MANHATTAN — Hurricane Irene led to a two-day postponement of the annual Jets/Giants preseason game and now both teams must play two games in four days beginning Monday night at the New Meadowlands Stadium.
"The coming week is going to be challenging, no question about it," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said, according to the Daily News. "But we will adjust and adapt and make the best out of it."
The Jets and Giants postponed Saturday night's game after New Jersey Gov. Chirs Christie implored the owners of both organizations and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to push the game back with Hurricane Irene moving up the East coast, the governor said during a press conference on Sunday.
The Giants have just two days of practice time between the Jets game and their Thursday night preseason finale against the New England Patriots. The Jets finish the preseason against the Philadelphia Eagles at home on Thursday. Both teams must cut their rosters down from 90 players to 80 by 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
Attendance for Monday's game is expected to be on the low side because of flooding concerns in New Jersey and public transportation problems. NJ Transit announced that no trains will be stopping at the Meadowlands for Monday night's game due to limited equipment and crew members.
On the field, Monday marks the first time Jets wide receiver Plaxico Burress will play against his former team since he shot himself in the leg at a Manhattan club in 2008. Burress played a key role in the Giants championship season in 2007, but the team released him after the shooting. Burress, who spent the last two years in jail after a weapons possession conviction, spurned the Giants in July after he was released from jail and signed a 1-year contract with the Jets.
Burress' won't be the only Jets player fired up for the annual preseason game that will serve as a prelude to a rare regular season match up between the teams on Christmas Eve.
“I definitely think it’s a friendly rivalry, but it’s also very intense,” Jets coach Rex Ryan told the News. “This is a fun deal. But it’ll be serious come Christmas Eve. I can promise you on Dec. 24, we’ll be trying to get after each other. And we will tomorrow night.”
