At long last, football is back. With week one in the books, New Yorkers have plenty of reasons to be excited after a blowout win for the Jets and an outing with some positives by the Giants.

In the case of Jets fans can look forward to a brand new era of football for their team. A new head coach, Darrelle Revis’ return, a revamped offense and the usual strong defense are all part of the Jets’ push to make some noise in the AFC East. They have a tall order, as they’re looking to snap New England’s current streak of six straight division titles. Although it will not be easy fighting for a championship in arguably one of the best divisions this season, the Jets are ready to leave last year’s disappointing season behind and improve overall this year.

One of the key offseason moves this year for the Jets was getting Revis Island back in town. Despite a short stint in the middle of his career with the Patriots, where he was recently crowned a Super Bowl champion, it’s safe to say that Revis is still in his prime. Along with his on-the-field exceptional talent, Revis brings experience to the team. He knows what it takes to win a championship in the NFL and will be a strong leader for a team that has a ton of new faces. The six-time Pro Bowler was the last puzzle piece to complete one of the better defenses in the NFL. Stern freshman Bonga Matchaba is confident that their defense will solid on all levels, not just in the secondary with Revis.

“After the first game the Jets showed the country that they have a defensive presence,” Matchaba said. “I expect them to have at least a top 10 run defense this year.”

But let’s not forget about the big time pickups on the offensive side of the ball for the New York Jets. This year, fans can look forward to the scary wideout duo in Eric Decker and former Chicago Bear, Brandon Marshall. With veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick now under center, the Jets now pose a solid passing game, something they have not had in several years. If running back Chris Ivory can continue improving his game and posting solid numbers like he did in week one, the Jets may very well have one of the most well-rounded offenses in the league.

While Jets fans have an exciting season coming up, Giants fans also have something to look forward to. Despite taking a tough loss in Dallas this past Sunday the G-Men still showed they have what it takes to make some noise this season. Although their past couple of seasons have ended in sub .500 records, the Giants are ready to fight for a playoff spot with a healthy Victor Cruz. Cruz and second-year LSU wideout Odell Beckham, Jr. can find out how dangerous they can be as down-the-field threats. As long as Cruz returns to pre-injury form and Beckham, Jr. can keep up with last year’s breakout numbers, the Giants will have an elite receiving corps for two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning.

Despite the backlash Manning has received over his new $84 million contract extension, it is comforting for fans to know that the quaterback will continue leading the offense for 4 more years. CAS freshman Quinton Tilley pointed out that Manning, though negatively represented often, has a track record worth Giants fans getting excited about.

“A lot of people tend to forget how good Eli really is, especially with his older brother Peyton always in the spotlight,” Tilley said. “Keep in mind that Eli has two rings and Peyton only has one.”

Even though the team’s offense has a lot of positives to draw from last season and their first game this year, the defensive side of the ball will be an entirely different challenge. All-Pro defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul’s fireworks-related hand injury is worse than originally reported. Not only did he lose his finger, but part of his thumb as well. However, fans should stay optimistic as Pierre-Paul posted a video of himself working out on Instagram with a motivational caption that said he’s going to “be back soon.”

The Giants will look to put the last two years in the past and reach the playoffs once again with Cruz and OBJ finally on the field together. And, with Brandon Marshall to turn the offense around and Darrelle Revis to lynchpin the defense, the Jets have hope for their first playoff appearance since 2010 It is going to be an exciting season of football in New York this year.

Email Brandon Herrera at [email protected].