Last season, the New York Giants once again took the NFL by surprise en route to a surprising playoff tilt that culminated in a Superbowl victory over Brady and the Patriots.
The victory completely transformed the world’s view on the New York Giants, taking a good team to truly elite. However, their championship defence has been anything but convincing thus far in the 2012 season.
At first, it was easy to dismiss – the Giants always take it up a gear in the playoffs – but there’s one thing they didn’t count on this season: their divisional rivals improving.
Although splitting their final two games of season would grant the Giants another 9-7 record, don’t expect it this time to win the NFC East.
Now, sitting 8-6, the G-Men are tied with the Redskins and Cowboys in the race for the East. However, as is protocol with tied records, it is then sorted on divisional records which dumps the Giants in third place and well in trouble of missing the playoffs.
How did this team go from taming the Patriots to this? It’s been a season of unpredictability that has all but sealed the Giants’ fate.
It was only fitting New York opened the season losing to the Dallas Cowboys, if only just to toy with the media. Tony Romo once more looked promising and the Giants again looked to be on cruise control until the playoffs came around.
They responded by posting back-to-back victories against the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers. Then, they were edged on the road to the 3-1 Philadelphia Eagles (who wouldn’t win another game until week 14).
Following their second loss of the season, Eli and the Giants tore onto a four game winning streak that claimed the heads of the 49ers, Redskins and Cowboys. Then the slide began. November proved to be unkind to the Giants as they dropped their first two games of month against the Steelers and the Bengals.
Since their week 11 bye, the Giants have gone up and down on a rollercoaster run to the playoffs. First, they hammered the surging Green Bay Packers and held Aaron Rodgers’ offense to 10 points.
The following week, they lost narrowly to RGIII and the upstart Redskins. Their biggest statement of the season came against the Saints who were playing good football and playing with the hunger of a team that had to win every game.
Eli went for four touchdowns in the victory, but also two picks. It all led to a huge encounter in week 15 against the NFC leading 11-2 Atlanta Falcons. The game was always going to be a challenge and likely a challenge too big to surmount.
But no one saw what was coming.
34-0.
Eli Manning: 13-25. 161 yards, 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
Matt Ryan: 23-28, 270 yards, 3 touchdowns.
A hiding in every sense of the word, the Giants were humiliated and saw themselves slide in the standings. To add to their woes, their divisional rivals are riding blazing hot hands.
The Cowboys have won three in a row, and five of their last six. The Redskins have won their past five, including wins over each of their division rivals. So the deck is stacked against the New York Giants.
Just like their miracle run last season, it falls to the last two weeks. Must-win games away against the Baltimore Ravens before returning home to avenge their week 4 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The matches are very winnable if the Giants perform to a reasonable standard. At 9-5, the Baltimore Ravens seem scary. However, factor in they were 9-2 and Joe Flacco hasn’t thrown over 300 yards in their past three consecutive losses and this game is looking a little bit more level.
New York would then, assuming they trump Baltimore, feel confident about their home closer against the Philadelphia Eagles. Following the 3-1 start, things turned ugly for Michael Vick, Andy Reid and the Philadelphia Eagles.
They dropped back-to-back games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions by two and three points respectively heading into the bye week. In the following six consecutive losses, the Eagles changed quarterbacks.
After suffering a concussion during the 23-38 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, maligned quarterback Michael Vick was forced to sit out under the NFL’s stringent concussion policy.
Playing in place of the injured Vick was unknown rookie Nick Foles, taken 88th overall in the third round. The former Arizona Wildcat has since taken Vick’s starting role even after Vick became healthy, though hasn’t been stellar.
Already well and truly out of playoff contention, the 4-10 Eagles may drop both of their final games against the Redskins and Giants.
The Giants can still make the playoffs, and by many accounts should. Coming into week 16, the Giants should look to an unlikely source of inspiration.
The Arizona Cardinals were humiliated in a franchise worst 58-0 loss against the Seattle Seahawks. A team with nothing but pride and Coach Whisenhunt’s job to play for, they went out in week 15 and convincingly dispatched of Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions. The Giants do have something to play for, and unlike the Cardinals they have a quarterback, and he’s pretty damn good when it matters.
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