A year ago, things were very different

by Ed Valentine on Nov 25, 2008 7:51 AM EST in Kudos & Wet Willies

Most people look back at last season's final regular-season game, the 38-35 loss to New England, as the game that started the New York Giants on the dominant run they are still enjoying.

Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News has a different take. He points to exactly one year ago today, a brutal 41-17 loss at home to Minnesota, as the low point from which the Giants have risen.

Here is some of what Bondy wrote:

When the Tennessee Titans lost on Sunday, that pretty much made official what everybody was saying anyway: The Giants are the best team in the NFL - and for now that includes the Jets.

You never know with football, and there is a game left on Dec. 28 in Minnesota. But it doesn't appear likely the Giants have a stinker in them anymore like the one they played last November against the Vikings.

Too much has changed, starting with Manning. Since that debacle, the Giants have gone 17-3, including the playoffs. They've won a Super Bowl and are plus-nine this season on turnovers. Manning has thrown a total of only seven interceptions in 11 games.

"Fundamentals. It's emphasis," Coughlin was saying Monday, about how his team has become a different club entirely, a dependable possession side. "We have a great scheme ... The quarterback is so conscious of that No. 2 stat, turnovers, he does a great job mentally. We never let up on it. It's the first thing I talk about on Monday."

I went back and looked at what I wrote about that debacle a year ago. Here is part of what I wrote in my 'Kudos & Wet Willies' review.

Bluntly, if you're a New York Giants fan it is time to begin worrying. Yes, the Giants are still 7-4 and figure to find a way to stagger into the playoffs.

With last year's second-half collapse still fresh, however, you can't like what you are seeing. The Giants have lost two of three, and particularly on offense have played four bad football games in a row.

Here was my assessment of Eli Manning following that game, which saw him throw four interceptions. Three of those, if you recall, were returned for touchdowns.

Amateurish. Awful. Putrid. Terrible. Pick your adjective, anything negative fits what Manning did Sunday. Perhaps the best one is disturbing. How is it possible for a guy in his fourth year, who has started as long as Eli has, and played basically with the same receivers, to look so clueless. Errant throws and miscommunications were the rule Sunday. Eli looked like a rookie starting for the first time, and that truly is disturbing. The booing he received was well deserved.

It sure is amazing what has happened to the Giants in the last 365 days. What a great time to be a New York Giants' fan.

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Anyone

ever remember a particular player who had been vilified and rejoiced as polarizing as Eli. From 4 INT’s 3 for TD’s to SBXLII MVP. It’s amazing and truly makes what has occurred before our eyes that much more special. Eli could’ve packed it in that day and never recovered. He did recover, showing mental fortitude even though he plays in the most scrutinizing market. For Christ’s sake the NY area alone has TWO 24 hour ALL sports talk radio stations. That type of pressure has made many former #1’s crumble. Naturally were all singing a much different tune if we don’t have that magical playoff run.

But since we did and now since we have a team playing very good football we can all look back and cringe, but that game is long gone. I’m going to post some excerpts from the Eli Manning book by Ralph V. later on, it had some good clips on that game. Including Ernie Accorssi leaving the game by halftime b/c he couldn’t watch his QB get undressed like that.

by ProudYankee on Nov 25, 2008 8:03 AM EST reply actions

TO

Although in his case, the fans love him until his act outweighs his production and he gets run out of town.

by TerraByte on Nov 25, 2008 1:14 PM EST up reply actions

what else is there other then WFAN

I’ve been gone for a while, but I can pick up the fan at nights in DC, what’s the other station?

by queler on Nov 25, 2008 2:44 PM EST up reply actions

ESPN Radio

1050 AM I believe.

by cjmulrain on Nov 25, 2008 2:54 PM EST up reply actions

Here is what scares the crap out of me

This year, we are the Patriots:

No one can stop their offense, their defense is very strong, they truly appear to be in a class by themselves. Everyone is asking “Who is going to beat them?”

Last year the same things were being said about the Patriots. Coach is going to have to browbeat this team on that, and hope that the Giants learned the lesson they taught the Patriots in Feburary.

Giants fan from the womb to the tomb

NY Ranger fans talk all things Blueshirts at
http://broadwayblueview.blogspot.com/

by Jim Schmiedeberg on Nov 25, 2008 8:43 AM EST reply actions

One glaring difference

The Patriots did it all with the passing game. We primarily do it with the rushing game.

Rushing is normally a more stable and relible offensive scheme. And if they do limit that we have a passing game, unlike the Pats who never had a clear rushing attack.

by Woogie526 on Nov 25, 2008 9:01 AM EST up reply actions

for every 2007 Patriots

there is an ’85 Bears, or ’89 49ers, or ’98 Broncos, or even the ’04 Pats. Teams that were clearly the best team in football and that finished off the job and won it all. Last years Pats are fresh in our mind, but sometimes the best team really does win. As long as the Giants keep playing their game through the playoffs, they should put themselves in position to do just that.

Also, one big difference aside from the one Woogie mentioned, which is a big one: the Pats were striving for perfection. The Giants are just striving for a Super Bowl: they’ve already gotten a loss out of their system, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see one more before the playoffs. They will be able to play a little looser than the Pats last year.

by cjmulrain on Nov 25, 2008 9:29 AM EST up reply actions

The best team

which the Giants clearly are at this point, does not always win the whole thing. We will just have to see how this plays out. It’s just really nice to be in this position in the first place.

by Ed Valentine on Nov 25, 2008 10:24 AM EST up reply actions

And another thing...

The Giants have a DOMINANT defense. Seriously. They crush it and pound the other team into submission. Last year’s Patriots team simply didn’t have that.

by Cody K on Nov 25, 2008 12:12 PM EST up reply actions

Don't forget...

The 86 Giants!

by giant fan since 57 on Nov 25, 2008 2:44 PM EST up reply actions

I agree

it scares me too.
but I think the differences is that not only the patriots were playing for perfection but they become arrogant. and the GMen are nothing like that. I think they know better than anybody that the best team could loose. (they beat that team) so I think they are more focused.
And finally we don’t score as many points as the 07 pats, but we do have a lot of weapons on offense and defense. that is the diference

by Bajaserge on Nov 25, 2008 1:41 PM EST up reply actions

I'd like to point out to Bondy

that the Giants DO have a stinker in them because they already had one this year. Maybe not on the level of that Vikings game, but for a team playing as well as they are it was a huge stinker.

I think this is why we don’t have to worry about the Giants getting to wrapped up in their press clippings. They did that already & got thrashed & since then they have check their egos at the door.

by potroast on Nov 25, 2008 9:28 AM EST reply actions

I would like

to also believe the difference between this Giants team and last year’s Pats, is that we have a good portion of the team who won it all last yr. knows what it takes to win it all, and have the distinct ability to say we were in this situation last yr. Last yrs Pats, although they had the all-world QB/ Head coach who have won several rings, the majority of their team wasn’t there when they reached and won when they got to the Promise Land. Am I wrong? Was their roster filled with guys from 04? I can say Brady, most of the line, Asante, and who else? We got a good 80% of the guys who won it all last year. They know what it takes. Everyone will prob disagree with me, but the experience can only help.

by ProudYankee on Nov 25, 2008 1:21 PM EST reply actions

Good point, as is

Bajaserge’s. You have to give some credit to TC, too. His leadership transmits his attitude to the team. Wearing suits to cross the street to the game is an example.

by george cronin on Nov 25, 2008 2:45 PM EST reply actions

Another of Tom's rules

Putting on your suit to cross the street at first thought might seem a bit much but, the mindset of consistant preparation is the value in it. This was certainly a team full of malcontents running anonymously and “Blabbing” to the media to air out all concerns at the beginning of Coughlins tenure. We’ve pretty much gotten rid of that bad taste and now have the luxury as fans to nit pick the most minor infractions commited by a few.

We're only gonna score 17 points?

by big blue wrecking crew on Nov 25, 2008 3:16 PM EST up reply actions