With the Giants bye week in the rear view mirror; time to get to work

The Giants returned to practice Wednesday preparing for the final seven games of the season, looking for a stretch run that will give them a playoff berth and quite possibly a second trip to the Super Bowl in three seasons. When the season started, the Giants were heavily favored to not just win the NFC East, but were expected to hold the crown of the entire NFC. It was thought that the Giants were on a run for a Super Bowl repeat last season, until Pro-Bowler Plaxico Burress’ shooting accident sent the team (and his Burress’ career) wildly off course. This was the season when Elie and the gang righted the ship and brought the NFC powerhouse back to the Super Bowl.

After opening the season 5-0 that prediction was coming true. The emergence of Steve Smith, Mario Manningham and Sinorice Moss as all pro receivers quieted any concerns over the Giants receiving core. The loss of Plaxico had been nullified. The defense was back to 100% with the return of DE Osi Umenyiora. Even the tag team of Jacobs-Bradshaw was delivering, not withstanding the loss Derrick Ward which completed the Earth Wind & Fire committee. A playoff spot and a championship season was becoming a foregone conclusion.

That’s when the Giants faced Drew Brees and his New Orleans Saints; and the season would never be the same again. Following two blowout losses to the Eagles and Saints, and two nail-biting losses to the Cardinals and Chargers the Giants sit at 5-4, tied for second place in the NFC East. The same division they once stood on top of at 5-0 back on October 11th.

The Giants are still in the thick of things in the NFC East, and were handed a break this past weekend. While the Giants had a chance to rest and get healthy, both divisional rivals Eagles and Cowboys put up losses to close the gap in the division. So the Giants now face a dog-fight over the next 7 weeks to earn a berth for the playoffs. Would the team rather coast into the playoffs with a 13-3 record, of course. Now the Giants are facing a 9-7, or 10-6 season without a first round bye. This is the trench the Giants had dug for themselves, now they need to find a way out of it.

This final stretch will test the 2009 NY Giants, and their field General Elie Manning. Manning just signed the richest contract in team history before the season started, a six-year extension worth $97.5 million. This is the time, these seven games over the next seven weeks. Manning will have a chance to earn that money.