NFL

Giants’ Cordle center of attention

When Giants center David Baas went on injured reserve last month with a knee injury he aggravated in the team’s win against the Vikings, it had the feeling of an injury that could sink an already depleted unit.

The offensive line was already without right guard Chris Snee, who had gone on injured reserve earlier in October with a hip injury. The big question going forward was: “How will a patchwork offensive line possibly keep Eli Manning upright and open holes for a struggling run game?”

Three wins later, that question has been answered, as the offensive line has risen and paved the way for an improved ground attack and helped Manning settle into somewhat of a groove.

One of the biggest reasons for the offensive line stabilizing has been center Jim Cordle, who has replaced Baas seamlessly.

“[Cordle has] been solid in there,” coach Tom Coughlin said before practice Wednesday. “He’s gone into each game and does a good job of studying. He prepares very well for the opponent, right from the first time he played, what looked like it would be perhaps a mismatch of some proportion, he’s held his own and he’s hung in there. [I] give him a lot of credit.”

Cordle, a third-year player who was undrafted out of Ohio State, began the season outside of the starting lineup, but said going through preparations as if he were a starter helped ease the transition when he replaced Baas.

“He got hurt again in the Vikings game, and I went in and I felt comfortable at that point,” Cordle told The Post. “I was just always preparing. I wanted to get as many games as I could. When he came back, I was happy for him. I was happy for the opportunity I had. Then he went on IR, and here I am.

“I hope that I prepare like I’m going to be the starter every week. But human nature, the guys that start maybe don’t put as much pressure on themselves. I’ve tried to do that, step up. Right away, it’s high-pressure. It took me some time to settle in, I think. Now, I’m comfortable, it’s just about being confident and preparing to win.”

Cordle said despite the fact he’s set to be the starter for the rest of the season, he isn’t resting on his laurels.

“I’m trying, every week, to prove that I should be the starter next week,” he said. “I don’t know if there’s a light bulb that’s gone off that I’m a starter, because I don’t want it to. I don’t want to get too comfortable.”

After practice, Manning praised Cordle for being thrown into the fire and acquitting himself well.

“Jimmy’s done well,” the quarterback said. “Smart guy, knows what he’s doing, does a good job getting all the calls made, and he’s stepped in and played well. He’s been playing better each and every week, that he gets more comfortable and more playing experience.”

After the season seemingly was over following a narrow loss in Chicago that dropped them to 0-6, the Giants have run off four consecutive wins, and at 4-6, are preparing for a critical NFC East showdown with the Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

Cordle said he feels the burden to win this game rests on the offensive line, but is confident they will lead the way for the Giants.

“Our defense has been playing well, and we expect them to play well,” he said. “We know that they have a good offense, and so we put a little bit more pressure on us this week, that we have to take advantage of every opportunity, convert on third downs.

“If you look at what we struggled with in the Green Bay game, third downs and [the] ‘green zone,’ we can’t have that this week. We have to take advantage of every opportunity because we’re playing a good offense. It’s really on us. With [star middle linebacker] Sean Lee [likely] being out, the best part of their defense is the defensive line, and that’s great, because that means we can control the game.”