime-time games."
The Jets will open the season at home on Sunday Night Football against the Cowboys, pitting Rex Ryan against his twin, Dallas' first-year defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. Earlier that day, the Giants will open at the Redskins as the NFL plans to honor the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks that took place in those cities.
The Giants will face their former defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and the Rams in Week 2 in what will be the Giants' first home Monday Night Football game in eight years. The Giants haven't played a home opener on a Monday night since 1995, when they lost to the Cowboys. Their other prime- time games will be Nov. 20 at home against the Eagles, Nov. 28, a Monday night, in New Orleans, and Dec. 11 at Dallas.
Three of the Giants' final four games will be against NFC East opponents, including two against the Cowboys, who close out the regular season at New Meadowlands Stadium on Jan. 1.
"Our deal is how we finish," coach Tom Coughlin said. "We need to play good football at the end of the season. Part of our objective for the 2011 season is going to be how our football team plays in the fourth quarter and how we finish. And it's an extremely challenging finish."
Besides the opener against the Cowboys, the Jets will face the Ravens on Oct. 2, host the Dolphins on a Monday night on Oct. 17, host the Patriots in prime time Nov. 13 and play at Denver in a Thursday nighter Nov. 17. They close out their regular-season schedule in Miami on Jan. 1.
The Giants will have a bye in Week 7, the Jets in Week 8.
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