When they walked back in Monday to the Quest Diagnostics Training Center, rested, refreshed and rejuvenated from the bye week, the New York Football Giants walked back in as The Other Team in town, whether they liked it or not.
They didn’t like it.
They are left with an eight-game season to remind us they are not The Other Team in town.
“I don’t believe that at all,” punter Steve Weatherford told The Post. “People can say what they want. I’m happy for the Jets success, but I’ll never consider us The Other Team in town.”
This will forever be a Giants town, except during those periods of time when the Jets are rising from the rubble and winning and the Giants are underachieving losers.
“I’m not in competition with the Jets,” Antrel Rolle said. “They’re an AFC opponent, has nothing at all to do with us. We don’t play them. Their success is their success, our success is our success.”
Except the Giants’ success amounts to a two-game winning streak following a six-game losing streak.
“I don’t think that’s on our minds at all,” center Jim Cordle said. “It’s all about trying to win the division. I don’t think we’re really paying attention [that] we’re the other team. But obviously, they’re doing better than we are, but there’s eight games left.”
Their countdown to Super Bowl XLVIII was suddenly 90 days. After what we witnessed from the New York Football Giants over the first half of their season, counting down the days to inspire a sense of urgency can only be viewed as unrealistic at best, and laughable at worst. A Pisarcik-to-Csonka Hail Mary.
This is a better way for the 2-6 Giants to proceed: The countdown to 8-8 is 55 days.
You want to make history? Forget about becoming the first team to host a Super Bowl in its own stadium.
Shoot for this: Become the first team to reach the playoffs after starting 0-6.
The 5-4 Jets have better reason for counting down the days to the Super Bowl. The Giants are characters in the football “Night of the Living Dead” only because of the wretched state of the NFC East. They should consider themselves fortunate the door to the division title is still open, the Cowboys, Redskins and Eagles all winning Sunday notwithstanding.
Now charge through it.
The Giants won’t get to face Josh Freeman and Matt Barkley now. But Andre Brown is due back Sunday. Jon Beason has added toughness and leadership on defense. Eli Manning has stopped throwing interceptions. Hakeem Nicks has eight more games to drive up his salary.
Asked what the mindset of the team is, Rolle said simply: “Win at all costs.”
They recognize that they will need help.
“Create your own help,” Rolle said. “That’s how I look at it. Create your own help. If you can’t do it by yourself, then just don’t do it.”
Could 8-8 get it done?
“I think 8-8’ll get it done,” Cordle said. “Right around .500 has been the division the last couple of years. I think it’ll get it done.”
Could 8-8 win the division?
“At this rate, you never know,” safety Ryan Mundy said. “The good thing is we still have two games against Washington, one against Dallas. Everything that we want is still in front of us, but we realize that we have to take care of our business first, and then let the chips fall where they may.”
“There is light at the end of the tunnel. We’ve got a shot, so we just have to take it one game at a time,” Weatherford said.
ROAD TO THE PLAYOFFS
Nov. 10, vs. Oakland: Terrelle Pryor is a problem as long as the knee injury he suffered Sunday checks out OK. But Darren McFadden has a hamstring injury, and a cross-country trip and 10 a.m. PDT start is treacherous. And didn’t Nick Foles just torch the Raiders for seven TD passes? Rested Giants win to go 3-6.
“We feel it’s going to come down to us,” Manning said. “If we handle our business these next eight games and starting this week with Oakland, we feel we got a shot.”
Nov. 17, vs. Green Bay: The good news is Randall Cobb won’t be playing. The bad news is Clay Matthews and Aaron Rodgers will be. Giants lose, shrink to 3-7.
“We know it’s an eight-game season,” cornerback Prince Amukamara said. “We got to go 1-0 every week.”
Nov. 24, vs. Dallas: The Mother of All Must Wins. Tony Romo comes through again with a last-minute pick-six. Giants win, now 4-7.
“Definitely we can’t lose no more division games,” Terrell Thomas said.
Dec. 1, at Washington: Eli won’t need tips from Peyton against this secondary. Giants win, improve to 5-7.
Dec. 8, at San Diego: Eli tunes out the boo-birds, who have never forgiven him for spurning the Chargers on draft day 2004, and outduels Philip Rivers. Giants win. 6-7.
Dec. 15, vs. Seattle: Good fortune has the Seahawks physically and emotionally spent following their Dec. 8 war in San Francisco. Giants win. Up to 7-7.
Dec. 22, at Detroit: It’s likely the Lions will need the game for a wild-card berth at worst, and who covers Megatron? 7-8. Giants lose.
Dec. 29, vs. Washington: The Cowboys will have had to lose at Chicago, home to Green Bay and at Washington for the division title to be on the line. Coughlin implores the 12th Man to help, and Manning-to-Cruz does the rest. The Cowboys will have to choke at home to the Eagles. A longshot scenario for sure. But this is the NFL, where anything seems possible.
The Giants win division at 8-8. Everybody salsa.