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This is an exclusive Courier review of the local professional football teams’ performances during the Nov. 23 games.

Giants

Ho hum. Another game against a playoff contender. Another throttling by the Giants.
Even though two of their main offensive weapons (RB Brandon Jacobs and WR Plaxico Burress) were injured, the New York Giants (10-1) dismantled the Arizona Cardinals (7-4), who are playoff-bound in the weak NFC West.

After rushing for over 200 yards in the previous three games, the Giants’ ground attack was slowed, gaining only 87 yards, including 69 and a touchdown from Derrick Ward. Instead, the Giants won through the air, with Eli Manning piling up 240 yards passing and three TDs.

Even though the Giant defense gave up 351 yards passing, Arizona QB Kurt Warner was never able to get comfortable. Getting constant pressure on Warner, the Giants forced a fumble and an interception and only allowed one TD pass to Anquan Boldin. The defense also completely shut down the Arizona ground game, allowing only 23 yards rushing.

The next three weeks, the Giants begin round two against their divisional opponents, all of whom they beat the first time around. Next Sunday, they are at Washington, then home against Philadelphia and at Dallas.

In Week 1, the Giants beat Washington 16-7 in the Meadowlands, holding the Redskin offense to just over 200 yards total. John Carney was the hero of that game, kicking three field goals in the first half, before the defenses shut down both teams in the second half.

After Tennessee’s loss to the Jets, the Giants are now the NFL’s best team, and their NFC East rivals will be gunning for them. With a banged-up offense, the Giants defense will be the key to victory in these next three games.

Jets

I wrote last week that the New York Jets’ win over the Patriots was not the season’s defining moment, but that this week’s game against the undefeated Tennessee Titans would be. Now, after a 34-13 dismantling of the Titans (10-1), the Jets (8-3) have emerged as an AFC favorite.

As an unabashed Jets fan, even I had my doubts that they could slow down the Titans’ rushing attack. As it turns out, if you keep the Titans’ defenders on the field for over 40 minutes, the offense does not get to play much.

Brett Favre had a typical Brett Favre day — 25-for-32 passing, with 224 yards and two TDs — but the difference maker was the Jets’ rushing game. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington combined for 178 yards and two TDs, including a long 61-yarder by Washington. The constant rushing attack kept the tired Titans’ defenders on the field and kept the Tennessee offense at bay.

When the Titans’ offense got onto the field, the Jets’ defense stopped them from going anywhere. The Titans’ two workhorse running backs, Chris Johnson and LenDale White, were neutralized by the Jets’ front seven. Johnson had 10 carries for 46 yards, while White carried the ball once for a loss of a yard. Johnson, a rookie, also had his first fumble of his career.

The Jets now go on to face Denver, Buffalo and Miami, with two cross-country flights (San Francisco and Seattle) mixed in. The Jets should be favored in every remaining game and could finish the season with a 13-3 record. However, they cannot look past the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos (6-5), who are coming off an embarrassing 31-10 loss to the Oakland Raiders.

Multiple injuries have decimated the Broncos’ depth at running back, but QB Jay Cutler is one of the league’s brightest stars and has already thrown for 3,036 yards (third-highest in the NFL) and 19 TDs. It could be a trap game, but if the Jets can stop Cutler, they should continue their winning ways.

- Christopher Blaszczyk