Published: Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011 4:45 p.m. MST

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The NFL schedule says one thing. But for the New York Giants, reality says something else.

“Our playoffs start now,” guard Chris Snee said this week, according to the New York Daily News. “That’s how we look at it. We know what’s at stake.”

Heading into Sunday night’s game at Dallas, the Giants have lost four in a row, but they’re coming off a confidence-builder against Green Bay, a 38-35 loss to the NFL’s only undefeated team.

“The mind-set is looking ahead,” quarterback Eli Manning said. “It doesn’t matter what you’ve done last week or what your record is. It’s what you’re playing for, who you have this week. And you have Dallas, Sunday night football, that’s a big one.”

If the Giants win, they’re back in first place and control their own destiny. If they lose, Dallas will not only be two games ahead with three to play but will own all of the tiebreakers.

The Cowboys had won four in a row coming into last Sunday’s game against Arizona, and with a win would have been able to clinch the NFC East this weekend. Instead, Dallas lost to the Cardinals, and the division race is still very much up in the air.

NBC’s Cris Collinsworth thinks this situation could be reminiscent of the Giants’ big run four years ago, when they played New England very tough in a season finale — nearly denying the Patriots their undefeated regular season — then caught fire in the playoffs, carrying that all the way through to a Super Bowl victory.

“That Patriots game changed the Giants,” he said. “Whatever it was that they found that day they kept, and they rolled right through to the Super Bowl. You just wonder if that very similar game last week against the Packers — the Giants don’t win it, but here they take this undefeated team right to the wire — is that going to be the one that the Giants look back on?

“If that sort of thing happens, you can almost hear the comparisons.”

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The stadium was rocking, and the possibilities for the New York
Giants were delicious.

They’d just tied the Green Bay Packers _ yes, the undefeated,
defending champion Packers _ with 58 seconds remaining Sunday
night. Their only competition for the NFC East title, the Cowboys,
had lost at Arizona.

A Giants victory would erase their deficit behind Dallas, and
would snap Green Bay’s winning streak at 17, 11 this season. Just
stop Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’ dynamic offense, get the game
to overtime, and perhaps pull off a season-defining win.

Instead, Rodgers marched his team 68 yards in five plays, Mason
Crosby kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired, and the Packers
won 38-35, clinching a playoff berth.

“When you get a chance to knock out the champ, you got to knock
him out,” defensive end Justin Tuck said. “You can’t let them hang
around and fight off the ropes.

“You’ve got to knock him out. There’s a reason they’ve won 18
straight.”

And there are lots of reasons the Giants (6-6) have lost four in
a row, from inconsistent offense to a porous secondary to a
difficult schedule that doesn’t get any easier with a trip to
Dallas next Sunday _ and concludes on New Year’s Day with the
Cowboys at the Meadowlands.

Still, one game in back of the Cowboys and having pushed the
Packers (12-0) to the limit, the Giants shouldn’t be hanging their
heads.

“A loss is a loss, no matter how it comes. It’s just a better
feeling than the previous one (Saints),” Tuck said, referring to a
49-24 rout in New Orleans last Monday night. “As long as we play
with passion, I don’t see why we can’t be in the playoffs. But
we’ve got a lot of work to do before we talk about that. I’m sick
to my stomach, but a win takes all that away. I just hope all my
teammates feel the same way.”

Eli Manning does.

“We did some really good things, and they’re the best team in
football right now,” Manning said. “I think we have to try to take
something from this game, take some momentum into these next
games.”

Coincidentally, New York fell 38-35 to unbeaten New England in
2007 season finale, then beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

“Hopefully, we can take that same approach,” Manning said.

Rodgers hit three passes of more than 18 yards on the drive in
the final 58 seconds. That came after New York tied the game on Eli
Manning’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Hakeem Nicks and a 2-point
conversion run by D.J. Ware.

However, Rodgers, who threw four touchdown passes, wasn’t going
to settle for overtime after a touchback on the ensuing
kickoff.

On first down, he hit Jermichael Finley just over the
outstretched hands of rookie linebacker Jacquian Williams and the
tight end rumbled 24 yards up the right sideline.

A 24-yard pass to Jordy Nelson down the left sideline moved the
ball to the New York 29. An 18-yard pass to Greg Jennings two plays
later got the ball to the 12.

Green Bay called time out with 3 seconds to go, and Crosby
delivered.

Rodgers, who was harassed by the Giants’ front and sacked three
times, finished 28 of 46 for 369 yards. He threw touchdown passes
of 7 and 13 yards to Donald Driver, 20 to Jennings and 12 to
Finley.

Linebacker Clay Matthews also returned an interception 38 yards
for a score in the second quarter.

Manning finished 23 of 40 for 347 yards. He had an early 67-yard
touchdown pass to Travis Beckum and touchdown tosses of 4 and 2
yards to Nicks. Brandon Jacobs scored on a 1-yard run after a rare
interception of Rodgers, and Lawrence Tynes kicked two field goals,
with a 50-yarder in the fourth quarter getting New York within
28-27.

Rodgers hooked up with Driver on a 7-yard TD with 3:34 to go to
push the lead to 35-27.

However, Manning hit tight end Jake Ballard on two 15-yard
passes and connected with Victor Cruz for 22 yards to set up the
tying score that New York thought would send the game to OT.

Rodgers had other ideas, and the Packers continued their run at
trying to match Miami’s perfect season in 1972.

It’s not surprising New York gave them a game. The Giants ended
the Denver Broncos’ perfect season at 11 games in 1998 and they
knocked off the Patriots in the Super Bowl in February 2008 when
Tom Brady and company were a game from perfection.

The Giants let the Packers know early they were going to be in
for a battle this week.

Manning and Beckum, who had one catch all season, combined on a
67-yard catch and weaving run on the third play of the game.

Rodgers tied the game with a 12-yard TD pass to Finley on Green
Bay’s second possession, only to see New York take the lead on a
38-yard field goal by Tynes.

New York seemed to be in control until Manning made a mistake on
a play-action pass on the first play of the second quarter. With
his primary receiver covered, Manning threw a sideline pass to
Ahmad Bradshaw in front of the Packers bench. Matthews jumped the
route and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown and a 14-10
lead.

Rodgers had been intercepted four times all season, but
linebacker Chase Blackburn, signed on Wednesday, picked him off at
the Green Bay 21 and returned the ball to the 12. Two plays later,
Brandon Jacobs plowed in from the 1 to give New York a 17-14
edge.

Rodgers atoned for the error on the next series, driving the
Packers 80 yards in 11 plays with the biggest play an 11-yard
scramble on third-and-10 from the New York 43. Rodgers capped the
march with a 13-yard, third-down touchdown pass to a wide-open
Donald Driver.

Rodgers pushed the lead to 28-17 on the opening series of the
second half with his fist TD pass to Driver, but Manning got New
York back in the game later in the quarter with his first TD to
Nicks.

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In a win that evoked their Super Bowl triumph from the 2007 season, the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots in dramatic fashion today with a touchdown pass from Eli Manning in the final seconds.

Manning’s one-yard pass into the corner to Jake Ballard secured a 24-20 road win for the Giants, who trailed by three points with 1:36 remaining when Patriots quarterback Tom Brady found Rob Gronkowski with a 14-yard touchdown pass.

Manning completed 20 of 39 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns as the NFC East-leading Giants improved to 6-2 while New England dropped to 5-3 and into a three-way tie with the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills for first in the AFC East.

The Jets enjoyed a statement win at Buffalo as Mark Sanchez tossed a touchdown to Santonio Holmes while LaDainian Tomlinson and John Conner also found the end zone as the Jets picked up their first road win of the season and handed the Bills their first home loss.

The Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers held off a furious late fightback by the San Diego Chargers to extend their perfect start to the National Football League season with a nail-biting 45-38 victory today.

Seemingly set for a crushing win when leading 45-24 in the final quarter, the Packers were stunned by two quick touchdowns as Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers twice connected with wide receiver Vincent Jackson in a 67-second span.

But the Packers held on to become only the third defending Super Bowl champion to start their following season 8-0.

The Indianapolis Colts’ awful season without injured quarterback Peyton Manning continued with a 31-7 defeat to the Atlanta Falcons (5-3). At 0-9 the Colts are the only winless team in the National Football League.

Manning has not practiced with the Colts since having neck surgery in September and the team could be without tight ends Dallas Clark and Brody Eldridge as both left today’s game early with injuries.

RUNNING GAME

The Houston Texans, playing without top receiver Andre Johnson for a fifth straight game, showed off their running game in a 30-12 win over the Cleveland Browns.

Texans running backs Arian Foster (124 yards) and Ben Tate (115 yards) made up for the absence of Johnson, who remains out with a hamstring injury, as both scored touchdowns against a Browns (3-5) defense that struggled to defend the rush.

The Texans defense had a solid day though as Cleveland managed just 172 yards of total offense as they tried to recover from a pair of first quarter Houston touchdowns.

Houston (6-3) lead the AFC South and coach Gary Kubiak’s team are starting to look like serious post-season contenders with the effectiveness of their running game.

Tim Tebow earned his second win in three games as a starter for the Denver Broncos (3-5) after completing 10 of 21 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-24 road win over the Oakland Raiders (4-4).

While the hugely popular quarterback and former Heisman Trophy winner as the top U.S. collegiate player put points on the board with his arm, it was his running game that stood out as he ran for 117 yards on 12 carries.

Running back Willis McGahee also helped Denver’s cause with two touchdowns and 163 yards rushing.

After losing in Tampa last month and suffering a surprise defeat to the St. Louis Rams last week, New Orleans badly needed a victory at home against the Bucs (4-4) and they got one with a solid all-round display.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees passed for 258 yards and two touchdowns while New Orleans (6-3) produced 195 yards on the ground thanks to the running of Chris Ivory, Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles.

The San Francisco 49ers grabbed their sixth straight win to improve to 7-1 with a 19-11 victory over the fading Washington Redskins (3-5).

The Miami Dolphins (1-7) finally picked up their first win of the season on the road at Kansas City with quarterback Matt Moore throwing for 244 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-3 win as the Chiefs (4-4) were unable to score after a first quarter field goal.

– Reuters

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Walk through the ground floor of New York Giants headquarters and there are at least a half dozen life-size pictures of the organization’s remarkable Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots in February 2008.

There’s one of Eli Manning’s great escape on the play that led to “The Catch” by David Tyree. Even though he is with the Jets now, there is one of Plaxico Burress’ championship catch in the corner of the end zone. Another one shows Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora making a play and, of course, the obligatory shot of the Lombardi Trophy being lifted in celebration.

Look at them and it feels like yesterday.

The reality is that was almost four years ago, and much has changed as the Giants (5-2) and Patriots (5-2) prepare to meet for the first time in a regular-season game since Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Ariz.

The teams meet annually in the final preseason game, but this will be the first time that it means something again.

“It’s a new year,” said Pro Bowl guard Chris Snee, who was one of 14 players on the Giants’ 54-man roster who suited up for the title game. “There has been a lot of turnover on both teams. It doesn’t make any sense to think about a game four years ago.”

Guard David Diehl, who played tackle in the Super Bowl, says everybody is going to make comparisons to the game four years ago because it was such a great game under extraordinary circumstances.

No one gave the Giants a chance against the Tom Brady-led juggernaut that was looking to become the second NFL team to win the Super Bowl with an undefeated record.

New York found a way to orchestrate “The Great Escape,” ”The Catch” and Plax’s play in posting a 17-14 win.

“They’re a different team. We’re a different team,” Diehl said. “Obviously you’re going to hear all of that stuff throughout the week. We’re focusing on this season and what they’ve been doing this year.

“They’ve been playing defense differently. They’ve been doing different things up front. It’s the Giants versus the Patriots. This isn’t the Super Bowl.”

The Patriots only had seven players from that Super Bowl on their 53-man roster last week in losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

If there is a constant for both teams it’s at quarterback. It again will be Manning vs. Brady. And most people would think that’s a clear advantage for New England in the game at Foxboro, Mass.

However, Manning has more than held his own this season. He has completed 156 of 241 passes for 2,127 yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions. Brady is 184 of 272 for 2,361, 18 and eight. Both have quarterback ratings over 102 percent and are hitting on better than 64 percent of their passes.

“I think this is a whole new environment, whole new situation,” Manning said. “Obviously, an important game, we have to have a great week of preparation. We know we’re going against a great team, a Hall of Fame coach, a Hall of Fame quarterback down the road. We just have to go in there expecting to play sound football like we’ve been doing.

“Eliminate the mistakes, try to execute the game plan, try to get into the fourth quarter and win the game.”

That’s what the Giants did four years ago. But this year, their defense has struggled stopping the run, which might give Brady a second option this time around.

It’s a problem that Tuck says needs to be fixed now.

“If we were still living in the shadow of 2007, then that’s one of our greatest downfalls,” Tuck said. “We have to move on. Obviously they have and we do, too. Obviously, 2007 was a great year in all of our careers, but that’s not going to help us going there this year. A lot of guys are back from those two teams and a lot of guys are gone.

“The better team this year is going to win the football game, not the better team in ’07.”

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The New York Giants have provided many exciting moments for their fans over the last 25 years. Although they have never won back to back Super Bowls and established a dynasty like the New England Patriots, they have appeared in 4 Super Bowls in the last 25 years, winning three of them. They also have a tendency to win in a very exciting fashion during the final minutes of their big games. Below I have provided a list of the top five game winning plays over the last 25 years.

5. November 4^th 2001. The Giants were down 24-7 to the Dallas Cowboys at half time during a home game. The Giants needed to win this game to have any hope at getting back to the playoffs after winning the Super Bowl the previous year. The Giants were 4-4 and dropping to 4-5 would’ve made a return to the playoffs unlikely. Midway during the 4^th quarter the Giants picked off Cowboy’s QB Clint Stoerner which set up Giants QB Kerry Collins(notes) for a touchdown pass to Ike Hilliard(notes), tying the game at 24-24 and eventually sending the game into overtime. The Cowboys received the ball first in over time, however the Giants defense stopped them and got the ball to Collins. Collins then led a 61 yard drive which gave 41 year old Morton Andersen a shot at kicking the game winning field goal. Andersen who had been signed during the off season came in and kicked the game winning field goal that won the game for NY in what was a most improbable victory.

4. 2006 NFC Title Game. The Giants started off the season 0-2 but managed to turn things around, and thanks to a 6 game road winning streak found themselves in the NFC championship against Green Bay on the road. It was minus 1 degree weather, which including the 12 MPH wind created a frigid minus 32 degree wind chill. The Giants found themselves in overtime after their Kicker Lawrence Tynes(notes) missed 2 field goals most likely due to the wind and extreme cold. However, two minutes and thirty five seconds into overtime Tynes connected on a 47 yard field goal to win the NFC title game and provide the Giants with an entrée to the Super Bowl against the 18-0 Patriots.

3. Super Bowl XLII. The Giants, who were 10-6 in the regular season, were going up against the Patriots who had a perfect season and were 16-0. The Patriots were chosen by virtually every “expert” to win the game and end up as the first team to ever have a 19-0 season. However NY’s defense had other plans and held the Patriots to only 14 points. Even with their defense doing a superb job the Giants were still behind with 35 seconds left in the game. That was until Eli Manning(notes) lofted the ball 13 yards to Plaxico Burress(notes) and ended up winning the game by a score of 17 to 14 thereby winning one of if not the most exciting Super Bowl game ever.

2. Super Bowl XXV. This is the only game on the list where the player who made the game winning play for the Giants wasn’t even on the Giants. With 8 seconds left in the game and the Giants barely holding on with a 20-19 lead, Bills kicker Scott Norwood attempted a routine 47 yard field goal that sailed far to the right helping win the Super Bowl for the Giants. Norwood never played again in the NFL.

1. Super Bowl XLII “The Catch.” Ironically my choice for the single best Giants game winning play ever isn’t even technically a game winning play. However the Giants wouldn’t have won the Super Bowl without it, and it is considered by many NFL fans and pundits to be the best play in any Super Bowl and is possibly the most exciting NFL play ever recorded on film. With the Giants losing 14-10 and 1:15 minutes left on the clock QB Eli Manning evaded three different sack attempts, somehow managed to pull free from a swarm of Patriot defenders and throw a 32 yard pass to David Tyree(notes) who while he was in mid air trapped the ball against his helmet with one hand while wrestling with Patriots defensive end Rodney Harrison(notes) as they both fell to the field. Somehow Tyree managed to gain possession of the ball with both hands before he hit the dirt and set up Manning for the game winning throw to Burress. Watch the play online if you haven’t seen it, it really is incredible. Just Manning’s part alone would’ve made this an incredible Super Bowl play, but adding Manning’s play to Tyree’s jaw dropping catch makes this the best Super Bowl play ever. Either part of the play on its own would’ve made top 10 Super Bowl play lists, but together there isn’t any other play that is even close.

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Eli Manning would be happy to have Plaxico Burress back in a New York Giants’ uniform but the quarterback isn’t going to lobby management to re-sign the Super Bowl hero.

Manning made it clear that it’s up general manager Jerry Reese, coach Tom Coughlin and Giants ownership to decide whether to re-sign Burress now that the gifted receiver has finished his nearly two-year prison sentence for a weapons possession violation.

Either way, Manning believes the Giants have the talent to have an explosive offense this season.

Burress, who was released from prison on June 6, visited with Coughlin, Reese and co-owner John Mara on Friday night at the Giants headquarters in an attempt to convince them that he could be a team player.

“I am going about my business and preparing myself,” the Giants quarterback said Saturday on the first day of practice at training camp. “I don’t lobby for anybody. If this is the right spot for Plaxico, if the Giants and coach Coughlin are pleased with his attitude after talking to him, I am happy to have him.

“But I am preparing with the guys we have here and now,” Manning said. “I am not out lobbying for (tight end) Kevin Boss either. I think he (Burress) is a great player and would love to have him. You know the Giants know what they are doing. If they want my two cents, my advice, then I’d be happy to talk to them about it.”

Manning and Burress combined for 33 touchdown receptions between 2005-08, with none being bigger than the game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl victory over New England in February 2008, when Manning won the MVP.

Burress, however, also annoyed the quarterback by failing to show up for offseason workouts and nothing was worse than when the receiver shot himself in the leg in a New York City nightclub in November 2008. It led to his dismissal from the team, a loss that hurt the Giants’ offense down the stretch and ultimately led to their early ouster from the playoffs in a season that seemed headed for another long postseason run.

While other players greeted Burress warmly Friday night after his visit, Manning did not talk to him because he said he was in meetings with coaches.

Manning said he talked to Burress a few weeks ago to see how he was doing after his release and to wish him well.

When pressed, Manning said Burress is a big target (6-foot-5) who can go up and get the game and make plays.

“That is always a nice thing to have in your back pocket,” Manning said.

If Burress were to sign elsewhere, Manning felt the Giants have enough talent to compensate with Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, Steve Smith, Domenik Hixon and other young wideouts such as Victor Cruz and Ramses Barden among others. There’s also a running game that features Brandon Jacobs, D.J. Ware and possibly Ahmad Bradshaw, if he were to re-sign with New York. Re-signing Boss to play tight end also would help.

“We have a lot of skills in the offensive positions and a lot of receivers who can make big plays,” Manning said. “We have a number of guys that can step up and prove that they can be depended on, week in and week out.”

The Giants are going to have to produce with the NFC East defending champion Philadelphia Eagles adding Nnamdi Asomugha, one of the NFL’s best cover cornerbacks.

Manning said that when the Giants won the Super Bowl after the 2007, they were able to combine talent and great work ethic.

“People see the final results of the ’07 year, when he (Burress) didn’t practice all year and say we won a championship,” Manning said. “Well, we went 10-6 and barely made the playoffs. It wasn’t like everything was a breeze and we went 14-2. It was tough, we struggled, we went through low points. Everything was not always perfect. It is about being dependable, being committed to the team and showing up for practice, working hard and doing everything you can to get yourself and the team prepared to play each game.”

Notes: Manning hopes his brother, Peyton, will be ready in the Indianapolis Colts’ season opener against Houston on Sept. 11. Peyton had neck surgery in May and he won’t be on the field when Indianapolis starts its training camp. “I hope he is for his sake, football and the Colts,” Eli said of his brother playing in the Colts’ season opener “He is on the right track and hopefully he is back.”

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