This was not the Jets-Giants matchup fans envisioned when the season started.
Instead, there were thoughts of a Giants team coming off a season in which they won a playoff game. Armed with a new, four-year, $160 million contract, Daniel Jones was expected — at least by the Giants — to take another step forward after a promising first season under new head coach Brian Daboll.
Jones’ counterpart this coming Sunday was supposed to be Aaron Rodgers, traded to the Jets, with much fanfare, in the offseason.
By now, Rodgers would have been in the middle of his first season in New York with at least some of the offseason drama and noise having faded away, with more focus on the field.
Would Jones and the Giants be able to win an official home game at MetLife Stadium or would Rodgers take another bite out of the Big Apple?
Now, here we are, with just about everything having gone wrong for both teams.
Jones has regressed from last season, due in part to an underperforming offensive line and, more recently, a neck injury that’s kept him out of the Giants’ past two games and could sideline him again on Sunday.
The Post’s Paul Schwartz says there should be no quarterback controversy. Tyrod Taylor, though, has played well in Jones’ absence.
Just as importantly, defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s unit has played two of its best games in the past two weeks, first in a narrow loss against the Bills and then in Sunday’s win over the Commanders.
Despite entering last week just 1-5, the Giants — with Sunday’s victory — are only one game behind underwhelming Tampa Bay (3-3) in the win column for the seventh and final NFC wild-card spot.
And the game against the Jets is the start of a seven-game stretch in which the Giants should, on paper, have a chance in six — with a Week 10 matchup against the Cowboys in Dallas the lone exception.
It feels a bit like 2020, when they got off to another poor start, losing their first five games and seven of their first eight, but then won four in a row before another three-game losing streak.
That strange year, the Giants ended up just a game behind Washington (then known as the Football Team), who won the NFC East.
The Giants’ rocky early going paled in comparison to what the Jets went through with Rodgers going down with a torn Achilles just four plays into the first game, forcing Zach Wilson back into the starting spot.
After Wilson helped lead the Jets to an improbable opening win over the Bills, the Jets lost three straight, leading many to wonder whether there would be a season left for Rodgers to return to, if he was able to defy expectations and heal fast enough to play again late in the year.
That’s when the Jets managed to beat lowly Denver before shocking the NFL by being the only team to knock off the Eagles.
Now, coming off a bye week, the Jets are 3-3 with a defense that is playing up to its own lofty expectations and hoping they can get enough from Wilson and his weapons on offense — primarily Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall — to come away with a third victory in a row, which would put them firmly in the playoff conversation with upcoming games against the faltering Chargers, Raiders and Bills before a visit from the Dolphins.
A win on Sunday at the Meadowlands and the playoff dreams for the victor, however far-fetched, continue.
A defeat brings the loser another step closer to the end of a disappointing season.
With so little margin for error, coming out on the wrong end of a winnable game may finally be too much of an obstacle to overcome.
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Down go the Astros
The 2000 Yankees are safe.
They will remain the last MLB team to repeat as World Series winners after the defending champion Astros were blasted by the Rangers, 11-4, in Monday night’s ALCS Game 7 in Houston.
Max Scherzer got eight outs to start for the Rangers; nothing fancy, but good enough. Jordan Montgomery got the next seven outs and was credited with the win — he’s 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA in the playoffs. Aroldis Chapman, see you in the World Series.
Adolis Garcia picked up MVP honors after continuing his ridiculous heater by going 4-for-5 with two more home runs and five RBIs.
After the Astros’ loss, their second in a row with a chance to clinch the pennant at Minute Maid Park, a report emerged saying manager Dusty Baker has planned to retire at the end of the season.
It looks like changes are in store in Houston.
— Jonathan Lehman
Seventh heaven
For a second straight day, the MLB playoffs will have a Game 7 on Tuesday when the Diamondbacks face the Phillies — and each team has some interesting Game 7 history.
For the Diamondbacks, it will be their first Game 7 since Luis Gonzalez’s single off Mariano Rivera beat the Yankees to win the 2001 World Series.
And somehow, even though the Phillies have been around since 1883, they’ve never played in a Game 7.
So, who wins between the organization that hasn’t been there before and the one that finished off an improbable comeback against the game’s best closer over two decades ago?
Dramatic turn
The NBA regular season starts Tuesday with a pair of games featuring four of the top teams in the Western Conference: Lakers-Nuggets (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT) and Suns-Warriors (10 p.m. ET, TNT).
While there will be plenty of attention on Kevin Durant and the Suns facing his old team, much of the drama figures to focus on the rematch of last season’s Western Conference finals, which the Nuggets swept from the Lakers en route to their first NBA championship.
And though Tuesday is just the first game of a long season, there’s already been plenty of back and forth between the two sides leading up to this matchup.
Denver head coach Mike Malone said the Nuggets didn’t get enough credit for their win over the Lakers because LeBron James hinted at possibly retiring after the series, and James responded to Malone by saying on his Instagram page: “I hear I’m on your mind that much, huh??? I mean I guess I see why … Enjoy your light but just know I’m the SUN.”
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham and fellow All-Star Anthony Davis also chimed in during the offseason, leading up to what should be an entertaining opener.
The Nuggets will also be receiving their championship rings Tuesday, which will no doubt add to the drama.
The Knicks tip off by hosting the Celtics on Wednesday, the same night the Nets open their season against the Cavaliers in Brooklyn.
You can’t necessarily blame the NBA for starting the season with a pair of Western Conference games because three of the past four — and five of the past seven — champions have come out of the West, with Denver following Golden State as champs last season after Milwaukee won in 2021.
Deal and no deal
The Knicks and Immanuel Quickley were unable to reach a contract extension before Monday evening’s deadline.
That means Quickley, the 24-year-old fourth-year guard, will become a restricted free agent following the season.
In Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo agreed to a three-year, $186 million extension with the Bucks.
Antetokounmpo previously was set to reach free agency in 2025. The new deal would extend his stay until at least 2027 (the third season is a player option), and for now snuffs Knicks hopes of swinging a trade for the superstar forward.
Watch our Knicks season preview roundtable with The Post’s Mike Vaccaro and Stefan Bondy as they answer questions from Sports+ members.
— Jonathan Lehman