GMEN HQ – Rankings Review (Week 12)

Not this year. Forget the second half lull the New York Giants typically fall into, because it isn’t going to happen. Most people thought Cincinnati was the beginning of it, I say it was hiccup, on the road, against a team who hasn’t been playing too badly the last couple weeks.

The Giants haven’t typically had such a late bye week as they did this year and it showed. The team looked tire (not just Eli’s arm). They looked like a defending champion who just expected to win, merely by showing up. I’m not want to really put much belief in moral victories or defeats, but one has to wonder, was that loss something the Giants could build on? It gave them two weeks to stew about it. Oh and in the meantime, the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys continue squandering their respective seasons.

The entire Giant fan-base was very curious as to how the team would come out and perform against a red-hot Green Bay team. The Giants answered, in a very loud and clear way, stomping out the Packers 38-10, in a game that seemed even more one sided than the score indicates. They looked crisp on all levels, the defensive line harassed Aaron Rodgers all night. Randall Cobb, arguably the leagues hottest receiver, was held in check the entire night and Eli and company had their way all night.

Unfortunately there was some bad news to come out of the Sunday night win. Running back Andrew Brown broke his Fibula and the Giants were forced to put him on injured reserve. However they took advantage of the new IR system where the player has the ability to return. With the new rules, Brown wouldn’t be eligible to practice for six weeks and couldn’t play until eight weeks on the list. Not to look ahead but that would slate him a return for a pretty big game that goes on in February…

Before we pencil the Giants into the Super Bowl, lets take a look at where the “experts” penciled them into the power rankings.

ESPN 8(9)

"When they flip that switch, the Giants look like the best team in the league. How do they decide when to flip it? (Graziano)"

What the Giants really need to do is find that switch, turn it on and smash it. It’s hard not to see that they do have a mentality, and history, of “flipping the switch”. However, that can’t be done all the time, sometimes that switch doesn’t turn on. They need to play consistent great football. That’s how you train yourself to go out every Sunday with the same intensity and focus. That’s what helps you avoid the letdown games like the Giants had against the Bengals. If the Giants have a prayer of returning the Super Bowl, they better hope that switch got turned on, permanently during their bye week.

Fox Sports 8(14)

"Welcome back, Giants! Tom Coughlin and his players must have been sick and tired of hearing all the talk about how they stink in the month of November. (Billick)"

Look the analysts and fans call it like they see it and traditionally under Coughlin the Giants really have been terrible in the second half of the REGULAR season. It’s been as consistent as the sun coming up every morning. So naturally the Giants can’t get upset with anyone. They reacted just how they needed to, in order to shut up critics, it’s simple, win. I’m sure they are tired of hearing of the vaunted “second-half swoon” however, they need to prove its not true, and what better way then to beat division rival, when they go to Washington next Monday Night to play the Redskins, who may be the leagues new hottest team now that the Packers have lost.

CBS Sports 8(11)

"The bye did this team a ton of good. That was dominant against the Packers. They looked like the Super Giants. Now they have a big road test with the Redskins. (Priscoe)"

See Above….

One has to hope that the Giants aren’t overlooking this game next Monday night against Washington. It’s hard to believe they would after how much trouble Robert Griffin III gave them when they played earlier in the year at MetLife Stadium. Both Washington and Dallas are on the heels of the Giants, one going up and the other going down. With entire NFC East going head to head this week, its conceivable that the Redskins and Cowboys could only be a game off the division lead after Monday Night.

Its up to the Giants to prove their over their second-half season woes and put a clamp on the NFC East.

Check back next week for the Rankings Review.