NFL

Giants cruising in fast lane on Super highway

The Big Blue Super Bus is rolling merrily along on The Road to New Orleans. Tom Coughlin is in the front seat, and Eli Manning, of course, is driving.

Always potholes along the way, but the Big Blue Super Bus is built for a marathon ride. Manning doesn’t drive too fast or too slow, same speed all the time, and it helps that he knows the way to New Orleans — of course he does, it’s his hometown.

If he were to look in his rearview mirror, he would see Tony Romo in the distance, along with Robert Griffin III and Michael Vick. But Eli keeps his eyes on the prize ahead of him.

A shouting match unfolds between Coughlin and Ahmad Bradshaw, but it doesn’t last long, and no one thinks anything of it. Victor Cruz is trying to teach Chris Snee the salsa in the back, and it is too painful to watch. There’s a bit of commotion as Jason Pierre-Paul has Prince Amukamara upside down as he dunks him in a bucket of cold ice. Martellus Bennett is holding court, but no one is quite sure what he is talking about. Osi Umenyiora and general manager Jerry Reese mimic Billy Martin and George Steinbrenner in that old tastes great-less filling Miller Lite commercial. Chris Canty is Skyping with Bill Parcells. David Wilson paces back and forth in the aisle carrying a football high and tight in his right hand. Steve Weatherford captures all of it on his video recorder.

There is no alcohol on the Big Blue Super Bus, or adderall. But co-owner Steve Tisch has arranged to have a special viewing of his new movie, Hope Springs. Coughlin looks up, only to cringe at some of the sex therapy talk, and immediately buries himself in the Patton book he is reading for the umpteenth time. Chris Mara good-naturedly pats Coughlin on the back and tells him with a chuckle, “You’re lucky John and I didn’t make you watch The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.”

Justin Tuck eyes a Subway and lobbies Coughlin to pull over for a lunch break. Eli Manning pulls up by the curb and Coughlin is delighted the Giants have arrived five minutes early before lunch is served. Mike Pope accidentally drops his iPad loaded with Jay and the American’s Greatest Hits under the bus, and is grateful when Linval Joseph helps by lifting the back end with one hand.

The men inside the Big Blue Super Bus have demonstrated again that they have the wherewithal to weather storms. Coughlin is blessed with a small army of veteran leaders Rex Ryan wishes he had in his locker room.

Dealing with Hurricane Sandy won’t force the Big Blue Super Bus to pull off the road and panic.

It doesn’t mean the Big Blue Super Bus is immune to a flat tire. The good news is there is zero chance that Cruz and/or Hakeem Nicks will suddenly turn into Mr. Glocktober.

And Coughlin and the men riding in The Big Blue Super Bus will be reminded again of previous wrong turns they have taken over the second half of too many previous seasons.

It’s disconcerting enough having to wear a bull’s-eye on your chest as The Hunted. But the schedule these next eight weeks is certain to test their championship mettle:

Home against Pittsburgh: The perfect spot for a letdown following an emotional escape against the Cowboys. And Big Ben has two rings, just like Eli.

At Cincinnati: Who covers A.J. Green?

Home against Green Bay: Aaron Rodgers gets his chance to prove the playoff loss to Giants was a fluke.

At Washington: That RGIII fellow.

Home against New Orleans: That Drew Brees fellow, even without Sean Payton.

At Atlanta: Revenge for the playoff loss, and have you watched Matt Ryan and Roddy White and Julio Jones lately?

At Baltimore: With or without Ray Lewis, Ray Rice will need this one.

Home against Philadelphia: Andy Reid may need this one to survive, whether Michael Vick is the quarterback or not,

There are two ways for the men in the Big Blue Super Bus to look at their Houdini act against the ’Boys: They prevailed on a day when Manning’s offense mostly puttered. Or: Their coverage was horrific and they exhibited an alarming lack of killer instinct.

“We’ve got to be able to finish teams off,” Canty said. “We’ve got to be able to close football games.”

Michael Boley tells us the Giants are now 0-0.

“We’ve got to keep the pedal down and keep pushing,” Boley said.

All aboard the Big Blue Super Bus.