New York Giants

After an improbable run to the Super Bowl last season and winning 13 straight road games along the way, the New York Giants began the 2008 regular season with high expectations.

They started off riding the momentum from last season and turned in four wins in a row. Team captain and quarterback Eli Manning has led the offense this season with eight touchdown passes and only four interceptions.

During their bye week, star wide receiver Plaxico Burress was suspended one game for missing team meetings. The team’s backup receivers then stepped up their game, scoring a blowout victory over Seattle.

Burress is an unbelievably talented wide receiver, but is way too much of a distraction for this team. If they do not trade him, there is no way this team can focus. He had been getting into heated battles with teammates, and with head coach Tom Coughlin.

In the preseason, Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora went down for the year with a knee injury. The Giants knew they would have to compensate for the loss and they have done just that with 21 sacks. The defensive line is anchored by youngsters Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka, and veteran Fred Robbins.

Another key to the Giants’ offense this season has been the backfield of Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw. Between the three, the opposing defense never knows what to expect.

The schedule so far has been very light, with the combined records of their opponents being 12-27. The next four games will be a huge test for the Giants as they play four playoff-caliber teams: the Steelers, Cowboys, Eagles and Ravens.

I think the Giants have enough weapons on offense to get to the NFC Championship game, but that is where they will falter.

Their greatest strength is their defense, which carried them all the way to a Super Bowl. With the help of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, they will be in most games because of this solid defense. I think this team can get past the weaker playoff teams in the earlier rounds, but when they have to face a team like the Packers or the Cowboys (who will have had time to recover from many injuries), they will falter.

New York Jets

The New York Jets offseason can be characterized by two words: Brett Favre.

The huge trade that brought Favre to the Jets, however, overshadowed the signings of three major free agents: offensive lineman Alan Faneca (Pittsburgh Steelers), linebacker Calvin Pace (Arizona Cardinals) and right tackle Damien Woody (Detroit Lions).

One concern, however, was that it would be hard for Favre to learn an entirely new offensive scheme after having spent 16 seasons with the Packers. In his first start as a Jet, Favre turned in a solid performance, including two touchdowns in a 20-14 win over the Miami Dolphins. In addition, running back Thomas Jones, in his second year with the Jets, has turned in a very solid start to his season with 478 yards and four touchdowns.

The Jets defense is ranked 22nd in the NFL, but the Jets caught a huge break when Tom Brady, the MVP quarterback and linchpin for the New England Patriots offense, went down for the season in Week 1.

The Jets have not yet been able to turn in a win against a playoff-caliber team. Their three wins have come against the Dolphins, Cardinals and Bengals with a combined record of 4-15. In order for this team to make it to the playoffs they are going to have to learn how to beat good teams.

Although Eric Mangini can game-plan for just about any opponent, the Jets don’t have enough weapons on offense to be considered a serious contender. They will fall out of the wild card race late in the season and miss the playoffs for the second straight year.