“I thought it was this (past) season,” Thomas said on NFL Network. “But I think he has one more in him.”

It’s pretty apparent that Coughlin has at least one more in him, as there have been no serious talks within the organization about his possible retirement. Coughlin himself has shot down such rumors, but at age 66, questions about how much longer he can coach will only get louder as seasons pass.

If 2013 is Coughlin’s last year, and I think every rational Giants fan hopes that it’s not, it will mark the end of one of the most successful runs of any head coach in Giants history. Coughlin’s tenure with the Giants coincided with the drafting of Eli Manning, who took the reigns from Kurt Warner as the starting quarterback partway through the 2004 season. From 2005 – Eli’s first full season as the starter – until 2007, the Giants made the playoffs in 5 of 7 seasons, winning two Super Bowls in the process. The only comparable stretch in the teams history came from 1984-1990, where coach Bill Parcells led the Giants to the playoffs in 5 of 7 years, and won two Super Bowls as well.

I am too young to remember the success of Parcells and Lawrence Taylor in the 80s and early 90s, but I consider myself very fortunate to be able to watch the Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning led version. Despite his teams rarely looking dominant, Coughlin’s Giants have amassed nearly as good a winning percentage as the Giants of the 80s (.611 vs. .576) and have the exact same playoff record (8-3) and number of Super Bowl wins (2). With Bill Parcells recently being inducted in the the Pro Football Hall of Fame, it’s not crazy to imagine Coughlin eventually joining him there.

All that is to say, Tom Coughlin can coach my favorite team for as long as he likes.

I was provided an advanced copy of Coach Coughlin’s new book “Earn the Right to Win” on sale March 5th 2013 published by Portfolio/Penguin. I read the book in two sittings over two days and I must say it was a fantastic read.  The stories told in the book will be familiar on face to most Giants fans and followers of GMenHQ, but they all provide at least one detail that was left out of the story when first told.  Tom recalls his entire coaching career and the principals which he used as the basis of his success.  This book is not only about what Tom did, or how he did it, but WHY he did it the way he did.

The best stories are about the Jets game in 2011, and insights into both Super Bowl wins.  My favorite I will share with you now.  Tom is an organization freak as we all know…He makes lists of lists he needs to make, and has the teams time and his time scheduled months if not years in advance.  When heading to training camp before the 2010 season Tom had a list of how many players he wanted at each position…He wanted 11 receivers in camp because it fit his training regimen, and he had planned for 11.  When they only had 7 on the current roster, they went out and signed 4 more, one of them being Victor Cruz.  Imagine if Tom said I need 11 or so receivers, or just bring an extra corner if we don’t have 11 receivers…but no, he wanted 11 receivers and Victor got his chance to show his stuff.

This is a motivational and inspirational book for people in all walks of life.  Tom quotes many famous athletes and coaches in the book and explains how his methods translate into “real life” outside of football.  He explains how everything he does is to help people become the best they can be, and how some fought that, before finally realizing what his goal was for them.

It’s worth the read, and will give you a great insight into the man that leads our beloved Giants…..Good job Coach!

Preparation is easy to praise but very hard to master. No modern coach in any sport understands that bet­ter than

NFL veteran Tom Coughlin. He led the New York Giants to two Super Bowl vic­tories with his system of

relentless preparation and old-school resilience.

                                                                

Earn the Right to Win (out March 5) reveals the philosophy of mental preparation and con­sistency in the face

of adversity that has led Coughlin’s teams to victory. In the book, the Giants head coach shares his best advice

and how it applies beyond the gridiron. His lessons are illustrated with previously untold stories about star

players like Eli Manning, Doug Flutie and Michael Strahan.

 

Coughlin’s direct, honest wisdom on leadership, communication and preparation is sure to help leaders in any field.

What was the inspiration behind making a comprehensive book like this?

Sports Illustrated has legendary photography and great writers who have covered the game and know the sport as well as anyone. There has been interest in these projects for a long time, so the time was right to put the groups together. Don’t forget the list includes two writers who vote for the Hall of Fame and another (Tim Layden) who is easily among America’s greatest writers.

 
Were there any intense arguments over the rankings of certain players?

There is always discussion, but respect takes over. It wasn’t that hard to reach a consensus for most. Great players and great moments rise to the top.

 
Do you feel there were any snubs on your Top 10 list?

I think all the lists were very balanced. They are reflective of their era. The running backs list has very few current or recently retired guys because the game used to be more running oriented. Now we have have more receivers because the game is dictated by the pass. Some of the surprises were who got on the lists, like Cris Carter. He is obviously a guy who the writers have great respect for.

 
Are there any other books like this in the works?

“Steelers Pride” was a book that we also did recently just about the organization and it was very well received. You will probably see some others like that over time, and this type of book would work well in other sports. They take a great amount of time, at least a year, to plan and execute properly.

 
Do you see any current rookie making it in the Top 10 by careers end?

Way too hard to predict not just rookies, but any current player, so we shall see. These are very exclusive lists and they are a bit arbitrary, so it is hard to predict greatness.

 
Since GMenHQ is primarily a Giants website, Is there a possibility any current Giants player can sneak into the Top 10 in the future?

The transient nature of the NFL these days, and the salary cap, makes that difficult to predict. Would LT in the current system have spent is whole career in New York? You hope so, but you never know. Eli is certainly making a case, but there is a long way to go, even for Peyton Manning. That is what makes the lists so strong. Its not just about today, its about all-time. Who knows where even someone like Coach Coughlin will end up on an all-time list down the road.

I noticed that the book is also available in e-book format. Can we expect to see this for every book and was the conversion process difficult considering the beautiful images throughout the book?

That is really a tech question and there is no one better than the folks at SI to solve that. You see what is being done in the digital space with the magazine and multimedia and it is the same with books. It is where people will consume media down the line.

I would like to thank Bill Syken, Jerry Milani, and the fine folks at Sports Illustrated for taking the time to answer some questions for us here at GMenHQ. For more news, updates, and analysis…Follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/ERobertsNY (@ERobertsNY)

The Giants defense kept Ben Rothlisberger and the Steelers offense in check for most of the first half and took advantage of a few favorable calls by the referees to take a slim 14-10 lead into the 3rd quarter. However they were unable to contain the running game as Issac Redman ran for 119 yards on 25 carries with a touchdown. Redman was pressed into a heavier workload this week because of injuries that kept Rashard Mendenhall and Johnathan Dwyer off the field for today’s game. The Giants had absolutely no answer for the big, brusing running back.

Eli Manning and the Giants offense could not get on track today and once the Steelers sinced this they turned it up with aggressive playcalling to keep the momentum on their side. It was the third straight week that Manning looked out of synch with his receivers. His throws were off target and his decision making has not resembled anything near what it was in the first part of the season.

The Giants led 20-10 heading into the 4th quarter and that’s pretty much where the Steelers took over from there. While the Giants offense continued to sputter on offense, the Steelers offense was beginning to come to life. Wide receiver Mike Wallace scored on an exciting 51-yard run into the end zone as he showed his speed off on the play, blowing by the Giants secondary and bringing their lead to 20-17. The Steelers then decided to get ultra aggressive with a fake field goal attempt that was snuffed out by the Giants defense. However Manning and the offense were unable to take advantage and gave the Steelers back the football, leading to Redman’s 2-yard touchdown run to take the lead for good. This time there would not be any 4th quarter magic from Manning.

This was about as bad a loss as can get based on the standards head coach Tom Coughlin has set for this Giants football team. They couldn’t run the ball and they couldn’t stop the run. Add that up with a few momentum-killing penalties and there you have it. They also missed out on a chance to create more breathing room between them and their NFC east rivals within the division.

What’s Next?

The Cincinnati Bengals will be hosting the Giants next week who will be looking to head into the bye week with a bounce-back win and some momentum. The Bengals will be looking to save their season after coming off of a tough loss at home to Denver.

Aug. 18, 2011; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants running back David Wilson (34) is tackled by New York Jets strong safety Antonio Allen (bottom) during the fourth quarter half at MetLife Stadium. Giants won 26-3. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

The defending Super Bowl Champs have a big problem, they can’t run the ball. The Giants beat their cross town little brother last night for the Snoopy bowl; But they have a big problem that needs to get fixed. The Giants had another night of not being able to run the ball. It’s true Bradshaw left the game early after a cyst popped on his hand, but DJ Ware could not get anything going either. The “o” line could not sustain blocks or move guys and get to the second level of defenders.

The Giants lack of a run game was overshadowed by a complete lack of offense by the Jets. The G-Men rushed for 58 yds on 32 attempts last night. After 2 games that gives them a total of 184 yds on 58 attempts for a 3.2 avg yards per carry. That ranks them 20th in the league.  Most of the yards gained so far are in the 3rd and 4th quarters with the back ups in. After finishing at the bottom of the league in rushing last year Coughlin and Manning were both hoping for better. And with their defense it would have been nice to have a run game to chew the clock in the 4th quarter. If the Offense doesn’t fix this problem it will once again be up to Eli and the Passing attack to lead the offense to a winning season. Can they do that 2 years in a row?

The object of the story was to compare position players of all the NFC East to see who the “Beast of the East” were in the Division by talent level. His conclusion Dallas far outweighed the Redskins but also the Eagles and the Super Bowl Champion Giants. Okay let us go to his first ridiculous statement in which he writes; “I have listed as a tie between Eli Manning and Tony Romo. Although in my opinion Romo is the better QB by far. Romo has a higher QB rating, completion percentage, and more TD’s per game then Manning. In fact without the luck of a David Tyree miracle helmet catch, a Wes Welker 2nd down Super Bowl bobble with 4 minutes left in the game, or a Miles Austin dropped wide open 50 yard game clinching TD pass, it isn’t even a debate.” Okay we all know that statement is just plain stupid but I am not going to respond as a fan, I will respond with what their NFL colleagues have stated. In NFL Networks Top 100 players, Romo was rated 91, Vick 71 and Manning 31. So according to their fellow NFL players Romo is not even close to a tie with Manning and in fact is closer to Vick, the better QB, at 71. Call us all when Romo wins more than one playoff game in 9 years. These statements by itself needs no commentary. Anyone reading it will know how foolish it is or did Romo win 2 Super Bowls and more than one playoff game when I fell in a deep sleep?

Now let us go to this writers erroneous facts. First off I hate comparisons this early in the season when we do not know players health or standing on the team. So first mistake I saw was this writer placing David Diehl as the Giants LT. In fact Diehl is slated as RT. Then this writer, out of god knows where, places Prince Amukamara as the Giants starting CB. Prince might not even be the Giants nickle corner this season. Just for this writers’ edification Terrell Thomas and Corey Webster are the Giants starting CBs. You might remember Webster, the number one Corner for the Giants last year and the starting CB for the Giants the last 3 years. I know I am concentrating on the Giants and ignoring the Eagles and Redskins but this writer should be comparing his Cowboys to the Super Bowl Champs with some type of knowledge. Okay next mistake he places Chase Blackburn as starting MLB for Giants when in fact both Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese have said that is a open position and Michael Boley may start there. There are more factual mistakes concerning the Giants, Eagles and Redskins but I do not have the stomach to get into it and do not want to write a 2 page article.

I will not rate which team has the better players at each position because it is quite frankly stupid. We do not know where these players will be at the end of Training Camp, who the surprises will be and the changes in line ups. I will tell this writer the next time you present an article like this; tell the reader this is written from the heart of a Cowboy fan and not as a analyst. To show you the difference I am a big Giants fan but judging pure talent I think the Eagles easily take that crown but it is about winning which by the way Romo has a lot to learn even this late in his career.

“It has always been my belief that it is an honor and a privilege to be the head coach of the New York Giants,” said Coughlin. “I’m thankful to John Mara and Steve Tisch and their families for their support and the recognition of what our players and coaches have accomplished. And I’m grateful for the working relationship Jerry Reese and I have. We’ve got a lot of work left to do.”

As I stated already, this was expected but it is still exciting to have it confirmed that Coughlin will

“Tom is the right person in the right job at the right time,” said Chairman Steve Tisch. “I just really appreciate how our players respond to his leadership, and obviously our organization has benefited tremendously because of the relationship Tom has with his players.”

“I wanted Tom as our head coach going all the way back to the early ‘90s,” said John Mara, “so it was with great confidence that Ernie Accorsi and I recommended to my father and Bob Tisch in 2004 that we hire Tom. Of course, my father didn’t need to be convinced. He saw what we have all seen, a man who has a singular focus and incredible dedication when it comes to his work. In so many ways, Tom represents to me who and what the head coach of our franchise should be.”

Coughlin’s 74 regular season Giants victories are the third-highest total among head coaches in team history, behind only Owen (153) and Bill Parcells (77). His eight Giants postseason victories tie him with Parcells for the franchise record. Coughlin has led the Giants to two NFC East titles and five playoff berths in eight years.

Coughlin has eight postseason victories, the same number as Bill Parcells and also the franchise record. Under Coughlin the Giants have won two NFC East titles and have made it to the playoffs five times in eight years.

He’s also coached the Giants to 74 victories. This ranks him third in victories behind Steve Owen with 153 and Bill Parcells with 77.

The following stats were provided by Giants.com:

The 2011 Giants gained a franchise-record 6,161 yards. The former mark of 6,085 was set in 2010. Those are the only two 6,000-yard seasons in Giants history.

The Giants shattered their franchise record with 4,734 net passing yards. The former mark of 4,019 was set in 2009. Those are the only two 4,000-yard passing seasons in Giants history. In 2011, the Giants also set a team record with 359 pass completions and had at least 200 passing yards in every game for the first time in their history.

Last year, the Giants won five regular season games in which they trailed in the fourth quarter, tying the franchise record they set in 2002. They tied Denver and Cincinnati for the NFL’s second-highest total. Arizona led the league with six.

In the last six seasons, the Giants’ regular season records have been 11-5, 8-8, 10-6, 12-4, 8-8, 10-6 and 9-7. Their six-year streak without a losing record is the Giants’ longest since they had 10 in a row from 1954-63.

The 2011 Giants were unique Super Bowl champions. They were the first team to win the title after a) losing seven games in the regular season; b) losing four consecutive games in the regular season; c) finishing with a negative scoring differential (394-400) in the regular season, and d) finishing last in the NFL in rushing in the regular season. They did so thanks to the resilience, toughness and tenacity which characterize Coughlin-coached teams. In their four postseason victories, the Giants defeated 10-6 Atlanta, 15-1 Green Bay, 13-3 San Francisco and 13-3 New England to become the first team to beat four teams in the playoffs with better regular season records. The Giants are the first team to twice win four games in a single postseason (doing it in 2007 and 2011).

Oct 26, 2008; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress (17) warms up before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-US PRESSWIRE

Did a time and a Super Bowl victory ease the pain Plaxico Burress caused on Giants fans with his idiotic act of shooting himself? Not for Coach Coughlin it didn’t. According to the Daily News, when Coughlin was asked he shook his head and mouthed no. But with the injury or Nicks would it make sense to bring him in on a one year deal?

With the lack of pass catching TE’s and not knowing what to expect from the recievers after Cruz it may be worth at least thinking about. Yes, he is past his prime and he appeared pretty slow with the jets last year. But, he can still catch the ball, especially in the red zone. It seemed that age and prison may have matured him on the field, so he may have become an ideal Coughlin pupil and just show up on time and do what is asked.

It always nice to have weapons on offense, the question is what would his asking price be. But, even if it was low it is highly doubtful he will be back. The offense may have just enough options to live without Nicks for a week or two. And Coughlin and Reese have earned the right for us not to question there free agency moves or non moves,  At least for now.

In government speak, that translates directly to, “it’s a pretty big freaking deal.”  The New York Post reports Coughlin was humbled and almost moved to tears by the ceremony.  The journey he took to reach that moment is a journey many have taken.

Celebrities have given their time to the troops for many years.  As an Air Force veteran of 22 years, I’ve interacted with many celebrities in and out of war zones.  They all say basically the same thing.  Spending time with the troops changes them…forever.

Gene Simmons from KISS is another celebrity who has a history of supporting the troops and often visits wounded warriors.  Simmons says he is always amazed by young men and women whose bodies are broken, but not their spirits.  He also has trouble talking about the subject without tearing up.

It appears Tom Coughlin has also gotten “the bug.”

In 2007, Lt Col Greg Gadson became a member of the Super Bowl XVII champions.  He lost both legs and severely injured one arm from a roadside bomb in Iraq in May 2007.  Through the entire experience, Gadson has remained positive.  Four months later, he gave the New York Giants a pep talk before playing the Washington Redskins.  FOUR MONTHS!

That speech was the beginning of an incredible championship run.  From that point forward, Gadson attended as many games as his recovery would allow.  Yes, he was in Arizona.  Gadson is still a member of the Giants today and he also has a role in a new movie called, “Battleship.”

Take a minute and read more about this worthy charity, and reflect on how lucky we are to have such a good person leading the team we love so much.  The national media does a poor job of portraying Coach Coughlin.  Very rarely do we hear about the good works, the time he gives, and the awards he has won from different organizations.  I guess controversy gets your name in the paper quickly, but good work over time will make you immortal.

Supporting Families with Children Suffering from Cancer The Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation was created in 1996 in the honor of Jay McGillis.  Jay was a very special young man who developed leukemia while a member of the football team at Boston College.  Tom Coughlin was inspired by the courage, compassion and faith he and his family demonstrated during the course of his illness.  Coughlin witnessed first hand the financial and emotional struggles the family suffered through and vowed to help people in the same situation if he ever had the opportunity. The mission of the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation is to assist children with leukemia and other cancers and their families by providing emotional and financial support to help reduce the stress associated with treatment and improve their quality of life.

Just to be silly for a moment, I think the Giants should repeatedly offer one year extensions. Each time he enters the final year of a contract, the Giants offer him one more year. Then Big Blue goes on to win a Super Bowl. If he’s constantly in his last year, the Giants will perpetually win the Lombardi Trophy. This might be a theory that doesn’t work out.

Back to reality, I’m on board with Coughlin and he deserves to coach the Giants until he decides to go. Barring anything crazy like a 2-14 season, which I don’t believe will happen, he’s earned job security.

When the Giants first hired him in 2004, I was not happy. My first thought wasn’t about the success he would bring the Giants. Instead I wondered how many years of mediocre football would it take to get rid of him. I estimated three years.

The Giants would make the playoffs in 2005 and 2006, but failed to advance. After 2006, I hoped with all my heart Couglin was history. But the Giants extended him for one year much to my dismay and the Giants won the Super Bowl XLII.

Even then, I credited the Super Bowl win more for the performance of Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo than anything Coughlin did. When Spagnuolo left and Plaxico shot himself, the Giants seemed unable to recover. My theory was correct!

It was, again, time for Coughlin to go. I believed the Giants had as much talent as any other top team in the NFL. It just seemed Coughlin was unable to get the most from the players on the roster on a consistent basis. It had to be his fault. That opinion remained the same through 2009……2010…..and the first half of 2011.

This is the apex of a football season for a fan. The Super Bowl is the ultimate prize and nothing can top the day, well, except the parade down the Canyon of Heroes. The parade took place on February 7th, two days after the win. The emotional high that a fan experiences during a Super Bowl run is unlike anything else. Four consecutive wins and a parade to boot? It can’t get any better than that.

What is soon to follow is known as a crash. Most diehard football fans live and die with the team throughout the season. A loss can be soul crushing and a win can be as joyous as having your first child (depends on the individual of course). But, what about the offseason when everything is seemingly taken away?

While the Giants paraded down to City Hall, the media already began speculating as to where the possible landing spots of free agents would be. The Giants could not even bask in glory for two whole days without someone metaphorically raining on their parade.

The Giants have 20+ free agents in this year’s crop. They also have the never content Osi Umenyiora to worry about. Reese sure does have a lot on his plate, but do you expect any less for a G.M.? Do not let anyone fool you, the front office loves having problems like this. They just won the Super Bowl, so naturally every player is going to get a boost in worth. Victor Cruz has already asked for a pay raise, Mario Manningham looks destined for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it is going to be a hassle for players to restructure to get under the cap.

With all of this information getting leaked to the fans, hysteria will ensue. Last offseason, Jerry Reese was criticized for letting Kevin Boss and Steve Smith bolt via free agency. As the year progressed, Reese looked like a genius for these moves. Does the praise last long? Absolutely not. The minute Reese lets a beloved player walk this year is the minute the hate mail will flood in.

As a writer, I implore the fans to just hold out on judgment until at least Week 3. I know we all want to be general managers, but there is a reason we are reading about players and they are out there actually signing the players.

Have faith in Reese. I know we got hit with Linsanity as soon as the Super Bowl ended and the Rangers suddenly became relevant again, but this offseason we are in the spotlight.

Sit back, enjoy the draft, watch some NFL network and ESPN, and try not to let the offseason make you crash as hard this year. I know I sure won’t.

Steve Tisch (left) and general manager Jerry Reese react after Super Bowl XLVI against the New England Patriots at Lucas Oil Stadium. Credit: Kirby Lee of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

For more news, updates, and analysis follow me on Twitter (@ERobertsNY)

http://twitter.com/erobertsny

“I think we’re a dangerous team.”

Who would have thought the Giants, of all the teams remaining in the playoffs, or even entering the playoffs, would be considered a dangerous team?

Coughlin and Busta be dangerous...

Yet here we are two weeks later after wins over a dangerous Falcons offense led by Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Julio Jones and Roddy White and a very potent and dangerous Packers offense featuring the talents of all pro and pro bowl players like Aaron Rodgers, Greg Jennings, Jermichael Finley, and Jordy Nelson. The combined scores for those two games are Giants – 61, Packers/Falcons – 22.

The Giants can truly say they’re a dangerous team. They’re dangerous on offense and they’re dangerous on defense. It’s been a complete team effort on the field so far these playoffs for the Giants and something that can be built upon this upcoming week against the 49ners.

Coughlin also said that: “I like where we are.” And how can we blame him for saying that? His Giants team is only one more win away from going back to the Super Bowl. I like where they are too and in the words of Busta Rhymes…

This, is, serious
We could make you delirious
You should have a healthy fear of us
Cause too much of us is dangerous
So dangerous, we so dangerous
My Flipmode Squad is dangerous
So dangerous, we so dangerous
My whole entire unit is dangerous

Whatever else will be said about this afternoon’s game, it certainly wasn’t one that did any favors for anyone’s blood pressure.

The Giants came into Lambeau Field and came away with a 37-20 win to earn a trip to the NFC Championship game in San Francisco. They’re now the fourth seeded team to defeat a number one seeded team on the road since the current playoff format was instilled, and they knocked off the 15-1 defending Super Bowl champions to do so. It’s amazing to think that just a few weeks ago, the Giants were on the verge of collapsing and missing the playoffs altogether. Now they’re be playing next week for a chance to go to the Super Bowl. It’s amazing what getting hot at the right time can do for a team.

Thoughts from the game:

-Obviously fumbles were the name of the game. The Packers fumbled four times and the Giants recovered two of them, and that combined with all of the drops by Green Bay’s receivers really helped out the Giants defense. The Osi Umenyiora forced fumble was especially big. Greg Jennings was wide open and would have easily score a touchdown if Umenyiora hadn’t knocked the ball out of Aaron Rodgers’s hands.

-I try to avoid complaining about the refs in games if I can. But there is nothing that anyone can do or say that can justify the referees ruling that the play Tom Coughlin challenged was not a fumble. Neither the Jennings’s knee nor elbow were even close to being down when the ball was coming out. It was even ruled a fumble on the field initially, until one ref overturned another. How Coughlin lost that challenge and the Giants didn’t get the ball is absolutely beyond me. To say it was a horrible call doesn’t even begin to scrape the surface.

The “roughing the passer” call on Umenyiora in the fourth quarter was pretty bad too.

-I couldn’t have been the only one who flashed back to Super Bowl 42 during New York’s opening drive. It was very similar to the one the Giants had to start the game in Phoenix; Giants received the opening kickoff, converted on a few key third downs, ran a lot of time off the clock and came away with a field goal.

-Give the offensive line credit. They played well for most of the game and gave Eli Manning enough time to locate his receivers and throw the ball. There were a few exceptions of course (like on the Manning’s interception) but overall, they were up to the challenge. At the very least, they certainly didn’t look soft.

-It has to be said- there are no words to describe the Hail Mary catch made by Hakeem Nicks. I still can’t believe that he came down with that ball. It was a huge play, giving the Giants a 20-10 at halftime and a boost for the team as well.

-The Giants secondary has not gotten enough credit in this victory. It was a complete defensive effort, but the Packers had very little to work with downfield most of the game. They chipped away at yardage but had few- if any- really big passing plays. It was frustrating to watch at times, but it paid off in the end.

-I’m still concerned by the Giants lacking a strong running game, and their poor performance on third down defense reared its ugly head again. Just some stuff that needs working on.

The Giants offense, on the other hand, was spectacular on third downs, especially third and long. That is a recipe for success.

-Once again, an all-around team effort leads to a victory for the Giants and they took care of things in Green Bay. Now they travel to San Francisco to take on the 49ers, another team they have unfinished business with from the regular season. It’s going to be a 1990′s flashback for some of the older Giants fans.

-The Giants run defense had, for the most part, been playing much better in the last two games of the season and it carried over into this game. It’s just about impossible to contain a running back like Michael Turner but the Giants defense did a fine job of limiting his productivity today.

-Not only has the Giants run defense improved but so has their own productivity on the ground. And both Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw have had more success when the Giants run the ball behind left guard Kevin Boothe, not right tackle Kareem McKenzie. McKenzie has been rather soft on run blocking all year and he looked lost at times today, especially on the safety where he failed to pick up the blitz. But when they run it to the left behind Boothe, or pull him to the right, it is overall more effective.

-I bet Mike Smith wished that he’d kicked those two field goals instead of going for it on fourth and short, especially the first one when the game was still 0-0. He would’ve had less of a deficit to overcome in the fourth quarter.

-Speaking of fourth and short, do the Giants have the best fourth down, short yardage defense in the NFL? They stuffed the Cowboys on fourth and short last week and managed to contain the Falcons both times they went for it. Atlanta was in Giants territory both times too, so they could’ve easily could’ve come away with six points instead of turning the ball over on downs.

-The defense choose the right time in the season to get hot. They pitched a shutout today, since Atlanta’s only points came off a safety. Not too shabby considering they were facing a team that can boast Turner, Julio Jones, Roddy White and Matt Ryan. Kudos to them for holding the fort while the offense was trying to find their rhythm.

-It’s nice to have two quality receivers, isn’t it? The Falcons focused on shutting down Victor Cruz, allowing Hakeem Nicks to run wild and get two touchdowns.

-Congratulations to Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin for their first home playoff victory! Remember, the Giants won four straight road games in their playoff/Super Bowl run in 2008 since they’d gotten into the postseason as a wild card team. It was also Manning’s first career playoff win outside of their Super Bowl winning season.

-Overall, it was another complete team victory for the Giants. Their play definitely got better as the game went on and once they were settled in, they dominated the Falcons. If they play like this, next week’s game against the Packers should be another close game.

• Bill Polian and Chris Polian were both fired in Indy. Caldwell is “safe” for now.
• Raheem Morris was fired by Tampa. He went 17-31 in three years.
• Steve Spagnuolo was canned by the Rams. He went 10-38 in three years.

From Tom Coughlin, to Eli Manning, to Justin Tuck, and the suddenly vocal Mathias Kiwanuka, the Giants appear to be ALL IN.  Even Lawrence Taylor chimed in this week, saying only the Giants were capable of beating the Giants in this contest Sunday Night at Giants Stadium against the Cowboys of Arlington.  The Giants will hand out towels to all fans Sunday that have the phrase ALL IN Printed on them, and it seems to reflect the mood around Giant camp this week.

No bold predictions, but a confidence that they know if they play together, play smart, they can accomplish anything.  They are at home playing for a division title, they are coming off a dominant defensive win, their first of the year, and they think they can continue with that effort.  Let’s take a look at some of the match-ups.

Giants D-Line vs. Dallas O-Line:  The Giants will have a full complement of defensive linemen to rotate into the game Sunday Night.  Osi is back, Tuck is healthy, and J.P.P. has gotten better every week.  The rotation of healthy pass rushers and run stoppers is phenomenal.  Chris Canty, Rocky Benard, Linval Joseph and Dave Tollefson will all contribute.  The Cowboy offensive line is perhaps the weakest part of their team.  Costa at center has been injured, and is inconsistent at best.  Not just his blocking, but snapping the ball in shotgun formation is always an adventure.  Tony Romo, with his bruised hand, figures to be in shotgun a lot Sunday, so look for this to be factor at some point.  Montrae Holland, the starting left guard, was placed on IR last week ending his season.  J.P.P. lines up against Doug Free, who he beat repeatedly last time they met, and now next to him is either Daniel Loper or  rookie Kevin Kowalski.  Kosier and Smith are pretty good on the right side, but Justin Tuck missed most of the previous Dallas game, and he will be back in force to challenge this side of the line.  The Giants should have no problem getting pressure on Tony Romo Sunday night.

Dallas running game vs. Giants D:  The Giants have struggled against the run all year.  Except for the odd play calling last week, the Giants really haven’t stopped anyone from running against them this season.  The Cowboys however are down to one healthy running back in Sammy Morris, and one that is listed as questionable in Felix Jones.  If the Giants can just limit the running game it will go a long way towards defeating the Cowboys.  Not having to drop the safeties down, or worry about the corners giving too much run support will help this defense perform better as a whole.

Both Passing Offenses vs Pass Defenses:  The last few times these teams have met they have scored plenty of points.  The passing games of both these teams can be lethal.  The pure speed of Miles Austin going one-on-one against Aaron Ross.  The height and strength of both Hakeem Nicks of the Giants and Dez Bryant of the Cowboys can be unstoppable.  The playmaking ability of Victor Cruz and Laurent Robinson can be devastating.  If these two quarterbacks get time, they WILL complete passes, and for big plays.

Giants running attack vs Dallas D:  The Giants running attack awoke three weeks ago in Dallas.  Brandon Jacobs always seems to run hard against Dallas.  I think he likes running over their undersized safeties and little corners.  Ahmad Bradshaw is fresh and running fierce.  D. J Ware has found a role as a pass catcher, a very good blocker, and two point specialist, and Henry Hynoski is healthy and opening holes.  If the Giants can have a balanced attack, and run the ball for a nice average, Eli will have a big day.

The weather seems like it will be a non-factor, of course the wind current will play games at times, but should only affect the kicking game.  Turnovers, Penalties, and Special Teams will be all important in this one as always.  Sunday Night at Home for all the marbles, and a chance to get into the playoffs and maybe make a nice run.  ALL IN!

I went back and looked at my opening remarks when the schedule came out this summer.  Here’s what I had to say:

The 2011 New York Football Giants schedule was released yesterday and it promises more of the same for Giants fans.  A predicted fast start,(THEY OPENED 6-2) a balanced home and away schedule, and then the opportunity to make or break their season in the last 7 weeks.  Knowing Tom Coughlin, it is the exact challenge he wants for his players. He and the coaching staff are going to concentrate on one message this year…FINISHING….finishing the 4th quarter and finishing the season.  The Giants, as we now know have been one of the best 4th quarter teams, and Eli the best 4th quarter Qb in football.

It is tough for fans to have such an off balanced schedule for one simple reason.  When your team opens up 6-1, you have great expectations of a fabulous season, when realistically you can look for them to finish either 4-5, or 5-4 and still make the playoffs or win the division.  Of course all the “experts” will point to their downward spiral and lack of finishing ability heading into the post season, but that’s why you intelligent fans read blogs like this. Look for the same fight to 10 or 11 wins….and look for the theme of FINISHING to be prominent around Giants camp all year.

Well, here we are. Fighting to 9 wins. Fighting for the Division Title. Fighting to Finish Strong.  The message that was put forth in training camp and all season long should propel this team to the playoffs, if they can summon another good effort and FINISH.

SI.com ranks the Giants at number 11, up 7 spots from last week. Where else do they fall as the last week of the regular season begins?

(more…)