The top ten most memorable Giants-Jets moments for better or for worse.

 

10. Down goes Sanchez.

Snoopy Bowl August 2013. Rex Ryan; the bachagaloop that he is, had started Geno Smith and decided to put Mark Sanchez in the game in the fourth quarter against the Giants third stringers in a meaningless situation. Sanchez got slammed by Giants defensive tackle Marvin Austin and Sanchez was sidelined for the season.

9. Sehorn Injury

Superstar cornerback, Jason Sehorn returned the opening kickoff during the annual preseason game August 1998 and after he was hit by Chris Hayes, he fumbled the football and tore his ACL and MCL missing all of 1998.

8. Yale Bowl

August 17, 1969, the two teams met for the first time ever in an exhibition game at the Yale Bowl. The defending World Champion Jets dominated bragging rights with much prominence winning a Super Bowl prior to their big brother and the AFL was finally taken seriously. Joe Namath went 16 out of 18 for 188 yards and three touchdown tosses. The Jets won single-handedly 37-14 and Giants head coach Allie Sherman was fired shortly after.

7. Jets first regular season win

At the Yale Bowl in 1974, the Jets downed the Giants in overtime to beat Big Blue for the first time in the regular season 26-20. Joe Willie governed a comeback victory as he threw a 5-yard touchdown toss to Emerson Boozer in OT. Including this victory the Jets won four out of the next six games vs. the Giants. The Jets won again in 1981, Giants won in 1984 and 1987, and the Jets won back-to-back again in 1988 and 1993.

6. Christmas coal

During the final week of the season on December 18, 1988, the Jets knocked the Giants out of playoff contention. Jets led 13-0 early. Phil Simms found Stephen Baker “The Touchdown Maker” for a 5-yard score then a 9-yard score, then Big Blue took the lead when Phil Simms threw a 9-yard touchdown toss to Lionel Manuel. Giants clung to a 21-20 lead but with 37 seconds remaining on third down and five at the Giants five, Ken O’Brien found Al Toon in the corner of the end zone for a 27-21 Gang Green victory and the Giants finished the season 10-6, missed the playoffs and lost the division to the Eagles. The Sack Exchange sacked Simms eight times in the victory at Giants Stadium.

5. Curtains

Just hours before kickoff on Christmas Eve 2011 the Jets hung black curtains masking the Giants Super Bowl murals outside the Giant locker room.

4. Talk is cheap, play the game

October 2007, Jets led by 10 at the half and again after a 98-yard kickoff return by Leon Washington in the third quarter. The Giants cut the deficit after a Jeremy Shockey touchdown. The bleach blonde unapologetic flamboyant tight end out of University of Miami snatched a touchdown pass from Eli Manning then Plaxico Burress who would subsequently become the Super Bowl hero four months later stiff armed his way down the sideline for 53 yards and a score followed by a pick six by Aaron Ross to seal the deal and the Giants won 35-24. The Giants mantra that started in the locker room that year was “Talk is cheap, play the game” and the season concluded with a Super Bowl title.

3. Jets land a comeback

December 2015, Giants Wide Receiver Dwayne Harris took the ball 80 yards to the house on a punt return for six points. Odell Beckham Jr. caught a pass from Manning and waltzed 72 yards all the way to the end zone. The Giants led 20-10 at the end of three quarters but the Jets notched a field goal then Brandon Marshall used his height to his advantage and reeled in a 9-yard touchdown toss from Ryan Fitzpatrick outlasting Prince Amukamara with 27 seconds left in regulation. In overtime Randy Bullock converted a 29-yard field goal to give the Jets the lead then Josh Brown missed a 48-yard field goal, and the Jets were victorious. Marshall made 12 catches for 131 yards and Beckham reeled in 6 passes for 149. The Giants lost five games they led in the fourth quarter that season.

2. The back-and-forth Subway Bowl

November 2003, Santana Moss made three receiving touchdowns and Curtis Martin rushed for 108 yards. Down by a point towards the end of the third quarter Ike Hilliard who had 127 receiving yards on the day was open over the middle in the end zone to give the Giants a lead. Giants led by 14 in the fourth, but Santana Moss leaped in the end zone to secure his third score of the afternoon and cut the deficit then Anthony Becht caught a 9-yard laser in the end zone from Chad Pennington in double coverage with a half minute to go to tie the ball game. In overtime Giants kicker Brett Conway missed a field goal then on the other side the potential game winning 3-pointer by Jets kicker Doug Brien was blocked. With four seconds to go in OT Brett Conway won the game on a 29-yarder to send the “road fans” home happy in a 31-28 Giants win.

1. Season Beatings

In the most crucial and highly anticipated game ever between the two New York football clubs the Giants and Jets met on Christmas Eve 2011 with both teams looking for a Christmas miracle to keep their playoff hopes alive. Down 7-3 late in the second quarter the Giants were backed up at their own 1-yard line. Victor Cruz caught a pass from Eli Manning, broke a tackle, hurdled, ran down the sideline 99 yards then salsa danced his way into the end zone to give Big Blue a 10-7 lead. In the second half Ahmad Bradshaw found his way into the end zone via the rush twice on scores of 14 and 19 yards. The Giants defense sacked Mark Sanchez five times and won 29-14 and shut up Rex Ryan to win bragging rights. After the game at the midfield handshakes Brandon Jacobs and the Jets loudmouth coach got into a scuffle and Jacobs in a post-game interview just said it how it is calling Rex Ryan “a disrespectful bastard.” The Giants earned bragging rights, won their fifth straight game against the Jets and in the season that was supposed to be “the Jets year” the victory propelled the Giants as they won the NFC East the following week hosting Dallas then went on to beat Atlanta, Green Bay, San Francisco, and New England to win their fourth Super Bowl.