The Philadelphia Eagles may still have hopes to win the NFC East, but they still need things to go absolutely perfect to win the division. Yet Eagles fans like myself can take solace in how the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants aren’t blowing everyone out of the water. In fact, if one looks at the last few weeks, the strongest teams in the NFC East lately have been the third-place Birds and last-place Washington Redskins.

Philadelphia only just got on track by winning two straight while Washington is still 5-9 after having a six-game losing streak earlier this year. But the Eagles and Redskins have shown more impressive stuff in recent weeks than the two teams closely fighting for first in the East.

The Giants, of course, have been decidedly unimpressive in losing five of their last six games. Meanwhile, the Cowboys at least showed some signs of being impressive by throttling the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Dec. 17 to retake first place. However, that didn’t excuse how Dallas blew its previous two games at the last second and has been extremely inconsistent every December.

As for Philadelphia, it has suddenly become the scariest team in the NFC East although it is still a long shot to get out of it. It would take wins over the Cowboys and Redskins, a Giants loss to the New York Jets on Dec. 24 and a Cowboys loss to the Giants on Jan. 1 to win the division on an 8-8 tiebreaker. Yet that doesn’t seem out of the question, due to both the Eagles’ improvement and mainly to the Cowboys and Giants’ inconsistency and occasional incompetence.

Washington has actually looked a lot better in losing its games lately than Dallas and New York has. The Redskins have come very close to beating the Cowboys, New York Jets and New England Patriots in recent weeks, have beaten the Seattle Seahawks before they got hot, and finally broke through by throttling the Giants on the road on Dec. 18. At 5-9, the Redskins have to kick themselves because they could have been right in this race with a few breaks, just like the Eagles could have been.

Philadelphia and Washington are finishing this season with more style than Dallas and New York are, if only by comparison. Of course, if the Eagles and Redskins showed this improvement in October and November, they would be the ones fighting for first place. Instead, the Cowboys and Giants are setting the low bar in the NFC East, even though they’ve been playing like the third and last place clubs in the division for a while now.

If or when either Dallas or New York takes the division by default, Washington and Philadelphia will have a whole offseason to wonder what could have been. The Eagles and Redskins have been the NFC East’s scariest teams in December – but being like that in October and November as well would have been much better.

Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident who has followed the Eagles since he was eight years old.

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Eagles, Jets matchup of big disappointments

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The New York Giants, who take a 7-6 record into Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium against the Washington Redskins, have won once since Nov. 6. In the glory days of the NFC East, that would have made them an afterthought entering the NFL season stretch run. This season, it makes them a division leader.

The NFC East once was the division of Super Bowl powerhouses. In a 14-year stretch between the 1982 and ’95 seasons, teams in the division won eight Super Bowl titles — three each by the Redskins and Dallas Cowboys and two by the Giants. NFC East clubs had four straight Super Bowl triumphs between the ’90 and ’93 seasons.

But such dominance is a rapidly fading memory. The Giants’ title in the 2007 season is the lone Super Bowl victory for an NFC East team in the past 15 years. That drought seems likely to continue this season, with the Giants and Cowboys tied for first place at a modest one game above .500 with three games left. The division’s two top contenders have obvious deficiencies.

“I think both of these teams have flaws in the secondary,” Charley Casserly, the former general manager of the Redskins and Houston Texans, said Tuesday. “So both of them are going to give up yards and they’re going to give up points.”

Only one other division in the NFL, the AFC West, has a leader with fewer than 10 victories. In that division, the Denver Broncos are in first place at 8-5. The NFC East’s teams have combined for 23 wins this season, fewer than the total for any other division except the AFC South, whose teams have 21 wins.

With the Giants and Cowboys scheduled to play each other again, the NFC East is not in jeopardy of sinking to the level of last season’s NFC West, which the Seattle Seahawks captured with a 7-9 record to become the NFL’s first playoff team with a losing record.

But it has reached the point that the disappointing Philadelphia Eagles (5-8) still could win the division.

Even so, Casserly said he’s not yet ready to declare this season a low point for the NFC East. The offensive capabilities of the Giants and Cowboys make each of them a threat, he said, to finish with a flourish.

“They’re both explosive offensively,” Casserly said. “The Giants came within one possession of beating Green Bay. I think Dallas could do the same thing. Whatever team gets in [the playoffs] will have a chance to beat someone. One of those teams could still be 10-6. No one would say anything about that. Let’s let the last three games play out and see how it goes.”

The division is not lacking in drama or football entertainment. Both were abundant Sunday night in Arlington, Tex., when the Giants erased a 12-point deficit in the game’s final six minutes and beat the Cowboys, 37-34.

The Cowboys had the division title all but wrapped up when they led, 34-22, after quarterback Tony Romo’s 50-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Dez Bryant. But it all unraveled from there. Giants quarterback Eli Manning led his team to two late touchdowns, with a two-point conversion on the second. And the Giants blocked a 49-yard field goal attempt by Cowboys rookie Dan Bailey with one second left.

By
Sportsmail Reporter

Last updated at 9:46 AM on 21st November 2011

The Philadelphia Eagles cut down division rivals the New York Giants 17-10 Sunday to leave the race for play-off places in the NFC East division wide open.

The Eagles, playing without starting quarterback Michael Vick who broke two ribs a week ago, played ferocious defence and back-up signal caller Vince Young directed an 80-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter for the upset victory.

The Giants fell to 6-4, leaving them tied with the Dallas Cowboys, who went to overtime to beat the Washington Redskins, at the top of the NFC East standings but with a tough schedule ahead.

Running man: Steve Smith leaves Mathias Kiwanuka behind to score a touchdown for Philadelphia

Philadelphia pulled off a role reversal with the Giants, who five times this season had overcome fourth-quarter deficits to win.

The Eagles, who squandered fourth-quarter leads five times this season, this time finished strong to improve to 4-6 and remain third in the division.

‘It’s happened to us so many times,’ Philadelphia coach Andy Reid told reporters about fourth-quarter failures.

‘We were able to flop one around this time.’

Giants coach Tom Coughlin had a different take, however.

‘It was as pathetic as it can get, it was a very poor performance,’ Coughlin said. ‘I’m really disappointed.’

‘I know our offensive line was completely outplayed by the front eight of Philadelphia.’

New York threatened to send the game to overtime when they reached Philadelphia’s 21-yard line with one minute and 25 seconds left on the clock after a 47-yard pass from Eli Manning to Victor Cruz.

Standing tall: Victor Cruz catches a 24-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning for the Giants

But defensive end Jason Babin then stripped the ball from Manning and it was recovered by Derek Landri to end the threat.

The Eagles led 10-3 at the break with help from two big plays from wide receiver DeSean Jackson, a 32-yard catch that led to a field goal, and a 51-yard punt return to set up a 14-yard touchdown pass from Young to former Giant Steve Smith.

Philadelphia carried that lead into the fourth quarter, when the offenses got into gear.

The Giants threatened another comeback by tying the game 10-10 in the last quarter on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Cruz, who did his signature samba dance in the end zone.

But Philadelphia took the ensuing kick-off and marched 80 yards, converting six third-down plays and using nearly nine minutes to retake the lead on Young’s eight-yard touchdown pass from Young to Riley Cooper.

Victory dance: DeSean Jackson (L) and Riley Cooper (R) celebrate after Cooper’s touchdown for the Eagles

Young has struggled with injuries himself this season and had thrown only one pass for the Eagles and that resulted in an interception.

The former Tennessee Titans quarterback, who joined Philadelphia before the season, showed his rust as he was intercepted three times. But Young got better as the game went on, finishing 23-of-36 for 258 yards and two touchdowns.

And with the game on the line, he cooly directed the Eagles the length of the field for the winning score.

‘I just go out and play ball. If I have a mistake I just tell the guys to get ready for the next series,’ said Young.

‘This was definitely a big win for us.’

It was the second successive defeat for the Giants, whose schedule only gets tougher in the run home.

Their next two games are against the New Orleans Saints then the Green Bay Packers before they travel to Dallas to face the Cowboys.

49ERS 23 CARDINALS 7

Alex Smith threw for 267 yards and two touchdowns and San Francisco forced five turnovers on a soggy day at Candlestick Park.

Smith connected with Kyle Williams and Vernon Davis on the first two drives of the third quarter to help the 49ers pull away for their eighth straight victory.

BEARS 31 CHARGERS 20

Jay Cutler threw for 286 yards and two touchdowns as the Bears won their fifth straight game.

Chicago (7-3) continued its remarkable turnaround and handed the Chargers their fifth straight loss, their longest slide since an 0-5 start in 2003.

Starring role: Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (R) was influential yet again

FALCONS 23 TITANS 17

Roddy White had seven receptions for a season-high 147 yards and Jonathan Babineaux led an Atlanta defense that held off Tennessee.

The Falcons (6-4) bounced back from an overtime loss to New Orleans, but it wasn’t easy.

COWBOYS 27 REDSKINS 24 OT

At Landover, Dan Bailey kicked a 39-yard field goal nine minutes and 21 seconds into overtime to give Dallas its third straight win.

The Cowboys rallied after allowing a late fourth-quarter touchdown and improved to 6-4, keeping the pressure on the first-place New York Giants in the NFC East.

BROWNS 14 JAGUARS 10

Jacksonville rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert’s pass into the end zone on the game’s final play was incomplete, allowing the Browns to escape.

Gabbert rifled a three-yard pass high over the middle that went off wide receiver Mike Thomas’ outstretched hands, and the Browns (4-6) celebrated a win they nearly gave away.

Over the line: Wide receiver Joshua Cribbs evades Ashton Youboty to score a crucial touchdown for Cleveland

PACKERS 35 BUCCANEERS 26

Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes as Green Bay survived a scare to remain unbeaten.

With the Packers leading by two points and trying to fend off a rally by Tampa Bay in the fourth quarter, Rodgers found Jordy Nelson for a clinching 40-yard touchdown with two minutes and 55 seconds left in the game – Nelson’s second touchdown catch of the day.

RAIDERS 27 VIKINGS 21

Carson Palmer threw for 164 yards and a touchdown as Oakland capitalized on several mistakes by Minnesota.

Michael Bush rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown for the Raiders (6-4).

DOLPHINS 35 BILLS 8

The Dolphins set up two touchdowns with interceptions and Matt Moore threw for three scores.

After losing their first seven games, the Dolphins (3-7) have three consecutive victories for the first time since 2008, winning by a combined score of 86-20.

Hands on: Charles Clay takes the catch for Miami

LIONS 49 PANTHERS 35

Matthew Stafford’s fifth touchdown pass of the game, a seven-yarder to Brandon Pettigrew with two minutes and 32 seconds left, completed another big rally.

Detroit (7-3) became the first NFL team since at least 1950 to win three games in a season after trailing by at least 17 points.

SEAHAWKS 24 RAMS 7

Sidney Rice caught a touchdown pass and drew a pass interference that led to a field goal for Seattle.

Chris Clemons had three of Seattle’s five sacks on Sam Bradford, and he also forced the Rams quarterback to fumble twice, both leading to touchdowns.

Despite battling some injuries this year, Raiders tight end Kevin Boss(notes) looks to be a prominent part his team’s offense heading into the stretch run of the season. The 2008 Pro Bowl selection when he was with the New York Giants talked with Yahoo! Sports taking a “nickel” of questions:

Yahoo! Sports: You made a name for yourself while with the Giants, having spent your first four years there. How difficult was it to leave New York as a free agent this offseason to go to Oakland and did you want to go back to the Giants?

Kevin Boss: There was a time where I thought that I was going to go to New York and work things out with the Giants, but it didn’t work out that way. I understand that it is a business and when the opportunity came along to come here and play in Oakland, it was a great fit. I’m a West Coast guy, grew up in Oregon and it was great to come back here, a little closer to home.

I felt comfortable coming here, but my time in New York was great, really special. The fans out there, I’ll tell you, they were always wonderful to me, wonderful to my family. I won a Super Bowl there, made a lot of good friends and grew as a player, as a person there. But I knew this was the right decision for me and I was eager to come to Oakland, but I take a lot of memories from New York with me.

Yahoo! Sports: But in coming to Oakland, you came to an organization that really hasn’t had much success since they made the Super Bowl in 2002 and you were leaving a team in the Giants that has had much more success. Was that a concern for you?

Kevin Boss: It was a chance to go somewhere and prove yourself all over again — that’s a part of the game, a part of the business. Obviously in New York, I had a lot of success; the team had a lot of success. That was hard to leave that success behind and leave a team that I knew would be good for a while.

When I came out here, I saw all the young talent here and it was exciting, to see the young talent on this team; I was excited to join and become a part of the team. I wanted to become a veteran guy and help these young guys mature through the years.

Yahoo! Sports: Your quarterback in New York, Eli Manning(notes), has always been strong statistically and seems to win, but he’s always a whipping boy of the fans, the media in New York. Why doesn’t he get more respect?

Kevin Boss: Oh man, I think that’s part of the territory of being in New York, being that guy, being the quarterback of the New York Giants. I don’t think it matters who it is, you’re going to draw the attention of the media, the fans. You’re always going to be under the microscope, no matter who you are

Yahoo! Sports: You have a new quarterback now in Carson Palmer(notes), a veteran guy who numbers-wise has been among the best quarterbacks in the NFL the best decade. What does he bring to the Raiders and what have you noticed about him?

Kevin Boss: He’s definitely a great quarterback and we’re excited to have him. It was hard losing Jason Campbell(notes), our starter; he was playing really good football. We were winning with him and it was hard to see Jason go down. But anytime you’ve got a chance to bring in a proven, Pro Bowl-caliber type quarterback, it’s huge.

He has a brilliant football mind, a really smart guy. He brings some leadership qualities that are going to be big for us. Not only will the lead by example but he goes out there and tells guys what to do, how to do it.

Sitting in meetings with him, being in the huddle with him, watching him make checks at the line — it’s impressive to watch. He kind of reminds me of Peyton Manning(notes), just watching him take command of the huddle, take command of being back there, making calls and seeing what the defense gives him.

Yahoo! Sports: A lot of people know your name and they’re starting to learn the name of Terry Boss. What’s it like to watch your brother, a goalkeeper in MLS with the Seattle Sounders?

Kevin Boss: I definitely am his biggest fan and it’s been great to follow his career. I try to get to as many games as I can in the offseason – be there to support him because he’s always been there for me, to support me. He’s my biggest fan.

It’s been fun to be close to him, share this experience with him in our respective sports. I’ve definitely become a huge Seattle Sounders fan, watching him, having grown up and having played soccer. It’s been fun.

I played soccer up until seventh grade and then that was my first opportunity I had to play football. I always wanted to play football and I tried playing both football and soccer, but it was a bit too much to play two sports in the same season.

Roughly 48 hours after the conclusion of Sunday’s New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers game, a game the Niners won 27-20, I’m still taking time to go back and watch video highlights. Often times, a station’s “Game of the Week” fails to live up to the hype. This match-up had everything you could want in a football game; miscues which cost teams points, highlight reel touchdowns, impressive fourth quarter drives and a team ten yards away from tying the game with less than 60 seconds on the clock. The Giants just weren’t the better team on Sunday, although they did show they’re more than capable of playing with the best of the best in the NFL.

3 final thoughts on Giants at 49ers game: Manning and Mario

Since August, I’ve often remarked that the Eli Manning(notes) to Mario Manningham(notes) connection has just seemed “off” at times. Don’t let Mario’s six catches and impressive touchdown reception fool you. This is still a problem halfway through the 2011 NFL regular season. Manning and Manningham weren’t on the same page a few times Sunday afternoon, and one such instance resulted in a costly turnover which immediately led to a 49ers touchdown. One football analyst commented to me that the problem is Manningham running wrong routes and not Manning confusing his wide receivers. Whatever the issue is, it’s a significant concern. As we saw in the second half of last Sunday’s game, just one such mistake can very quickly lead to a seven-point swing, a touchdown which ultimately is the difference between a potential game-winning field goal attempt and a loss.

3 final thoughts on Giants at 49ers game: Missing piece

The New York defense which helped the team win a Super Bowl a few years back was never the same whenever Antonio Pierce(notes) wasn’t on the field. He was an on-the-field coordinator as well as a playmaker, the true heart and soul of the defense. Michael Boley(notes) is the Pierce of the 2011 defense, so much so that Justin Tuck(notes) has called Boley the “defense’s most indispensable player.” Boley injured his hamstring during Sunday’s game at San Francisco, and it’s likely he’ll miss this weekend’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Giants have survived injuries at every position on defense thus far. Losing Boley for any amount of games at the most pivotal time of the regular season would unquestionably be a significant blow, and could possibly end up being the big story of November and December for Big Blue.

3 final thoughts on Giants at 49ers game: Looking both back and ahead

The Giants play to the level of their opponent. They’ve done it all season long. That’s good news considering New York will face the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers in the next three weeks. It’s also a bit worrisome, as New York hosts free-falling Philadelphia this Sunday night. The Giants lost at home to a pretty bad Seahawks game back in Week 5. Granted, Seattle beat the Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday, but New York had no business losing to Clipboard Jesus and company back in October. If the Giants don’t come out Sunday night looking to put the Dream Team-gles away for good with an emphatic win, Philadelphia is going to surprise a lot of people. The Giants team from this past Sunday beats the Eagles by at least a touchdown. The one which lost to the Seahawks, however, gets booed off the field at the end of the game Sunday night.

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The San Francisco 49ers will host the New York Giants in a battle that should determine who the NFC’s second-best team is. The 49ers have won six consecutive games while the Giants have won three consecutive games since getting upset by the Seattle Seahawks.

Both teams have significant injuries to overcome for this game. How will they affect each team? Here are just a few of those injuries and what to expect about their availability.

New York Giants: WR Hakeem Nicks(notes)

Led by Patrick Willis(notes), the 49ers have the NFL’s No. 1 run defense as they surrender just over 70 yards per game. The Giants have the NFL’s 29^th-ranked run offense as they average fewer than 89 yards per game.

The Giants will likely rely on Eli Manning(notes) and his receivers if they’re going to pull off a road upset. There are some concerns about Hakeem Nicks as he wasn’t able to participate in practice on November 9, 2011. Nicks didn’t play against the New England Patriots because of a sore hamstring. Fortunately, Nicks should be ready. Nicks has been able to run on the hamstring with little trouble.

New York Giants: RB Ahmad Bradshaw(notes)

The Giants’ run offense was already floundering before Ahmad Bradshaw suffered a foot fracture in their victory over the Buffalo Bills on October 30. Bradshaw had already missed the game against the Patriots. He still hasn’t returned to the practice field as of November 10. It doesn’t appear like Bradshaw will be available against the 49ers.

San Francisco 49ers: WR Michael Crabtree(notes)

The 49ers had already lost Josh Morgan(notes) to a season-ending injury after he broke his leg . Crabtree has been playing through a foot injury. However, it’s highly unlikely that he wouldn’t play against the Giants.

San Francisco 49ers: RB Frank Gore(notes)

The Giants aren’t the only team with a hobbling running back. Frank Gore was limping after the 49ers’ 19-11 victory over the Washington Redskins on November 6. Gore was diagnosed with an ankle injury and has been limited at practice throughout the week. Gore is critical to the 49ers as he’s the NFL’s third-leading rusher with 782 yards. He’s had five consecutive 100-yard rushing performances.

Jim Harbaugh and Gore don’t appear concerned. Gore insists that he’s alright and that he’ll be ready for the Giants.

Other Notable Injuries: C David Baas(notes), DT Ray McDonald(notes), OL Stacy Andrews(notes), DE Osi Umenyiora(notes), WR Jerrel Jernigan(notes), CB Prince Amukamara(notes)

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The New York Giants’ status as NFC East leaders midway through the season
may come as a surprise, but it’s the San Francisco 49ers’ comfortable lead in
the West that’s even more stunning.

The 49ers can move closer to clinching a division title before the end of
the month by extending their longest winning streak in 14 years when they host
the Giants on Sunday.

New York (6-2), which failed to reach the playoffs each of the last two
seasons, is two games ahead of second-place Dallas and three ahead of
Philadelphia, the trendy preseason favorite to dominate the division.

The Giants only bolstered their status as viable contenders for a division
title by winning 24-20 at New England last week, as Eli Manning(notes) hit tight end
Jake Ballard(notes) for a one-yard TD pass with 15 seconds to play.

While New York’s rise has been unexpected, the 49ers (7-1) own the NFL’s
second-best record under first-year coach Jim Harbaugh after finishing at or
below .500 in each of the past eight seasons.

They’ve already surpassed their win total from last year after beating
Washington 19-11 on the road last week, giving them six consecutive victories
for the first time since an 11-game run in 1997.

“A lot of people doubted us, a lot of people put us out because we didn’t
have an offseason, we had a whole new staff, we’re going to be lost and running
around with our heads cut off,” defensive tackle Ricky Jean Francois(notes) said. “But
with the dedication and all the time everybody put aside to build it we weren’t
going to have no lacking. We just feel like this is a team, it’s not individual
play no more. It’s actually a team.”

San Francisco has the league’s top-ranked run defense, yielding 70.8 yards
per contest and 61.3 over the last three games.

The Niners also boast one of the NFL’s top running backs in Frank Gore(notes),
whose 7,196 rushing yards are 148 shy of the franchise record held by Joe Perry
since 1963.

Gore has topped 100 yards in each of the last five games, totaling 634 in
that stretch with an average of 6.3 per carry and four touchdowns. He gained 107
yards on 19 carries last week, also suffering an ankle injury that he claims
won’t be a problem come Sunday.

“I’ll be all right. I’m cool,” Gore said. “Yeah, I’ll be all right.”

Harbaugh is also impressed with Alex Smith, who is having his best season
since being drafted first overall in 2005. His 97.3 passer rating and 64.1
completion percentage are career highs, while he’s tossed 10 touchdown passes
and just two interceptions.

“He’s every bit the elite quarterback as there is playing in the game right
now,” Harbaugh said. “It’s a whole body of work. There’s evidence … really
however you want to pick his performance apart. He’s playing at a very high
level.”

Harbaugh may point to Smith’s impressive success late in games, as he leads
the NFL with a 131.0 rating in the final two minutes, and is at 106.7 for the
fourth quarter.

While Smith’s status as one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks is up for debate,
Manning is backing up a bold claim he made last summer that he’s among the
elite.

The Giants’ three-game winning streak has been a result of Manning’s
late-game prowess. He’s engineered game-winning drives in the fourth quarter in
each victory, including last week’s eight-play, 80-yard drive that ended Tom
Brady’s(notes) 31-game regular-season home winning streak.

Manning’s fourth-quarter success is evident in his league-leading 121.7
rating in that period.

“I’ve been here seven years with him,” defensive end Justin Tuck(notes) said. “He’s
probably playing the best ball in those seven years.”

Manning may also benefit from the possible return of Hakeem Nicks(notes), who was
sidelined last week with a hamstring injury. Nicks leads the team with 38
catches, totaling 575 yards and three TDs.

If Nicks remains unavailable, Victor Cruz(notes) will be called upon again to be
Manning’s primary target. Cruz has a team-leading 588 yards on 34 catches with
four touchdowns, and his six grabs and 91 yards led the Giants last week.

Despite the Giants’ success in the first half of the season, Tuck isn’t
getting too excited.

“Nobody’s going to remember what we did in November,” Tuck said. “Nobody’s
going to remember what we did in December. It’s about getting back to that Super
Bowl and winning that.”

The Niners are already looking toward the playoffs, and wins in their next
two games combined with losses by Seattle and Arizona – both 2-6 – would be
enough to clinch the NFC West.

“We’re trying to secure a playoff spot now so we don’t have to worry about
that later in the season,” Francois said.

The Giants have won all three meetings since they blew a 24-point lead in a
dramatic 39-38 playoff defeat in San Francisco on Jan. 5, 2003.

The New York Giants already have a daunting task with trying to become the first team since 2006 to win a regular-season game at Gillette Stadium while Tom Brady(notes) is the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots. A plethora of injuries on the offensive and defensive side of the football won’t simplify matters.

The Giants could be trying to maintain their two-game lead in the NFC East without the services of Ahmad Bradshaw(notes) and Hakeem Nicks(notes). Nicks has a hamstring injury that has him listed as “day-to-day.” Bradshaw has a broken bone in his foot that he believes is an aggravation of a screw that was inserted into his right fifth metatarsal nearly two years ago.

Neither injury is considered serious. Both players are hoping that they won’t have to miss anytime. However, there are reports that suggest that Bradshaw is considering surgery on his foot.

Before this season, the Giants had one of the NFL’s best ground games under Tom Coughlin. They’re currently 30^th in run offense as they average 85.6 yards per game. Their 3.2 yards per attempt is also amongst the NFL’s worst. The Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans are the only teams who’ve been less effective with their run offenses. Both of those teams have experienced injuries and/or holdouts from their running backs.

Bradshaw and Nicks may be the two best skill-position players on the Giants’ offense. They’d probably need both of them if they’re going to pull off the upset against a Patriots defense that’s surrendering nearly 425 yards per game. The Indianapolis Colts (402.9 yards) are the only other team who has surrendered over 400 yards per game.

This game will likely be a shootout where the Giants need all of their offensive weapons. The Giants could struggle to contain the Patriots’ spread offense. The Green Bay Packers scored 45 points on them in Week 16 of last season. The Giants have had numerous injuries to their defensive backfield and defensive line that have hurt their passing defense.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Giants played it safe. This is an out-of-conference game and doesn’t mean as much in tiebreaker scenarios as a divisional game. While the Giants’ run offense has struggled, Bradshaw has still performed well. Bradshaw is averaging 4.0 yards per carry. He also has 440 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns on the season. He’s a valuable receiver out of the backfield as he has 24 receptions for 210 yards and a touchdown.

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	   1997 -- Florida 3, Cleveland 2, 11 innings, Game 7.
	   1992 -- Toronto 4, Atlanta 3, 11 innings, Game 6.
	   1991 -- Minnesota 1, Atlanta 0, 10 innings, Game 7.
	   1939 -- New York Yankees 7, Cincinnati 4, 10 innings, Game 4.
	   1933 -- New York Giants 4, Washington 3, 10 innings, Game 5.
	   1924 -- Washington 4, New York Giants 3, 12 innings, Game 7.
	   1912 -- Boston Red Sox 3, New York Giants 2, 10 innings, Game 8.
League Championship Series that were decided with the final game in extra innings:
	   2003 -- New York Yankees 6, Boston 5, 11 innings, Game 7.
	   1997 -- Cleveland 1, Baltimore 0, 11 innings, Game 6.
	   1996 -- New York Mets 7, Houston 6, 16 innings, Game 6.
	   1983 -- Baltimore 3, Chicago White Sox 0, 10 innings, Game 4.
	   1980 -- Philadelphia 8, Houston 7, 10 innings, Game 5.
	   1978 -- Los Angeles 4, Philadelphia 3, 10 innings, Game 4.
	   1975 -- Cincinnati 5, Pittsburgh 3, 10 innings, Game 3.
League Divisional Series that were decided with the final game in extra innings:
	   2011 -- Milwaukee 3, Arizona 2, 10 innings, Game 5.
	   2005 -- Houston 7, Atlanta 6, 18 innings, Game 4.
	   2004 -- New York Yankees 6, Minnesota 5, 11 innings, Game 4.
	   2004 -- Boston 8, Anaheim 6, 10 innings, Game 3.
	   1999 -- New York Mets 4, Arizona 3, 10 innings, Game 4.
	   1996 -- Baltimore 4, Cleveland 3, 12 innings, Game 5.
	   1995 -- Seattle 6, New York Yankees 5, 11 innings, Game 5.

By Ed Valentine

– Regional Editor

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Oct 5, 2011 – Throughout a difficult preseason riddled with season-ending injuries to a number of key players, as well as a couple of surprising free-agent defections, there was much doom and gloom from the fan base and the media regarding the New York Giants’ prospects for the 2011 season. A Week 1 loss to the Washington Redskins, who had not beaten the Giants in three years, didn’t help.

At the quarter-pole of the NFL season, however, the Giants find themselves 3-1 — tied with the Redskins for first place in the NFC East. Quarterback Eli Manning has been brillinat since the second half of Week 2 against the St. Louis Rams. The defense has been opportunistic. The Giants went into Philadelphia and defeated the rival Eagles for the first time in seven tries.

Suddenly, the Giants look like a team that might end up being the class of a topsy-turvy NFC East. Of course, there is a long way to go, a brutal second half schedule ahead for the Giants, and a history of second half of the season difficulties under coach Tom Coughlin to overcome.

Let’s take a look at where the Giants are right now:

Game Review

Week 1: @ Washiington (Loss, 14-28) – A rough start for the Giants. A Ryan Kerrigan interception and return for a touchdown was the key play.

Week 2: St. Louis (Win, 28-16) – The Giants did not look great, but they were good enough to defeat the young, under-manned Rams.

Week 3: @ Philadelphia (Win, 29-16) – A game the Giants had looked forward to for months. After six straight losses to the Eagles, including last season’s fourth-quarter meltdown, this was a victory the Giants wanted desperately.

Week 4: @ Arizona (Win, 31-27) – The Giants overcame a pair of 10-point fourth-quarter deficits to earn a victory on the road in a difficult game.

What Is Next

The Giants play their next three games at home. The Seattle Seahawks (1-3), Buffalo Bills (3-1) and Miami Dolphins (0-4) will be visiting MetLife Stadium the next three weeks before the Giants have their bye week. This is a crucial stretch for the Giants before they head into what will be a brutal final nine games of their season. Anything less than 2-1 over the next three weeks will be damaging to the Giants’ playoff hopes, and the reality is this is a stretch where the Giants should be expected to win all of these games.

Here is how Coughlin assessed the next month for the Giants:

“Just like anything else, you better win. These are tough opponents, regardless of what division, what conference they come from. They are very difficult. You look at what Seattle’s been able to do, to come back. I know they lost, but that’s quite a performance against a very good Atlanta team. The week before, the Cardinal game was a very, very close game, again, in which they were able to win,” Coughlin said. “It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t really matter. The schedule is one game at a time and our schedule is a very difficult one and each one of these opponents is very capable [of winning].”

Five Things To Feel Good About 

1. The Play Of Eli Manning: Coming off a 25-interception season Manning said, among other things, that he felt he was not a 25-interception and that he felt he was among the league’s elite quarterbacks. So far this season he is proving both. He has completed 80-of-125 passes (64 percent) for eight touchdowns and only two interceptions through four games. His quarterback rating of 105.6 is third in the league behind Aaron Rodgers of Green Bay and Tom Brady of New England. Without doubt, he is playing at an elite level. The Giants will need him to keep it up.

2. The Emergence Of Jason Pierre-Paul: Lot of Giants fans groaned when the team selected this freakish athlete in the first round in 2010. After all, the Giants were loaded with defensive ends. Well, JPP has 4.5 sacks already this season and has begun to justify the selection. His long arms, strength and incredible athleticism could make him a special player.

3. The Play Of Kenny Phillips and Antrel Rolle: A year ago the tandem of Phillips and Rolle was supposed to give the Giants an elite pair of safeties. It didn’t work out, though, as the Giants surrendered too many big plays against the pass. This season, though, both guys are playing at elite levels. Rolle leads the team with 29 tackles and Phillips is second with 26. Both players have an interception.

4. The Play of Will Beatty: The Giants drafted Beatty in the second round in 2009, believing that he could be their left tackle of the future. The organization decided that the future had arrived in 2011, and there were plenty of questions as to whether or not Beatty could be entrusted with protecting Manning’s blind side. So far, so good. Beatty is a vast improvement over David Diehl at that spot.

5. The Struggles of the Cowboys and Eagles: The Eagles are 1-3 after all of their highly-publicized offseason moves. The Cowboys are 2-2 and both losses are games quarterback Tony Romo basically gave away. It might not last, but it’s always fun for Giants fans to watch NFC East rival squirm.

Five Things To Worry About

1. The Health Of Justin Tuck: Tuck has missed two games this season because of a neck injury first caused when he suffered a stinger in a preseason game against the New York Jets. He also has a groin injury. Tuck is the defense’s captain and best player, and even with Pierre-Paul and Osi Umenyiora in the lineup there is little doubt the team misses Tuck’s run defense, his ability to make plays from both the defensive end and defensive tackle slots, and his leadership. They will need him healthy the second half of the season.

2: The Overall Depth: The Giants have been playing well the past couple of weeks despite the numerous season-ending injuries they have suffered. That is a tribute to general manager Jerry Reese and his ability to bring in players capable of stepping in. You have to wonder, though, how many more key injuries the Giants will be able to overcome.

3. The Missing Running Game: The Giants are averaging just 87.5 yards per game running the ball, 24th in the league. They are averaging just 3.3 yards per carry, a woeful 29th in the league. These are awful numbers for a team that has two good backs, and prides itself on running the ball and controlling the clock. If the Giants don’t get their blocking issues solved they will have problems when the weather turns bitter and the schedule gets tougher later in the season.

4. The Play Of Kareem McKenzie: McKenzie, 32, was the Giants best offensive lineman a season ago. This year, though, the 11-year veteran right tackle is off to a terrible start. Has he simply gotten old? The Giants need McKenzie to pick up his play.

5. Inconsistency On Defense: The first two weeks of the season the Giants’ secondary was torched by two mediocre quarterbacks. The last two weeks the Giants did a much better job defending the pass, but their run defense was gashed by Philadelphia and Arizona. The Giants need to find a way to play a complete game against both the pass and the run.

Read More: Antrel Rolle (S – NYG), Eli Manning (QB – NYG), Kareem McKenzie (OT – NYG), Justin Tuck (DE – NYG), Kenny Phillips (S – NYG), Will Beatty (OT – NYG), Jason Pierre-Paul (DE – NYG), New York Giants

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By Jason Catania

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Week 4

Game: New York Giants (2-1) at Arizona Cardinals (1-2)

Date: Sunday, October 2

Time: 4:05 PM EST

Game of the Week Status

After looking terrible in their opening-game loss, the New York Giants have won two straight to save their start to the season, which is something the Arizona Cardinals are desperate to do following two straight defeats.

Previous Week

In Week 3, the Giants picked up a huge 29-16 win against the Philadelphia Eagles, an NFC East rival who had beaten New York six straight and came into the season with Super Bowl expectations.

The Giants, though, managed to exact some revenge for the brutal loss to Philly that kept them out of the playoffs late last season – otherwise known as DeSean-Jackson-punt-return-TD-on-the-final-play game – as the Eagles now sit at the bottom of the division, thanks to Eli Manning and New York’s defense.

Despite playing with a receiving corps limited by injuries to WRs Mario Manningham and Domenik Hixon, the Giants quarterback threw four TD passes last week, including the first two scores of WR Victor Cruz’s career. And Big Blue’s D actually knocked Eagles QB Michael Vick out of the game for the second week in a row, this time with an injured hand after he came into the contest only days removed from suffering a concussion.

As satisfying as the Giants win was, the Cardinals loss was equally as crushing considering their opponent. Arizona lost their second straight game by three points or less with an embarrassing 13-10 defeat at the hands of the inept Seattle Seahawks on the road. Aside from an early TD catch by WR Larry Fitzgerald, the Cards’ offense didn’t do much of anything against a Seattle D that had allowed 33 and 24 points in the first two weeks.

New QB Kevin Kolb threw a pair of picks in his worst outing of the season so far, and Arizona managed just 90 rushing yards after having to dip all the way down to Alfonso Smith, their fourth-string running back, because starter Beanie Wells and backup LaRod Stephens-Howling were out with injuries and fill-in Chester Taylor struggled to get going. The all-around ugly performance cost the Cardinals a share of the NFC West lead.

What To Expect

The Giants return to the University of Phoenix Stadium, the site of their Super Bowl XLII championship, and will look to take advantage of a Cardinals defense that has been surrendering chunks of yardage at a time. In fact, Arizona ranks 27th in total yards allowed, and has been susceptible both on the ground (122.7 yards per game, 27th overall) and in the air (275 yards per game, 25th overall).

With the expected return to health of Manningham (concussion) and the emergence of Cruz in addition to top target Hakeem Nicks (team-bests of 14 catches and 185 yards), Manning will have plenty at his disposal in the passing game, and lead back Ahmad Bradshaw (4.4 yards per carry) is capable of teaming with battering ram RB Brandon Jacobs to balance out the Giants’ attack.

As for the defensive side, it’s looking like another injured Giant, DE Osi Umenyiora, may debut following offseason knee surgery, which would make New York’s front line – which already features fellow ends Jason Pierre-Paul, a blossoming second-year player with 4.5 sacks already, and veteran sack artist Justin Tuck – that much more imposing.

Coincidentally, if the Giants are going to slow down Fitzgerald, a five-time Pro Bowler who is Arizona’s top offensive threat, a lot of responsibility will fall on former Cardinals S Antrel Rolle, the franchise’ first-rounder back in 2005.

While Kolb will, no doubt, look Fitzgerald’s way often, it may in fact be the health of Wells’ lingering hamstring injury that has the biggest impact on the team. If their top back can’t go or is limited, the Cardinals will turn into a one-dimensional offense because of their lack of depth behind Wells.

For his part, though, Wells, who’s averaging 5.7 yards per carry in his two games, is confident he’ll be back this week, and Arizona will need him to make a few big plays. Same goes for the Cards’ defensive backfield, which includes three playmakers in safeties Adrian Wilson and Kerry Rhodes along with rookie CB Patrick Peterson, the fifth overall pick in last April’s draft.

Given Manning’s knack for making a few questionable throws over the course of a game, an interception or two in a key spot could turn the tide in this game – and the Cardinals’ season.

Former Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo faces New York for the first time since becoming coach of St. Louis in a matchup of two of the NFL’s most banged-up teams.

— Cam Newton, Panthers, was 28 for 46 for 432 yards with a TD and three interceptions in Carolina’s 30-23 loss to Green Bay. Newton’s 854 yards passing are the most yards for a player in his first two games.

— Tom Brady, Patriots, was 31 for 40 for 423 yards and three TDs in New England’s 35-21 win over San Diego. Brady set an NFL record with 940 yards passing in the first two weeks of the season.

— Tony Romo, Cowboys, was 20 of 33 for 345 yards with 2 TDs in Dallas’ 27-24 OT win over San Francisco.

— Matt Hasselbeck, Titans, finished 30 of 42 for 358 yards and a TD and interception in Tennessee’s 26-13 win over Baltimore.

— Andy Dalton, Bengals, was 27 of 41 for 332 yards with 2 TDs in Cincinnati’s 24-22 loss to Denver.

— Adrian Peterson, Vikings, had 25 carries for 120 yards and 2 TDs in Minnesota’s 24-20 loss to Tampa Bay.

— Fred Jackson, Bills, finished with 117 yards and two TDs on 15 carries in Buffalo’s 38-35 win over Oakland.

— Daniel Thomas, Dolphins, had 18 carries for 107 yards in Miami’s 23-13 loss to Houston.

— Ben Tate, Texans, had 23 carries for 103 yards in Houston’s 23-13 win over Miami.

— Willis McGahee, Broncos, finished with 101 yards and a TD on 28 carries in Denver’s 24-22 win over Denver.

— Miles Austin, Cowboys, finished with nine receptions for 143 yards and three TDs in Dallas’ 27-24 OT win over San Francisco.

— Vincent Jackson, Chargers, had 10 catches for 172 yards and 2 TDs in San Diego’s 35-21 loss to New England.

— Steve Smith, Panthers, had six catches for 156 yards in Carolina’s 30-23 loss to Green Bay.

— Denarius Moore, Raiders, had five catches for 146 yards and a touchdown in Oakland’s 38-35 loss to Buffalo.

— Kenny Britt, Titans, had nine catches for 135 yards and a touchdown in Tennessee’s 26-13 win over Baltimore.

— Dan Bailey, Cowboys, made a 48-yard field goal as time expired in regulation and a 19-yarder in overtime to send Dallas past San Francisco 27-24.

— Adam Vinatieri, Colts, was 4 for 4 on field goals in Indianapolis’ 27-19 loss to Cleveland.

— Rob Bironas, Titans, was 4 of 5 on field goals in Tennessee’s 26-13 win over Baltimore.

— The Pittsburgh Steelers held Seattle 164 yards in earning a 24-0 shutout. Seattle didn’t take a snap on Pittsburgh’s side of the field until the fourth quarter while getting shut out for the second straight time in the Steel City.

— Antonio Cromartie and Muhammad Wilkerson, Jets. Cromartie had two of New York’s four interceptions and Wilkerson, the team’s first-round pick, had his first NFL sack for a safety in New York’s 32-3 win over Jacksonville.

— Roman Harper and Junior Gallette, Saints. Each had two of New Orleans’ six sacks of the Bears’ Jay Cutler.

— Jason Hatcher and DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys. Each had two of Dallas’ six sacks of the 49ers’ Alex Smith.

The New York Giants signed free-
agent wide receiver Brandon Stokley, a 13-year veteran who won
Super Bowls with the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens.

Stokley, 35, spent last season with the Seattle Seahawks,
catching 31 passes for 354 yards. He has 338 receptions for
4,673 yards and 34 touchdowns with the Colts, Ravens, Seahawks
and Denver Broncos in his National Football League career.

The Giants didn’t disclose terms of the contract.

The Giants lost receiver Steve Smith as a free agent during
the offseason and Hakeem Nicks sustained a bone bruise in his
knee during a season-opening loss to the Washington Redskins.
Nicks said yesterday he expects to play against the St. Louis
Rams on Sept. 19.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Erik Matuszewski in New York at
matuszewski@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Michael Sillup at msillup@bloomberg.net