Giants look to continue Cinderella run

Coming into the season, most fans and "experts" said the New York Giants would be nothing more than a six or seven-win team at best and would miss out on the playoffs. The media was already calling for coach Tom Coughlin's head, and the Giants hadn't even played a single game yet.

What everyone failed to realize was that this New York team was not the same club that lost six of its final eight games last year to finish 8-8 and lose to the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the playoffs. That squad had to deal with off-the-field distractions, ranging from Tiki Barber's television career to Coughlin's job status. There was also dissension in the locker room, with Michael Strahan accusing Plaxico Burress of quitting at one point during the season.

None of that would be tolerated in the Meadowlands this time around. The Giants, after starting out the season 0-2 after giving up a total of 80 points in those to losses, won 10 of their last 14 regular season games and took the undefeated New England Patriots to the brink in the final week. That momentum has carried over into the postseason, as New York defeated the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay 24-14 in the Wild Card Round and then went on to take out the hated rival Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium a week later.

The Giants have won nine consecutive road games, their last away loss coming at the hands of the Cowboys back in week one. They are rolling, and at the perfect time. New York is eerily similar to the 2005-06 Pittsburgh Steelers, a team whom many counted out toward the end of the season but then steamrolled through the playoffs on the way to a Super Bowl title.

Eli Manning has found himself, compiling passer ratings of over 100 in his past three games (118.6 against New England, 117.1 against Tampa Bay, and 132.4 against Dallas). More importantly, his playoff quarterback rating is an eye-popping 123.2. He looks much more confident in himself now and has done a great job spreading the football around to a variety of different receivers. Thanks to Manning, rookie wide-out Steve Smith has now been fully incorporated into the offense. Smith caught four passes for 48 yards on Sunday, each of them huge receptions.

Credit also has to be given to rookie halfback Ahmad Bradshaw, who has given the Giants a new dimension to work with in the running game. What took Coughlin so long to get this kid involved? His 151-yard performance against the Buffalo Bills appeared to be enough to win the 22-year old over with the coaching staff, and Bradshaw was a key component in both of New York's playoff wins so far. He rushed for 66 yards against the Buccaneers and 34 on only six carries against the Cowboys, but those 34 yards were absolutely huge.

And, of course, you can't say enough about this Giants' defense. They harassed Tony Romo for the entire second half yesterday, with Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, Kawika Mitchell, and others constantly getting in his face and rattling the 27-year old. They also made adjustments on Marion Barber, who, after running all over New York for 101 yards in the first half, was held to only 28 in the final two quarters.

The Giants' ailing secondary, already missing Sam Madison and Kevin Dockery, was dealt what appeared to be another costly blow against Dallas, as Aaron Ross went down with a sprained shoulder. However, Geoffrey Pope, a cornerback who was on New York's practice squad not too long ago, stepped in and did a fine job. Corey Webster and R.W. McQuarters also elevated their games, with McQuarters ending the game with an interception for the second straight week. Webster did a phenomenal job jamming Terrell Owens at the line of scrimmage and not allowing the explosive receiver to get behind him. The Cowboys' failure to make the big play yesterday was their ultimate downfall, and that can only be attributed to an outstanding effort by the Giants' defense.

Now, New York will travel to Green Bay to try and continue their magical run. The Packers beat the Giants 35-13 back in week two, but that was a very different New York team still trying to find itself and adjust to new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Some of the players, such as Mitchell, James Butler, and Mathias Kiwanuka (who was later put on IR due to a broken leg), were still learning new positions. Clearly, the players were able to adapt, and because of that New York may have the league's best defense.

Smashmouth football is back in New York. Bruising back Brandon Jacobs has made Tiki's retirement an afterthought in the Metropolitan area, and the unheralded offensive line has been consistent all year in opening up holes for Jacobs to run through and for giving Manning ample time to throw the football (Manning was sacked only 27 times all season). That type of style is exactly what it takes to win the big one, and the Giants certainly have the talent to do it.

The team also has a number of clutch playmakers, namely Amani Toomer, who scored two touchdowns on Sunday, one of which came on a catch on a hitch route that Toomer took 52 yards to the end zone, shedding several tacklers along the way. Smith has developed into a very reliable receiver in big spots, and even rookie tight end Kevin Boss has had his fair share of critical receptions, including one that got New York down to the four-yard line to set up Toomer's second touchdown grab before halftime, evening up the score at 14.

Most everyone will again pick against the Giants next week in the NFC Championship Game, as they will figure that New York will not be able to stop Green Bay's aerial attack led by savvy veteran Brett Favre and that the elements of Lambeau Field will rattle Manning and force him into making big mistakes. Yes, it is beginning to sound like a cliche. They first said Tampa Bay's pass defense would be too much for Manning and the Giants to overcome, but Eli picked apart the Buccaneers' secondary en route to a 10-point victory. Talking heads then said Dallas' powerhouse offense would be too much for New York and that Romo was simply more equipped than Manning to win the big game. How did that one turn out?

This is why the games are played.