BRANDON Jacobs yesterday was declared all but good to go Sunday following a good sweat, which is more than the Giants had reason to do about his unavailability. Had they lost 88 yards per game from one running back, they had another 80 ready to go between Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw.
If Earth got swallowed, they still had Wind and Fire. Rain, snow, the dark side of Plaxico Burress’ personality, or even the sore hamstring with which he showed up for work yesterday, will not keep this team from its appointed rounds.
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The Giants are even deeper than Jeremy Shockey’s bitterness. They lost their all-time, all-purpose yardage leader, Tiki Barber, to retirement and the next year rushed for the same 134 yards per game and won a Super Bowl. They lost the NFL’s all-time sacks leader, Michael Strahan, to television, then a Pro Bowl pass rusher, Osi Umenyiora, to an ACL tear and their heat on the quarterbacks remains hot as ever.
Eli Manning hasn’t thrown for 200 yards in any game in his last six, and Burress has caught just seven passes in the last three. But just one of the Giants’ consecutive five wins has been by less than a touchdown.
“We have running-back depth,” said GM Jerry Reese. “We have pretty good defensive-end depth because Kiwanuka (a linebacker last season) gave us that flexibility. And in the secondary, we have a little depth because we have some veteran guys backing up. We’re fortunate in that aspect.”
They have been smart in that aspect, choosing uncannily well in their last six drafts. The salary cap, that great depth sapper, has surrendered to the best team in the NFL, at least for now. And Reese would claim victory if he weren’t spending all his time knocking on wood and rubbing David Tyree’s lucky helmet.
If the Giants establish a dynasty, the rest of the NFL will be in competition to stockpile the most pass rushers and running backs. That will be the way to win until somebody wins another way. Meanwhile, the Giants will keep going until, inevitably, they suffer an unaffordable loss.
Ernie Accorsi, the former GM who hoarded these pass rushers in his final drafts, used to say the quarterback is the most important player and the backup quarterback the second-most important. Yet, as little as we know about David Carr, one can conceive of this running game and defense winning a couple of playoff contests at frigid Giants Stadium even if Manning goes down.
Antonio Pierce is the Giants’ most dynamic defensive player, but when he was hurt, Chase Blackburn was outstanding in the middle. So who would be indispensable?
David Diehl, who plays the key position on an offensive line earning raves, is potentially the most devastating loss for a team that doesn’t have another left tackle. Corey Webster covers the best the other team has. And when he breaks the bank next year in free agency, the Giants may find out whether or not he is replaceable.
Until they go down, do you ever really know? One player’s misfortune becomes another’s opportunity. And this columnist apologizes if that insight is not nearly as deep as the Giants.