With Seven Games Left, Are You Optimistic Or Pessimistic?

Admit it, New York Giants fans. There is a little bit of a nervous feeling in the pit of your stomach today. Let's be honest, it is probably justified.

If you watched, or tried to watch what Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles did to the Washington Redskins Monday night it had to make you a little nervous. I mean, 59 points? And it could have been more. Six touchdowns for Vick (four passing, two running)? A total of 592 yards on offense? If you are like me, you turned the game off about five minutes after you sat down and turned it on. I didn't want to watch that, or think about it all week.

Forgetting the Eagles for a little while, there are plenty of things swirling around the Giants to make you uncomfortable.

There is that miserable 33-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, in which the offense was mistake-prone and the defense seemed helpless.

There is the fact that the Giants are beaten up on offense. Who is going to catch the ball when Eli Manning throws it? Quick suggestion -- get down to your local high school and run some pass routes, the Giants might be calling you. There is the makeshift offensive line, and pretty much no one left if anybody else gets hurt.

There is the memory of last season's collapse, from 5-0 to 8-8 and out of the playoffs. Also, the fact that the second halves of seasons have historically been worse than first halves for the Giants during Tom Coughlin's coaching tenure.

So, there is good reason for that nervous feeling. Those butterflies dancing in your stomach when you try to figure out what will happen the rest of the season are understandable. These are the Giants we are talking about, after all.

I don't bring any of that up to be a doomsayer. I bring all of that up this afternoon as a very long-winded way of asking a question. Are you an optimistic Giants fan, or a pessimistic one? Here are a series of what I will call comparisons. See which side of the fence you are on, and be honest with yourself.

If you look at the Giants' 6-3 record and say, hey, we're tied for first place in the NFC East after nine games, we have had a lot of impressive victories and we are in a much better position at this point in the season than many people thought we would be in, you are an optimist. If you look at that record and say, I can't believe we lost to Dallas, we haven't beaten any really top-notch teams and here comes another second-half collapse you are a pessimist.

If you look at Eli Manning and see a top-tier quarterback in the prime of his career playing better than he ever has, a guy his team believes in who gives the Giants a chance to win -- ahead or behind -- every Sunday, you are an optimist. If you can't look past the occasional 'Eli face,' can't get beyond the belief that he isn't a leader and can't see that every quarterback in the NFL occasionally makes throws he wishes he could have back, you are a pessimist.

If you look at what Vick and the Eagles did to Washington Monday night and think, OK, that is their best shot, there is no way they can be that perfect again, and the Giants pass rush can get to Vick, anyway, you are an optimist. If you look at that game and think, no way the Giants can compete, game over, give Philly the Lombardi Trophy right now, you are a pessimist.

If you look at the Eagles and say, we can handle DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin because our secondary is much, much better than it was last season you are an optimist. If you look at the game and say our only shot would be to smash Jackson in the head on the first play, you would be a pessimist.

I could probably go on with these, but I think you get the point. Are you optimistic, or pessimistic, about the next seven games?