The Tennessee Titans remained perfect through 10 games with a stifling defense anchored by a fearsome defensive tackle, a dangerous tandem of running backs, and a grizzled old quarterback with a past marred by addiction. On Sunday, the New York Jets used that same combination to hand the Titans their first loss of the season.
It was the second big win in as many weeks for Gang Green. Last week's win over New England announced their new place in the division; yesterday's upset in Nashville established them as realistic contenders for the conference title.
As for that other New York team, the Giants improved to 10-1 with a win in Arizona to equal the NFL-best record of their synonymous counterparts in the AFC, felled by the Giants' stadium-mates in the Meadowlands. It makes for a nice New York story, and indeed, it's a great time for Big Apple football fans.
So why am I wringing my hands with dread? Because the New York media -- and possibly the national media -- will seize on this opportunity to think about the excitement that might come with a New York Super Bowl. A week ago, the New York Times investigated the possibility of playing both the AFC and NFC Championship Games in Giants Stadium on the same day -- an interesting thought experiment, but a hypothetical situation that demanded the (then) 7-3 Jets improve their standing in the conference to get home-field advantage, navigate the dangerous playoff minefield, and do it while the Giants also took care of business in the NFC playoffs.
That was only the first nibble in what could be a media feeding frenzy if these two teams continue to win. Just imagine, if you dare: Mike Lupica columns demanding that the Giants and Jets give the city this match up, WFAN's Mike Francesca weighing the Super Bowl experience of the two coaches, Chris Berman singing "New York State of Mind" on SportsCenter -- all of this is possible before Week 14. I don't even want to imagine the callers on WFAN.
Five weeks remain in the regular season. No team has a clinched a division title yet. The Super Bowl is still more than two months away. Talk of a Giants-Jets Super Bowl -- a welcome possibility -- is not necessarily unrealistic, but it is premature.
And it will get tiresome.
