Coughlin chronicles
Giants ownership didn’t want to make a move to oust Tom Coughlin but after eight years the possibility certainly existed amid yet another second-half season swoon. Coughlin, though, is a coaching survivor and he was able to haut a four-game skid with a huge victory in Dallas and then made ownership smile by hammering the little-brother Jets and their mouthy head coach. Coughlin isn’t going anywhere.
Stuffing the mouth that roared
All you had to see was the look on co-owner John Mara’s face to understand that Giants 29, Jets 14 counted for more than one victory. The Giants don’t mind the Jets as long as they can pat them on the head and call them cute and harmless. It would have been unthinkable if Rex Ryan’s words and his team’s deeds combined to push the Giants to the brink of playoff elimination. This was a Christmas Eve present that Coughlin had to, and did, gift-wrap to all who prefer Big Blue to Gang Green.
Terrell-ible injury
Their 41-13 preseason victory over the Bears cost the Giants any potential for a superior defense. Rising-star cornerback Terrell Thomas, in the second quarter, on what was scheduled to be his final play of the night, blitzed Jay Cutler, got inadvertently leg-whipped by Jason Pierre-Paul and went down with a torn right ACL, ending his season and prompting a teary-eyed halftime prayer session with Thomas and his distraught teammates . Thomas was poised for a Pro Bowl-type year, and the once-proud Giants defense never recovered.
The Book of Eli
Eli Manning caused some snickers when he said prior to the season that he would rank himself in the same class as Tom Brady. What, did Eli take a shot to the head or something? Manning then went out and put together a career-best season. Of course he’s not in Brady’s league — although Eli did engineer a brilliant comeback to beat Brady and the Patriots in New England — but Manning did vault himself into a quarterback tier just below the truly elite status occupied by Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and, when healthy, big brother Peyton Manning.
Cruzin’
Victor Cruz was a nice little summer of 2010 story, a guy from Paterson, N.J., not drafted out of UMass. He barely played as a rookie, didn’t have a single NFL catch in a first year spent mostly on injured reserve. The Giants were supposed to have no replacement for Steve Smith, who signed with the Eagles, but Cruz became a star, setting a franchise record for receiving yards and thrilling fans who exclaimed “CRRUUUUUUZZZ!” whenever he got his hands on the ball, put those explosive legs in motion and punctuated his touchdowns with a super-cool salsa dance celebration.