The Unusual Sound of Silence from the Jets

The Giants have been grabbing more headlines than the Jets of late

We've gotten used to certain beats in the rhythm of football around New York in the last few years.

Bold playoff guarantees made to assuage a fan base that's convinced that their whole world is collapsing around them. Controversial transactions leave big questions about the direction of the team and keep the tabloids full of stories day after day after day.

We're used to these things. We're just not used to the Giants being the team launching all of those stories.

Since the Plaxico Burress shooting, the Jets have been the generator of every big football happening in New York. Rex Ryan, big trades, Darrelle Revis, Mark Sanchez and two big playoff runs have made it seem like the Jets were incapable of ever doing anything that wasn't worthy of the back page.

The Giants, meanwhile, have been a sea of calm continuity even as they missed the playoffs twice. There wasn't any outrage from the fans or sudden moves by the front office, just business as usual from the team that prided itself on being sober professionals in the face of the circus across town.

Compare that to the uproar that the Jets faced in the middle of last season even as they remained a safe postseason bet the year after an unlikely run to the AFC Championship Game. The Jets operated in a totally different sphere than the Giants and it worked splendidly for them.

It's strange then to see the Jets being the team bringing back their own players, calmly expressing confidence in their roster and shrugging off any bad turns like they never even happened. Shaun Ellis signed with the Patriots and it barely made a peep compared to the rancor generated by Steve Smith's journey down the turnpike.

It's a good thing HBO didn't bring the cameras to camp this summer, huh?

Those of us who have grown addicted to Jets drama are thankful that Burress decided to sign with the Jets. If not for the ongoing drama surrounding his return, most notably the ankle injury that needs an MRI and will keep him out of Monday's game, the Jets would be almost too boring too mention while Giants camp is burning.

That probably won't last on either side. Soon enough we'll be back to overreacting to the Jets and having faith in the steady hands holding the rudder for the Giants.

Until then, though, enjoy life in the Bizarro New York football world.

Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City. You can follow him on Twitter and he is also a contributor to Pro Football Talk.

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