EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- To know what kind of year the co-tenants at Giants Stadium are having, all anyone had to do was listen to the so-called stars of the Jets and Giants this week.

Over on Long Island, Jets wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson was trying to explain away his use of the term "losers" after yet another close loss on Sunday.

At the Meadowlands, fellow Pro Bowler Michael Strahan bellyached about the defense being worn out carrying the Giants offense for years, and how bad it was for Jim Fassel to muzzle linebacker Jessie Armstead about criticizing that same offense.

Both complaints came with the Giants coach away in California attending his mother's funeral.

Put it all together and it comes out exactly the way it sounds: two disappointing and frustrating seasons that will cross paths on Sunday in a game that has almost no playoff implications for New York's teams.

The Jets, whose hopes of going to the Super Bowl ended with Vinny Testaverde's Achilles' tendon injury in the season opener, are all but eliminated from the playoff picture with a 4-7 record. The Giants, who three weeks ago were tied for first in the NFC East, are 5-6 after losing three in a row.

That's horrible considering that both teams circled this one on their calendars as one of those games that would determine their playoff hopes.

"We're both going through some adverse times right now," veteran Giants defensive tackle Keith Hamilton said. "But I think adversity makes you strong. I know Bill Parcells will have those guys ready to play and we'll be ready to play, so it will be a good game."

The Giants are only a game out of a playoff berth in a relatively weak conference, but their schedule down the stretch is tough, with games at Buffalo, at St. Louis, home vs. Minnesota and at Dallas after the Jets visit.

Even beating the Jets for the so-called bragging rights of the New York metropolitan area won't be easy. Parcells' team has played well the past month, particularly on defense while alternating between 4-3 and 3-4 alignments.

Former Rutgers product Ray Lucas isn't making many mistakes at quarterback and the Jets are churning out a league-high 131.5-yard rushing average with Curtis Martin.

The Giants defense slumped last week, allowing 34 points to Arizona.

While the Giants showed a little more juice on offense with Kerry Collins taking over at quarterback last week, they continued to turn the ball over. Four more pushed the total to 13 in three weeks.

The Jets have been opportunistic on defense, posting a plus-9 turnover differential, third in the NFL.

"It's always a rivalry, no matter what the records are," said Martin, who last week became the fourth player to start his NFL career with five 1,000-yard rushing seasons. "It's like a backyard brawl, like some of the rivalries I experienced in college (at Pitt).

"This is a little more hyped, but the hype is toward the fans, because we share the same stadium and the same city," he added.

It also means something to the players.

"I don't want to give them the satisfaction, saying beating the Jets would make our season," Giants safety Sam Garnes said. "I definitely don't want to lose to them. You don't want to have not the best of seasons and then also lose to the Jets and have to walk around knowing you lost to the Jets."

The game will be Parcells' second regular-season game at the Meadowlands against the team he coached to two Super Bowl titles, but his first as Jets coach. He coached the New England Patriots to a 23-20 win over the Giants in 1996.

"That was an important game for us, for the team I was coaching," Parcells said. "It had playoff implications."

Unfortunately for both teams, this one doesn't; at least that's the impression Johnson and Strahan gave.

NY JETS Season schedule and results

NY GIANTS Season schedule and results

September 12 New England L 28-30 September 19 @Buffalo L 3-17 September 26 Washington L 20-27 October 3 @Denver W 21-13 October 11 Jacksonville L 6-16 October 17 Indianapolis L 13-16 October 24 @Oakland L 23-24 November 7 Arizona W 12-7 November 15 @New England W 24-17 November 21 Buffalo W 17-7 November 28 @Indianapolis L 6-13 December 5 @NY Giants 1:00pm ET December 12 Miami 4:05pm ET December 19 @Dallas 4:15pm ET December 27 @Miami 9:00pm ET January 2 Seattle 1:00pm ET

September 12 @Tampa Bay W 17-13 September 19 Washington L 21-50 September 26 @New England L 14-16 October 3 Philadelphia W 16-15 October 10 @Arizona L 3-14 October 18 Dallas W 13-10 October 24 New Orleans W 31-3 October 31 @Philadelphia W 23-17 November 14 Indianapolis L 19-27 November 21 @Washington L 13-23 November 28 Arizona L 24-34 December 5 NY Jets 1:00pm ET December 12 @Buffalo 1:00pm ET December 19 @St. Louis 1:00pm ET December 26 Minnesota 1:00pm ET January 2 @Dallas 4:05pm ET

Records source: STATS, Inc.

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