New York teams make a brand-new start of it
Lost in the excitement of the latest renewal of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry and the exploits of A-Rod, Jeter and Mariano is the other story quietly gaining momentum in the New York area.
It’s the unexpected rise of the Jets and Giants, who together are providing two of the NFL’s biggest surprises this season.
Also-rans a year ago 10 wins between them, the teams are off to great starts.
The Giants (4-1) are riding a four-game winning streak heading into a bye week under new, no-nonsense coach Tom Coughlin. Their only loss was to Philadelphia (4-0).
If Herm Edwards’ Jets (4-0) beat San Francisco today at Giants Stadium, it will be a franchise-record best start.
“The thing you find out in this league is that one year doesn’t determine what is going to happen the next year,” said Giants quarterback Kurt Warner, the two-time Most Valuable Player who has added another surprise with a career-reviving season.
While no one on either team is seriously considering an All-New York Super Bowl just yet, Giants running back Tiki Barber, who leads the NFL in rushing, let his mind wander for a split second.
“They’ll have to move it here,” Barber said of airlifting the title game from Jacksonville, Fla., to the Meadowlands in New Jersey.
“Most people in Florida are from New York and New Jersey anyway,” Giants center Shaun O’Hara quipped.
Jokes aside, the early success of the Jets and Giants has common threads.
Both made significant player and coaching changes in the off-season. They also have stayed relatively healthy in a year where many contenders have been hurt by injuries. Somewhat easy schedules haven’t hurt, either. The New York teams have won against opponents with a combined 10-27 record.
Seahawks sign punter to rest Rouen
Donnie Jones, the Seattle Seahawks’ seventh-round draft pick, was signed after the team decided against the risk of using veteran punter Tom Rouen.
Rouen suffered a hamstring injury last Sunday and did not make the trip to Boston to play the New England Patriots.
The Seahawks released offensive lineman Dennis Norman to make room for Jones. Rouen could be available to punt next week at Arizona.
Redskins sign kicker for today’s game
The Washington Redskins signed Ola Kimrin to replace injured kicker John Hall.
Kimrin will kick against the Chicago Bears today because Hall is out with a groin injury sustained during a drill Thursday.
Kimrin, a native of Sweden, has played three seasons in NFL Europe and spent training camp with Denver in 2002 and Dallas in 2003. His 65-yard field goal in an exhibition game with the Broncos would have broken the NFL record had it been in a regular-season game.