After a 4-0 start, the Giants are finally being viewed by the country as the NFL’s top team. Not the Cowboys, not the Redskins, not the Patriots, not the Colts, not the Steelers. The New York Football Giants are ranked the top team in the league and can anyone remember the last time they were thought of this way (aside from after the Super Bowl)?
Out of the four wins so far, the Giants have outscored their opponents 127-49 , for a net difference of 78 points, tops in the league. The team is deep at all positions and has had convincing wins in three of four games (the Washington win, while only 16-7 was very convincing for those who watched the game).
It seems as though the recent blowout of the Seahawks is what has the nation believing in Big Blue and comparing their play to that of the 2007 New England Patriots. Even though the Patriots season did not turn out the way they had hoped, it is a compliment for the Giants to be compared to them. The Patriots ran through their schedule with ease and there were only two maybe three times where their perfect regular season was nearly ruined. I am not about to say that the Giants are going to run the table in 2008 and anyone who knows the New York Giants and the history of their organization would say the same thing, but I have a hard time believing the Giants will win any less than 12 games this year.
There was a lot to learn from the demolition of Seattle this past Sunday. The Seahawks are certainly on a downfall with older players, lots of injuries, and a coach who already said that this would be his last season in the great northwest. Last week I wrote how you can trace the recent rise of the Giants and the fall of the Seahawks to their game in 2006 and I think it has never been more true. While one team was at the top of the class in the NFC West and the NFC in general, the other was a middle of the line East team with a somewhat of a chance at making the playoffs. Now the Seahawks would be happy if they could some way, somehow land a wild card berth and the Giants would be happy if only they won the Super Bowl.
With their next two games against Cleveland and San Francisco there is a very good chance the Giants will be look at 6-0 heading into a three week span where they face Pittsburgh then Dallas then Philadelphia. And as much as I would not like to put Pittsburgh in with Dallas and Philly, they are 4-1, but I don’ t think they can handle the G-Men.
But I am not concerned with the Giants going 16-0, or demolishing every team, or breaking any single season records for TD passes or TD catches. I am concerned with one thing and one thing only, winning the division and winning the Super Bowl.
Some teams are happy with making the playoffs. Some teams are happy with winning their division. Some teams are happy with winning a playoff game. Some teams are happy with making it to the Super Bowl. Only a few are happy if they win the Super Bowl and only if they win the Super Bowl and the Giants are on of those teams.
You take a look at the Giants improbable run to make the playoffs, win three road postseason games, and then beat the undefeated Patriots in the Super Bowl, and you think that what happened was not only improbable, but nearly impossible and events like that only happen in Disney movies and fairy tales.
But that was 2007 and this is 2008. And the key to being successful in January and for one day in February in 2008 is winning the NFC East. I am not going to say the Giants need to win the division to win the Super Bowl because look at what they did last year when they were a wild card team, but winning the division makes it a whole lot easier. Not only do you get that one week off for a second bye week in the season, but you also need one less win to make it to the Big Dance.
Usually teams need a 9-7 record to make it to the postseason. Sometimes they only need an 8-8 record and on rare occasions they need 10 wins. So while the Giants are 4-0, they trail that magic number to make it to the playoffs by six wins and there are plenty of opportunities in the remaining 12 games to pick up six Ws. But it isn’t about getting into the postseason. It’s about getting into the postseason with a bye in the first round. And the way to do that is to win the division.
The Giants are good enough for 12+ wins this season, easily. They might even be good enough for 13 and possibly 14. 15-16 and is such a rare feat that it isn’t even worth talking about. But if the Giants can knock off 12 Ws and maybe one or two more, then they will have achieved their first goal: winning the division.