The passing of the bye week might have something to do with it, or maybe it’s the arrival of the holidays. Maybe it’s the taste of adversity the Giants have encountered or the rising chorus of critics who are preaching despair.
Maybe it’s all of the above, combining to create a familiar feeling that has the Giants understanding it’s time to get serious.
“It feels a little familiar,” Giants defensive tackle Chris Canty said yesterday. “I don’t know if you can say it’s the same situation as last year, but it feels familiar for our football team.”
At 6-4, things aren’t as dire as they were last season when the Giants slumped to 7-7 after a 6-2 start. They won six straight games beginning on Christmas Eve against the Jets to ultimately capture the Super Bowl. Six games remain in their current regular season, and a division title is there for the taking even as the Redskins emerge as a credible threat.
A victory over the Packers tomorrow night at MetLife Stadium would ensure a two-game lead in the NFC East with five games to play. It would put the Giants in position not only to make the playoffs with a good finish but also to earn a first-round bye.
“We’ve got a tremendous opportunity right in front us,” Canty said. “[Tomorrow] night is a chance for this football team to take a step in the right direction.”
Several Giants said they watched the Redskins beat the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day, moving both NFC East teams to 5-6. A victory over Aaron Rodgers and the Packers would put the Giants at 7-4 and offer some cushion going into a brutal closing schedule.
The Giants have remaining games against the Redskins, Saints, Falcons, Ravens and Eagles. But the Redskins and Cowboys may not be able to make up enough ground. After playing the Giants, the Redskins play the Ravens, Browns, Eagles and Cowboys. The Cowboys close against the Eagles, Bengals, Steelers, Saints and Redskins. Neither the Redskins nor the Cowboys figures to be any better than 8-8.
“It definitely feels like a six-game season for us right now,” wide receiver Victor Cruz said. “The division has kind of been all over the place. But we’re in a good place right now and we just want to stay that way. If we can take care of what we can take care of and win some games so we’re not looking over our shoulders, we’ll be in a good place.”
The six-game season theme is something coach Tom Coughlin has used to refocus his team after a bye week. Consecutive losses to the Steelers and Bengals sullied a 6-2 start, raising concern the Giants are in the midst of another midseason swoon.
Eli Manning’s decision-making and arm strength are being dissected along with the cause for a lack of big plays. The run game needs to get off life support and the defense needs to add teeth to its pass rush.
“Hopefully we start fast and finish fast,” running back Ahmad Bradshaw said. “We can’t wait to get back to playing G-Man football is what we call it.”
We saw G-Man football at the end of last season after the Giants had no margin for error. If they beat the Packers, they will have the kind of cushion that was never a luxury last year.
“We’ve got six games to play,” defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul said. “Who knows how it’s going to go? But we control our own destiny. We should play these six games like they are must-win games. People only remember what you do in November and December.”
The Giants are refreshed and rested after a bye week. They understand a win tightens their stranglehold on the NFC East and fends off their adversaries. Feel familiar?