Tom Coughlin bases so much of his preparation on statistics, numbers and tendencies, but yesterday he was just sort of winging it.
He has no proof, but that didn’t stop the Giants coach from offering his perception of what most everyone is thinking about his team heading into Sunday’s NFC Championship rematch with the 49ers.
“Nobody gives us a chance to win,’’ Coughlin said. “We’ll see.’’
Nobody? No one giving the Super Bowl champs a shot at beating the 49ers? Is there any evidence at all to support this?
“I just sense it,’’ Coughlin said before breaking into a smile and adding, “I’m hoping that way.’’
Yup, Coughlin is making sure the Giants are right where he wants them to be, with doubters storming the gates and all the focus on what the big, bad opponent will do to his team. He entered the team meeting yesterday morning and flat-out told his players that no one expects them to win.
“That’s fine by me,’’ right guard Chris Snee said. “They’re the home team, they have the better record. Their team is ranked higher offensively and defensively. They should be the favorites. But that’s not going to stop us from going in there and giving it our all.’’
Coughlin, asked why he senses the 49ers are perceived to be the choice in this game, said, “Why do I think they feel that way? Probably because the other team is playing very well.’’
The other team is playing very well. The 49ers are 4-1 and have won their past two games by a combined 79-3. It is easy to see why picking the 49ers make sense. They lead the NFL in rushing (195.8 yards a game), points allowed (13.6 per game) and are second in total defense and passing defense. Their point-differential of plus-81 is the highest in the league. The Niners are on a serious roll.
“They are, but they haven’t played us yet,’’ left tackle Will Beatty said.
“If you listen to what people are saying, they don’t expect us to win,’’ receiver Domenik Hixon added. “Just you turn on different news, sports talk, talking about the game, you just don’t hear it being talked about positively for us. We’ve heard, ‘You’re lucky to win the Super Bowl’ and other things, which is fine.’’
The Giants and 49ers last season split two intense, and at times vicious, games, but it was the Giants who claimed the prize, surviving and outlasting the Niners, 20-17 in overtime, in the NFC title game at Candlestick Park. A few of the 49ers in the subsequent days and months said they deserved to win. Coughlin countered with, “We earned everything we got last year.’’
The Giants know what they’re in for. Justin Tuck said the 49ers are playing “awesome’’ and admitted the 49ers “are more consistent than we are right now.’’ Eli Manning said the Niners defense probably was the best he faced last season. Snee said he knows his body a week from today will be incredibly sore.
“Fact of the matter is they are a good football team, and they are playing well,’’ Tuck said. “I think if I was a betting man and didn’t have anything to do with this team, I would probably put them as favorites too.’’
This is a position the Giants have thrived in before, which is why their Road Warrior reputation is based in fact, not fiction.
“I think this week is one of those weeks we feel our backs are against the wall and nobody’s gonna pick us to win,” Victor Cruz said. “We just got to go out there and prove people wrong.”
“I don’t think anyone is giving us a chance to go out there and beat the 49ers,’’ Antrel Rolle added, “but in this locker room and within this organization, we understand what we have, and we understand how we’re gonna go in and attack the game, and we understand we’re never gonna take ourselves out of the fight. We’re a great team, as well as they’re a great team, so may the best man win.”
paul.schwartz@nypost.com