The question for the Giants coming off their bye week and heading into the final six games of the season is not this: How do they win the NFC East title again?
It is this: How the heck do they not?
A year after the Giants won the division with a 9-7 record — and in some circles considered fraudulent first-place finishers, until they embarked on their Super Bowl run — it appears as if nine victories surely would do it again. The Giants, at 6-4, are the lone winning team in the NFC East, and they are on a two-game skid. If they go 3-3 the rest of the way against a gauntlet of a schedule, it will be virtually impossible for them not to repeat as division champs.
Who is going to beat them out? The Eagles were going nowhere with Michael Vick, so a move to Nick Foles might help, but it is too little, too late. The Redskins, like the Eagles mired at 3-6, are far more interesting now that they have Robert Griffin III but not appreciably better just yet.
You want to count on the Jason Garrett/Tony Romo-led Cowboys to unseat the Giants? Before beating the ragamuffin Eagles, the Cowboys (4-5) had lost four of five games. If they are to reach 9-7, they will have to go 6-2 in the second half of the season — probably asking too much of Romo and what has been a wildly inconsistent operation in Dallas.
The situation could deteriorate from bad to worse if Eli Manning’s three-game slide turns into a trend, but a complete Manning meltdown is wishful thinking by opponents hoping the Giants continue to come back, back, back to the pack. As these Giants have shown, getting in is the thing, and once in it is about how healthy, hot and hardened they are. It is impossible before Thanksgiving to project how ready the Giants will be after New Year’s to make another postseason push.
It certainly is possible, though, to be skeptical of a strong finish or a complete collapse. A look at what will, or might, or might not happen:
Nov. 25: Packers at Giants
Setup: Here we go again, another second-half meeting with the Packers with the Giants looking to end a losing skid. Happened a year ago and the result, a 38-35 last-second loss, was unsatisfying but still beneficial, as it kick-started the Giants just like the 2007 late regular-season loss to the Patriots energized them for the playoffs. There is no debate about the “elite’’ status of Aaron Rodgers, who even after a few down performances has 25 touchdown passes and five interceptions at the helm of a lethal passing attack.
Result: Can see Manning getting back into a groove, but all those Green Bay targets are tough for the secondary to deal with. LOSS.
Dec. 3: Giants at Redskins
Setup: The only Monday night game of the season for the Giants is a rematch of their wild 27-23 comeback victory six weeks earlier, when they were introduced to the physical marvel that is Robert Griffin III. The Giants spoke about RG3 (258 passing yards, 89 rushing yards) after that escape-job as if he were a combination of The Flash and Superman, but this time around they have a better handle on what they’re dealing with. Strangely, the first encounter was the start of the Manning’s skid, even though he threw for 337 yards and hit Victor Cruz for the 77-yard game-winner.
Result: The Redskins have fallen into non-contender status, but Manning often has problems throwing into Washington’s defensive backfield. Giants were swept by the ’Skins, last season but not this time. WIN.
Dec. 9: Saints at Giants
Setup: The Saints have a three-game winning streak on the Giants and averaged 42 points in those games, the last two on the ultra-fast Superdome turf. In this season of Bountygate, the Saints are 4-5, have no chance to win the NFC South and need a hot streak to plow back into wild-card contention. No way to gauge their motivation for an early-December game at chilly MetLife Stadium. But the Saints have Drew Brees, which means they always have a shot.
Result: Does a late-season letdown at home sound familiar with the Giants? Sure it does. Brees gets the ball last and that makes all the difference. LOSS.
Dec. 16: Giants at Falcons
Setup: Good chance the Falcons already clinched their division as the Giants head into the Georgia Dome at 7-6 and saying all sorts of reverential things about the team with the best record in the NFC. Then Roddy White says the Giants are easy to throw on, and Big Blue simmer in silence. Back page of The Post has coach Tom Coughlin dressed as Gen. William Sherman and trumpets this game as “Time to Burn Atlanta.’’
Result: Throwing in a dome suits Manning, as he finally erupts with three touchdown passes. That old pass-rush ferocity is back against Matt Ryan. WIN.
Dec. 23: Giants at Ravens
Setup: Stakes are high as both teams can clinch their respective division titles with a victory. The Ravens already have locked up a playoff berth; the Giants have not. This is the most significant Giants-Ravens game since Super Bowl XXXV, but no truth to the rumor Jim Fassel invited in for Saturday night pep talk. Asked if he might rest some of his starters in the regular-season finale if the Giants sew up the NFC East, Coughlin says “We’ll see.’’
Result: Safety Ed Reed finds a Manning pass to his liking as the Ravens come up with a throwback defensive performance. Coughlin expresses remorse for opportunity lost as the Giants get no gifts for Christmas. LOSS.
Dec. 30: Eagles at Giants
Setup: Eagles already have been eliminated and reports are rampant this is coach Andy Reid’s last game. Justin Tuck issues a warning that the Eagles would like nothing better than to be the team to stick a fork into their rival’s season. The Giants take the field knowing down in Washington, the Cowboys are hammering the Redskins. Giants hand out towels emblazoned with “Win and In’’ but the flip-side is also true. Lose and the Giants are out.
Result: DeSean Jackson strikes first with his deadly speed and mimics Cruz’s salsa dance TD celebration. Cruz proceeds to burn Nnamdi Asomugha twice, the towels wave and it’s a Happy New Year. WIN.
paul.schwartz@nypost.com