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As bad as it looked heading into the season when injured bodies were falling faster than rain drops in a thunderstorm, there’s a lot to like about the 2011 Giants.
They enter the bye week at 4-2 and stand alone atop the NFC East, with the latter being more of a surprise considering the Dream Team Eagles were all but handed the division title before training camp ended.
If you are what you’re record says you are, then the Giants are right where they want to be with two weeks to rest and prepare for a game Oct. 30 against the struggling Dolphins at MetLife Stadium.
A death valley of a schedule awaits with games at New England, San Francisco and New Orleans coming in November before opening December at home against powerful Green Bay. Talent for talent, the Giants might not always measure up even if they add healthy bodies over the next few weeks. So to have any chance of surviving during that stretch, they’ll need to rely on what might be their greatest strength: Be a cohesive unit that believes in each other from the people calling the plays to those executing them.
That was displayed in Sunday’s 27-24 win over the Bills. During the week, they acknowledged a sense of urgency without pointing fingers after a brutal 36-25 home loss to the Seahawks. There was no grumbling about the game-plan or finger pointing about a lack of a running game or break downs on defense. When ex-teammates questioned their toughness by suggesting they should play through injuries, they defended each other like brothers. Then they went out and beat the feel-good story Bills.
No, this isn’t the prettiest of Giants teams. They’re just as liable to give up a 60-yard run as they are to generate a sack-fumble or an interception. They are a high-wire act in shoulder pads. But they are developing resilience and a bond that should serve them well after the bye.
“We came together as a team,” quarterback Eli Manning said after Sunday’s win. “Guys made the plays and it was a big win. [At] 4-2, we feel like we’re in a good spot.”
Tom Coughlin likes what he’s sees, yesterday saying he hopes, “The enthusiasm and the idea of preparation and the hunger for bigger and better things would continue with a strong attitude and be contagious as we go forward.”
After spending the start of the season dissecting what’s not to like about the Giants, it’s getting easier to point out what there is to like: the churning legs of Ahmad Bradshaw; the emergence of wide receivers Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruuuuuz; the heady play of Manning; and a defense that might bend a lot but makes its own big plays.
Throw in tight end Jake Ballard, who has become a better receiver than anyone expected, and Kevin Boothe, who has held his own while filling in at center and guard, and the Giants have a right to be pleased with where they stand.
“It was a huge win to beat a good football team and go 4-2 and huge to win a game going into a bye to have that momentum,” guard David Diehl said. “You lose that game going into bye week you have the awful feeling. There’s nothing you can do about it. To [win] and be 4-2 at this point is definitely a morale booster.”
These Giants won’t be mistaken for a juggernaut. The defense is vulnerable to big plays; the running game despite earning a season-high 112 yards against the Bills remains spotty; and any further injuries could be devastating.
But every other team in the NFC outside of the Packers has its flaws, making belief, confidence and cohesion as important to the Giants as Xs and Os.
george.willis@nypost.com