Tom Coughlin, whose general demeanor is rather buttoned up and intense, looked so relaxed chatting with reporters on the terrace overlooking the practice fields at the Timex Performance Center yesterday, you got the feeling the Giants coach was about to break out some chaise lounges for everyone and order up a few pitchers of margaritas.
What was loosely scheduled to be a five-minute briefing turned into well more than double that and it ended with Coughlin talking Bruce Springsteen with one reporter who was headed across the parking lots to MetLife Stadium to see him in concert later on.
Coughlin’s deportment just hours after returning from Charlotte, N.C., where his team dismantled a talented Panthers team 36-7, was a pretty powerful illustration about how good he feels about this group of Giants.
His mood was light years from the way he felt six quarters into the season with the Giants already in a 0-1 hole and en route to throwing a home game away to the Buccaneers last Sunday.
There is, of course, a lot of football to be played before the story is complete, but the last six quarters the Giants have played appear to be much more about who they are than the first six, which included the 24-17 opening-night loss to the Cowboys and the 27-13 halftime hole they put themselves in against the Bucs.
This is the kind of confidence that builds when you win a road game in a rout riding a backup journeyman running back, Andre Brown, a fourth receiver, Ramses Barden, and a reshuffled offensive line with the right tackle, David Diehl, out with a knee injury.
“We’re starting to find our groove,’’ linebacker Michael Boley said yesterday. “We’re starting to find our identity as a team, and it’s a lot different from last year when we were so up and down each week.
“This year we feel like we’re starting to catch that groove early. Hopefully, we can hang onto it the whole year.’’
Last season, it took the Giants until Christmas to get a handle on who they were and where they might go, en route to a Super Bowl title.
Mired at 7-7 after a devastating home loss to the Redskins, it’s safe to say no one — least of all Coughlin — knew who the Giants were. Entering their 15th game of last season, you could argue they had no identity.
Who are they this season?
“We’re a tough, physical team that’ll never quits,’’ Boley said. “We play every game from start to finish. That’s who we are. That second half of the Tampa [Bay] game is where it really started for us.’’
Kicker Lawrence Tynes, who has been an integral part of the Giants last two Super Bowl championship teams, loves the chemistry he has seen already this season.
“That family atmosphere that Coach Coughlin tries to create is always the big unknown and we’re building toward that,’’ Tynes said. “That’s always been one of his keys and staples to our championship teams — the family atmosphere and the true love for someone’s success. “Ramses and Andre got game balls today and they got some pretty good roars [from teammates], which is exciting, because you like to see young guys do well.’’
Tynes said he’s already seeing chemistry develop much more quickly than it did a year ago.
“I’ve seen it grow the last two weeks,’’ he said. “You felt the energy in the locker room before we went out there [Thursday night]. Guys were focused.’’
Said Boley: “It caught on after the Dallas game, that this is what we need to do and let’s get on board with this and ride it out.’’
Coughlin, who rarely shows such a relaxed and confident side of himself in public, surely appeared to be enjoying that ride yesterday.
“We’re excited about having a little bit of time [off] so the guys can rest,’’ he said.
Come Monday, they’ll be excited to get going again.’’