The Sports Rumors

Favre vs Brady? Not So Fast

Unbelievable.  That’s the only word I can think of that accurately describes the Giants season, from start to finish.  I’m talking about when they were 0-2, down to the Redskins in game three with their season 30 minutes away from being finished.  They followed that up with a six game winning streak.  Then they began slumping towards the latter part of the season with everyone, including myself, saying that it’s the same old Giants who collapse in the final stretch of the season every year.  There was a point in the final two weeks where it looked as if the Giants could possibly miss the playoffs entirely.  Had they not beat Buffalo, it probably would have been the case.  However, they got through it and made the playoffs with a 10-6 mark.  The path to the Superbowl?  At Tampa Bay, at Dallas, at Green Bay. 

There is no one out there, including all the Giants fans, who thought that they could have won those three games when the playoffs started.  Nobody.  The Tampa Bay game was a 50/50.  I didn’t think it really mattered who won.  The Dallas game was one where I would have liked the Giants to win, but didn’t think it was all that likely.  The Green Bay game?  I gave the Giants no chance.  But here they are, winners of three straight road playoff games and on their way to the Super Bowl. 

Eli Manning hasn’t played at a level that is unforeseen, but he has played good enough to keep the Giants in every ball game.  He has stayed away from the mistakes that have cost him to be called out by any and everybody.  He’s not fumbling the ball, not throwing interceptions, he’s managing the clock, and he’s throwing the ball away when needed.  You can’t ask for much more at this point.  The Giants defense has played superb.  You take away that one 90 yard touchdown pass that Favre had and you can see that the Packers had a miserable game offensively.  They couldn’t run the ball.  They were inconsistent in their passing game.  Even the Giants special teams played decent.  Most of all, this team has confidence that is through the roof right now.  That’s dangerous. 

Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin have shut up the critics in New York, at least for the next two weeks.  As much as I hate the Giants, given they are an arch rival of my Redskins, it is a lot harder to route against them than I thought.  I guess it’s because America loves the underdog.  It’s hard to route against a team that was already officially a 14 point underdog in the Superbowl before they even got to thaw out their fingers.  Sometimes it’s nice to see a great story rather than a great team win a title.  The Giants are a great story. 

And oh by the way… Tiki Barber.  Eli Manning says what’s up.