NY Giants 24, New England Patriots 20
Daniels wanted to make money off this one… badly: The Giants money line for this game was +550. I wish I had a real bookie, because I wanted to bet it. One of two things will happen in the aftermath of this game — either the Giants will finally earn their way on to the national radar and they will start getting the respect they deserve as a team. Or, more likely, the storyline will go (again) about how the Giants stole one in New England and we’ll go from there. Eli answered a loaded question about ranking himself as an NFL quarterback… he answered that he was in the elite group. Arguably, he’s right. At this particular moment in the NFL, Eli Manning is not his brother, Brady, and maybe Aaron Rodgers. He belongs in the conversation with everyone else. Yes, that includes Drew Brees, too.
Rhett Davis, without rooting interest, is more objective: A rematch from the SuperBowl a few years back, the end result was very similar. The Giants continue to look strong and have a steady lead in their division. The Patriots would take the lead late in the game leaving hardly any time for the Giants, but Eli wouldn’t die. They drove down quick and scored with a touchdown to win the game. Despite the loss, Tom Brady still had a big day throwing for over 340 yards and having 2 TDs.
My Take: It’s time to admit this Patriots team is far more flawed than they seem. In the NFC, I’d like the Packers, Bears, Lions, Giants, Falcons, Saints, and maybe even the 49ers over them. In the AFC, though, everyone seems to have equally fatal flaws but the Ravens. If someone else knocks off the Ravens, we still might see Brady (lose) in the Super Bowl. If not, though, this teams lack of secondary is absolutely a disgrace. The Giants played well, not amazingly, but well, as this team has proven time and again, they’re better when no one believes in them. With a tough schedule coming up, everyone refuses to get on their bandwagon and expects a second half fade. Under a disciplinarian like Coughlin they need to feel that hate from outside and have a bigger enemy than their coach. I fully expect the Giants to finish strong, just in time for everyone to believe in them during the playoffs, and that to lead to them being upset by a lesser team. Eli, however, has been excellent. He can go in the Phil Rivers group, right below the 4 that Daniels mentioned.
