Blessings in Disguise

Another awesome game that goes into the pantheon of great wins by Big Blue!  This one has to go in my top 10 of favortite Giant games of all time.  I don't know - there are probably about 20 games in my top 10, to tell the truth!

But this could have turned out very differently.  I'm thinking specifically about the missed FG from Tynes earlier in the game.  Think about this scenario had Tynes made that FG:  instead of being down 31-30, Giants are instead ahead 33-31 after the Cowboys' last TD.  The Giants go into their fetal position offense, running the ball 3 times into the middle for no gain, just to entice the opponent to use up their time outs.   This is what they usually do under Coughlin, isn't it?  So the Cowboys would have been the ones with the ball, with maybe no time outs but plenty of time on the clock to race down into FG position themselves.

Meanwhile, think about Tynes' psychology.  None of us really trust the guy - that's not a big revelation.  But remember how he redeemed himself in Green Bay?  This was a similar situation.  Had he been perfect on the day, that's when disaster seems to strike for him.  Making up for a mistake is when he's at his best.  So despite my grouching to my poor wife about Tynes' miss for most of the 2nd half, the stars lined up perfectly for the G-men.  Eli is at his best in that situation, and Tynes is too.  You couldn't have written it up any better in advance.

On the other side of the coin, I think back to last year.  It's all said and done now, so this is not meant to relive it.  But just think - what if Carolina had made that FG at the end of regulation against us last year?  Of course, I rooted for them to miss it, and they did, giving us the chance to secure the top seed.  But look what happened:  Eli was not at his best against either the Eagles or the Giants Stadium conditions. 

Had Carolina made that FG, the whole playoff picture would have been different.  The Cardinals would have come to see us in that game.  The Eagles would have gone to Carolina.  Now had the Eagles beaten Carolina, then they would have come into our house again (assuming we would have beaten the Cardinals, which I think is a good assumption), and maybe the same thing would have happened.  But maybe our attitude would have been different with a Super Bowl repeat on the line.  Or maybe the Panthers would have beaten the Eagles and then we would have gone into the nicer weather in Carolina, and then...

Anyway - I guess my point is, you just never know.  Being a fan means just being at the mercy of all the unpredictable elements of the entire world.  Last night, when things were going badly for us, when the Cowboys took the lead and were driving down the field again, my wife asked me, "What should we do?"  I just had to laugh.  I don't know - what CAN we do?  Nothing, just hope for the best, right?!