Despite sitting atop the NFC East with a firm grip on the division title, the Giants do not seem like the Giants. Even though Big Blue won three out of the last four games (two of them big division games against the Skins and Cowboys), it still feels as if the Giants are in a tailspin. Although we’ve been winning, something feels wrong. Perhaps this feeling stems from the fact that Eli Manning has been in an undeniable slump and, as giants fans, we are used to seeing Eli carry our team to a victory despite little to no help from our defense or special teams. However in our last few wins the Giants have prevailed despite Manning’s pedestrian play and lack of his expected fourth quarter heroics. In the past four games Eli has only eclipsed 200 yards once, accumulating 847 yards with 2 touchdowns compared to 4 interceptions. Compare these to Eli’s unbelievable numbers from the first four games of the season: 1320 yards with seven touchdowns and 4 interceptions (3 of these INT’s came against the Buccaneers, a game which we came back and won thanks to the usual second half magic by Manning).
Although Eli’s numbers may not jump off the page in the final four games, they have been enough to get the job done (aside from a sloppy all around game last week against the Steelers). Against the 49ers in week 6 Eli had to do little more than manage the game thanks to unbelievable play by the defense, which put up a 3 interception game giving the Giants a short field for most of the day. Against the Redskins in week 7 Eli only put up one touchdown; however, this one touchdown came on a long bomb to Victor “I’m the best slot receiver in the NFL” Cruz (who truly looks unstoppable when Eli has time to find him) in the final two minutes to seal the victory.
When Eli finds his rhythm again (because believe me, he will) and if Perry Fewell can keep getting the defense to cause turnovers (two pick sixes in the past two games) the Giants will be impossible to stop. If the past few seasons serve as any indication for what is to come, let's just hope the Giants can make the playoffs; when Eli and Coughlin are teamed up they know how to get veryhot, very fast. Look for Hakeem Nicks to start getting healthier, Rueben Randle to find more chemistry with Eli, David Wilson to become more of factor on offense, and for our D-Line to get hungrier. This Giants team, when clicking, is no doubt the best we have had in the Coughlin Era and look for them to buckle down and make another run deep into the playoffs this year.
You can't teach clutch. Eli may not look like a good QB (and may not even know he is an NFL Quarterback at times), but he gets the job done when it matters.
The Giants should be fired up after their loss to the Steelers and after Coughlin referred to the D as “soft.” Look for the Giants to take out their frustration against the Bengals on the Road, easily trouncing them in Cincinnati.
Giants will dominate the Bengals this week 34 to 13.
And definitely expect to see a lot of this:
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