When the 2023 NFL season began, Sunday's Week 8 showdown between the Jets and Giants had the potential to be a marquee matchup.
But it turned out to be very far from that.
In a battle of backup quarterbacks amid rainy conditions at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the Jets and Giants played one of the ugliest games football fans will see this season. And it took more than four quarters to decide a winner.
In the end, Greg Zuerlein hit a game-winning 33-yard field goal in overtime as the Jets escaped with a 13-10 victory.
The two teams combined to go 4-for-34 on third down. They had the same number of combined first downs (24) as they did punts (24). And possibly the most perplexing stat of them all: the Giants nearly won the game despite having negative net passing yards.
Tyrod Taylor, filling in for the injured Daniel Jones, started 4 of 7 for eight yards passing, but the veteran signal caller was knocked out of the game in the second quarter with a rib injury. That sent undrafted rookie and Cedar Grove, New Jersey, native Tommy DeVito into action.
NFL
DeVito put the Giants ahead 10-7 with a six-yard rushing touchdown early in the second half.
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But the Illinois product didn't have any success through the air in his NFL debut. He attempted just four passes in regulation and all of them fell incomplete, as the Giants committed to a run game that finished with 203 yards across 52 attempts.
Zach Wilson and Jets' passing offense wasn't faring that much better, though. Wilson was sacked four times for 47 yards and lost two fumbles.
The Jets turned it over on downs inside the final two minutes, setting up the Giants for a potentially game-sealing drive. But Graham Gano missed a 35-yard field goal with under 30 seconds left to give the Jets new life -- and they took advantage.
Wilson drove the Jets 58 yards in just two plays, capped by a 29-yard completion to Allen Lazard. Lazard was tackled at the Giants' 17 and the Jets' offense got set up to snap the ball just in time, leaving one second on the clock.
Zuerlein then connected on a game-tying 35-yard field goal as time expired.
The Giants got the ball first in overtime and DeVito completed his first two passes, but they went for a combined negative-one yard. After an incompletion on third down, the Giants punted the ball away -- and they wouldn't get it back.
DeVito finished 2-for-7 for negative-one yard passing. He and Taylor were also sacked a combined four times for 16 yards, giving the Giants seven passing yards and negative-nine net passing yards. According to STATS, that is the fewest net passing yards ever by a team in a game that reached overtime.
