Tom Rock columns

The event capped several months of dueling emotions for Conklin. He would spend his days at work struggling with the frustrations of his football team's failures then go home each night to step into the joy of pending fatherhood.

Appreciate this Rodgers resurgence for what it is, but don't let it cloud future thinking.

Malik Nabers went Christmas shopping with a teammate and found a quarterback sitting there in the store waiting for him.

Some of the winners include Brian Daboll, Tom Brady and . . . the Jets? Yes, we'll explain.

The Jets are one of only four teams to have not reached 30 points in a game this season.

That win capped a three-game winning streak with the rookie at quarterback and the Giants were 5-8 and still in playoff contention.

A year ago, he was a head-coaching candidate. Now, after an interim stint he never asked for, that climb will have to begin anew.

"At the end of the day, we have to stop being losers," Garrett Wilson said.

They're down to one captain for Sunday's game, but this is a time for younger players to show they have what it takes to earn that title.

C.J. Mosley's absence as "quarterback of the defense" was as big a hit in a lot of ways as losing Aaron Rodgers in first game of last season.

"It's a next-play mentality. I could drop five footballs and they come at me for the game-winner and I catch the game winner and everybody is happy."

It's Rodgers to the end for the Jets, and that end feels closer with each passing week.

The Jets were flagged for 12 penalties for 83 yards in the game. Ten of them — for 73 yards — came in the second half.

All that promise that Aaron Rodgers brought to the Jets has turned into . . . very, very little.

There is no pill that can fully numb the pain that this Giants season has devolved into. They did, for a while at least, silence some of their harshest critics . . . including the ones inside their locker room.

With six games left, including in Dallas on Thanksgiving, don't expect these Giants to go quietly into the offseason

Sure, Brian Daboll deserves some of the blame, but the bigger issue is this team is lacking the depth and talent to be a winner. 

"I feel for those guys over there," the Tampa Bay receiver said after helping new team beat former team on Sunday. 

Should they start over with a rookie?   Should they spend big money in free agency and bring in a veteran? Might they give up a boatload of draft picks for a proven winner?

"I can establish chemistry with anybody," the rookie receiver said. 

Jones hasn't spoken publicly about any of this yet and is scheduled to do so for the first time on Thursday. So far, though, he's been on the field and in the meetings.

Rodgers has always maintained a desire to stick around. As recently as last week he was still of the mindset that he'd like to play — and play for the Jets — in 2025.

As they bench Daniel Jones, you have to wonder what could have been after they miscalculated in offseason. 

Whether they went for a touchdown on fourth-and-goal or not, you just knew they'd find a way to lose. 

Perhaps one day soon things will change around here. They have to, right? One of these two teams will rise to meet expectations instead of both crumbling beneath them.

First-round pick was brought in with an eye on the future, but he's thrust into the present spotlight and appears ready for the challenge. 

The competitive player is usually the last one to know that he's finished. And because Rodgers is such a complicated person that his wants and needs go beyond winning and losing.

The Giants shouldn't be looking for their next Eli Manning. They need to find their next Kerry Collins.

The four-time MVP could be in denial as the club sinks further into the AFC morass.

Surprising Commanders also in line to win a couple of big awards.

We've seen this many times before from this franchise, so don't get carried away by one game, or in this case, one half. 

There are no red flags surrounding this rookie receiver and zero concern from within the organization that the relationship with him will turn sour . . . certainly not after he's played in just seven games.

Rather than cower in shame or be overcome by frustration, Corley didn't let the situation win.

New team, new city, same results so far for Giants' edge rusher.

Giants' Malik Nabers can't say enough good things about his fellow rookie and former LSU quarterback, who has Commanders (7-2) in first place. 

Coach Brian Daboll, usually the one with the outbursts, said: "I loved it. Competitive, fiery, that's what you want from your quarterback. Good for him to do that."

Jets owner Woody Johnson gave interim coach Jeff Ulbrich a nice memento for his office, and Ulbrich's players were happy to see him get it.

Texans and Commanders turned their franchises around in one season by making the right nows.

There are enough players on the roster who were drafted by the Jets, such as Quinnen Williams, to do something about it.

There likely is no coming back from this stunning loss to Patriots for these spiraling Jets.

The Jets defeated the Patriots on Sept. 19 and have lost their four games since.

One of the reasons the two stars were brought here was to help change the culture. It took Adams about three hours to fully realize what that meant. 

How can we expect this team to come up with answers to their problems when they don't even seem to know what the questions should be?

Maybe they have been this way long enough now to label them in permanent ink as the undisciplined, underachieving, unremarkable group that they have demonstrated themselves to be.

He's preaching mainly consistency as major roster changes (Davante Adams, for instance) merge from the on-ramp.

He's gotten everything he's wanted; isn't it time the team start cashing in with some wins?

Is Adams the final piece that will turn Rodgers into the Rodgers the Jets thought they were getting? Is he really the only piece that has mattered all along to Rodgers?

It was the fourth time in his storied career that Aaron Rodgers completed such a pass, chucking it up as time expired either to end the half or regulation.

Not singing anyone's praises but not singing the blues yet, either.

The interim head coach is happy about his reception from players in wake of firing of Robert Saleh.