Positives to take away from the Saints game.

I know it might not seem like it right now, but there were some things I took as positives from this game. It was obvious from the beginning that in this game, everything that could possibly go right for the Saints would, and the Giants were gonna have to scratch and crawl for every inch. With the momentum garnered from this game. I think the Saints will be regular season champions, and you know what? I'm just fine with that. We don't play well with that moniker anyway.

1. It's week frickin' 6.

As far as week six games in the NFL go, this Giants v Saints game was indeed billed as a big one, but in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't even close. When I looked at the schedule at the start of the season, I said to myself "Wow. if we play solid Giants football we can get off to a 5-1 start." I said 5-1 because I honestly thought there was no way we'd beat Dallas in their house for the opening of Jerryworld.  But we did. I ask you now would you trade that win for a win against the Saints? I think not. If I asked you at the beginning of the year would you be happy with a 5-1 start with two divisional wins? You would say, "But of course." In other words, six weeks into the season, we're in really good shape, but I think most of us knew that already.

2. A crazy thought...byes help a  team.

One of the biggest things that we really did not put too much focus on is that the Giants are beat up, battered, tired, and have played four out of their last five games on the road. The Giants are definitely Road Warriors, they just happen to be human as well. I'd like to see how the Saints would fair if they just finished playing three out of four on the road and had to come into the Meadowlands to face a Giants team that had two weeks to prepare for them. I'd be willing to bet the Giants could make them look just as silly.

3. Hakeem Nicks

Steve Smith is becoming one of the best slot recievers in the game. Mario Manningham has already had one breakout game this season, and has proven to be a reliable target. But look at Hakeem Nicks...five receptions 114 yards and a touchdown. Garbage time or no garbage time, it's clear this kid can play. He's been a YAC machine, and even though it was too late for him to be a force in this game...it's still very early in the season, and it looks to me like he's going to be a big target that Eli can rely on for the long road ahead. One more headache for defensive coordinators to lose sleep over, Hakeem Nicks has been in the end zone every week he's been healthy, and there's no reason to believe he'll slow down. As the season progresses, so should his chemistry with Eli. And if Smith, Ham, and Nicks all continue to play at this level, this defense might not have to be so stellar...although a PASS RUSH WOULD BE NICE.

4. Brandon Jacobs.

I don't know if you guys were seeing the same thing I was, but based on the comments during the game, I think we can agree on one thing...we abadoned the run way to early. Isaw a Brandon Jacobs that was running like Brandon Jacobs. I know he only had seven attempts, but with the 4.7 yard average he gained on those attempts, I feel confident in saying that our boy is back. I kept thinking to myself that Jacobs has to be hungry for a big game, and this would have been it...had we stuck with the run. He hit the holes the way we're used to seeing him hit the holes, he moved piles back they way were used to seeing him move piles back, and given different circumstances, this more than likely would have been his breakout game. Next week the league's leading rushing defense comes to town, but I have a feeling Jacobs is going to have a big day. As long as we don't dig ourselves into a 14 point defecit before the end of the first quarter, I think Jacobs will feed off the home crowd and keep his momentum going forward, taking some Cardinals down on the way.

5. Madden

The most obvious positive to take away from this game is my pre-season Madden Simulation. Madden had the Giants losing to the Saints, after a 5-0 start, only to finish the season 12-4 (splitting with the Eagles and Redskins, sweeping the Cowboys, and losing to the Chargers.) gaining the second seed in the NFC and eventually a re-match with the Patriots in the Super Bowl (which I have yet to simulate). So far, so good, Madden. The Saints can take this one, but when they lose to the Cowboys in the Divisional round of the playoffs, we'll be laughing last.