There are times when a team simply clicks at the right time, for the New York Giants that right time was Sunday at Texas Stadium. To appreciate the magnitude of what the Giants accomplished on Sunday afternoon all you need to is take a look at the historic significance of their win. The win over the rival Cowboys marked the first time any team has ever won nine consecutive road games in a season and playoff, they are also the first team to ever knock the number one seed in the NFC out of the playoffs before the Championship round since the new playoff format has been put into effect, and perhaps the most fulfilling accomplishment– they defeated the Cowboys in the teams’ first playoff encounter ever.

But what came as a shock to many was something the Giants players knew was real possibility. “No one picked us, no one expected us to hold a team that has scored about 80 points on us this season to 17 tonight,” said Antonio Pierce about the emotion of the win. “So we are heading to Green Bay, which no one picked as well. I couldn’t think of anything better.”

Undoubtedly this is a team that has truly evolved through out the season, starting out unsure and unconfident of their abilities to a team that understands their game plan and has learned play as a unit. Both units have truly begun to blossom into their true potential, the defense dominating stretches of games, while the offense has begun to put the points on the board to take some pressure off of their teammates.

Off the field, within the Giants locker room, a kind of support system has begun to develop – veterans providing the guidance and wisdom that has allowed as many as seven rookies to make huge impacts at times. In turn those rookies have begun coming through with plays to keep a chance at Super Bowl glory alive for players on their way out. “This group of men has come together as a team and fought their way through pretty much anything that has been thrown their way,” said Coach Coughlin after the game.

Unlike the past two meetings, the Giants jumped out to a quick lead when Amani Toomer broke multiple tackles en-route to a 52 yard touchdown pitch and catch. “Coming in here going against that defense, it just gave us a nice lift to have that kind of play to put us in the end zone,” reflected Coughlin.

As has become customary, the defense was slow to get started and Marion Barber III took advantage. Barber went for over 100 yards in the first half, leading his team down the field twice for two touchdowns – one of which came on a prolonged 20 play, 10 and a half minute drive that would eat up the majority of the second quarter.

With halftime just 50 seconds away, the Giants got the ball back and made a game changing drive down field on the arm of Eli Manning. Steve Smith ended up being targeted twice by Manning, picking up 48 of the team’s yards. In the end it was the crafty veteran, Toomer, who punched the ball in after making the catch just short of the end zone.

The second half was dominated by a Giant defense that began to slowly get more pressure on Tony Romo, forcing the young quarterback to rush some throws and miss wide open receivers. The Cowboys would manage another long drive, this time just over eight minutes that would culminate in a field goal when penalties stalled the drive. The Giants would respond though, unlikely hero RW McQuarters ran a punt to the Cowboy 35 yard line creating an easy chance that to put seven on the board that Manning would take advantage of. It would take only six plays for the offense to punch one in, giving the Giants an unlikely 21-17 lead as the fourth quarter began.

The Cowboys would not go down without a fight though; they would march into the Giants territory twice. Their first trip would be short circuited by shoddy pass blocking and poor decision making from Tony Romo. After the Giants were unable to pick up a first down, the Cowboys took over again. With just over 20 seconds left, the Cowboys took two shots at the end zone – the first one just out of the reach of Patrick Crayton, the second intercepted by McQuarters as Romo tried to stuff a ball into double coverage. One knee and nine seconds later, the Giants were on their way to Green Bay for a chance at their tenth straight road win and a Super Bowl appearance.

Game Review

Offense
Eli Manning will be the focal point of the media again this week, but for the right reasons. The youngest Manning had a modest game by statistical terms – going 12 of 18 for 163 yard and two touchdowns. But once again Eli was able to keep the ball safe, avoiding turnovers and allowing his playmakers to put points on the board. The most impressive aspect of Eli’s performance was once again his leadership, keeping his team focused and driving them down field on a very important last minute drive in the second half. Next week poses a huge threat, playing a team not only with a talented secondary but in weather conditions that will not be conducive to passing.

The running game had a hard time late in the game, when the team needed to pick up a first down to seal the game. Brandon Jacobs ran hard and picked up tough yards, but ended up having a hard time absorbing punishment from a front seven that was ready to hit him. Ahmad Bradshaw was very effective when given the chance; unfortunately he only was afforded six touches. Bradshaw was arguable the better back on the evening, but in treacherous conditions he will likely be behind Jacobs again who gives the team a better pass blocker and will wear down the defense.

The receiving corps had a very solid game, making key catches and minimizing drops. Amani Toomer was the feel good story of the game, heading into what may have been his last game as a Giant he came through big time. Toomer was Manning’s favorite target and really took advantage of the Cowboy’s sketchy coverage skills. Steve Smith had a very impressive game and looks like he could be a regular as the team’s third receiver. Smith make some key catches on the team’s touchdown drives and was smart enough to get out of bounds and stop the clock on their last drive of the first half. Kevin Boss came through with a big catch to bring the team to the goal line on the same drive, while Plaxico Burress couldn’t quite get things started, making only one catch for five yards.

The offensive line did a great job in pass blocking, holding the Cowboys to three sacks, a couple of which were coverage sacks. David Diehl did a great job containing the enigmatic DeMarcus Ware, holding him to only one sack. In terms of run blocking, the Giants struggled to get a push at times, though they seemed to be better when a smaller and shiftier back came in and took advantage of some of the holes in the offensive line.

Defense
Despite a slow start, the defensive line came on as the game progressed. When the fourth quarter came along, they had done a great job of wearing down an offensive line that was already nicked up. While they ended up with only two sacks, they put Romo on the ground ten times and left him a little gun shy. Marion Barber did take advantage of their over pursuit early, but the Giants held him to 20 yards in the second half. Michael Strahan was once again the most consistent performer, picking up seven tackles and nearly getting Romo plenty of times. Osi Umenyiora also put big time pressure on Romo and left gun shy.

The linebackers had a hard time tackling early, but along with the defensive line they got pressure as the game progressed. The return of Kawika Mitchell was impressive, stoning Barber a couple of times but bringing some much needed pressure from the linebacker position. Antonio Pierce had his moments, sniffing out some plays but struggling to wrap up Barber at others. The Giants also had a hard time keep Jason Whitten in check, as the tight end made some key plays late.

The secondary was already hurt, but when Aaron Ross went down late with a shoulder injury they had potential to become a huge liability but really stepped forward. Corey Webster was glued to Owens in the second half, doing a nice job keeping him in check. Webster should have had another interception, dropping a pass that Romo threw into his bread basket. McQuarters was the player that ended up coming through, particularly on the last drive when he not only intercepted a pass but broke up a few as well. The safeties had trouble at times, but did a nice job covering deep and keeping the big play in check.

Special Teams
The return game was key on Sunday, and in truth they were the deciding factor in the win. RW McQuarters set up the deciding touchdown drive with a 15 yard return to the 35 yard line while Domenik Hixon put together a nice return that the Giants couldn’t capitalize on. Jeff Feagles was also very important in winning the field position game, the punter pinned the Cowboys in their own 20 yard line twice.

The Verdict
The Giants played a game that will go down in their history as one of the team’s most important wins. Resilience was the key word, as they bounced back from a couple of long drives from the Cowboys to put points on the board. But they must leave the emotions in Dallas and focus on a Packer team that is very dangerous and has great leadership.

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