I don't know what it is, but Tom Brady and the New England Patriots seem to bring out the best in the New York Giants. Giants fans know the history of the last four meetings, including two Super Bowl victories. Week 9 of the 2011 NFL regular season was another classic -- and another Giants victory.
The 24-20 victory in Foxboro over the Patriots set off a wild locker room celebration that is always worth going back and looking at again. Remember Tom Coughlin's words -- "You're nine-point underdogs and there's no way you can win."
If we have learned anything about the Giants over the years, this group -- the Coughlin-Eli Manning-Justin Tuck Giants -- plays its best when no one believes in them. Or, at least when they think no one outside the locker room believes in them.
The Giants won the game in what, for them, had become typical fashion. A fourth-quarter comeback that concluded with Eli Manning throwing a one-yard touchdown pass to Jake Ballard with 15 seconds left to secure the victory.
The loss was the first at home for Brady in 31 starts, and the first in 20 games overall for New England.
The Giants were 6-2 at this point, halfway through their 2011 schedule. As we know now, the season was only just beginning to get interesting.