Let's just go ahead and assume the New York Giants will win five of their next six games, steal the NFC East from the Eagles, plow through the playoffs and reach the Super Bowl in front of their home crowd at the Meadowlands. Let's also assume they will defeat the Patriots, in the snow, on a 99-yard, last-minute drive to take the Lombardi Trophy.
Why the hell not?
After losing their first six games and looking like the worst team in the NFL, the Giants have now won four straight. On Sunday they had perhaps their best performance yet, defeating the Packers 27-13 (albeit without having to deal with Aaron Rodgers). Eli Manning looked sharp and confident. Victor Cruz had his first 100-yard receiving game since Week 4. The defense dominated, snaring three interceptions. Brandon Jacobs was two-for-two on fourth down conversions and scored a touchdown.
The Giants don't really make sense. Just when you think they couldn't beat a Pop Warner squad, they start playing like potential division winners. Of course, it doesn't hurt that their division is a disaster, with the Eagles reluctantly accepting first place on Sunday by defeating the lowly Redskins.
But there's also something magical about the Giants. They always make things interesting. They always fight. They always find a way.
In a way, the team has taken on the identity of its quarterback. Like Eli, they sometimes play terribly, sometimes play like champions and always keep an even keel. The result: between eight and 12 wins in each of the last eight seasons, with five playoff appearances and two Super Bowl titles.
Just like with Manning, you have to see it to believe it - and even then you are left shaking your head. After all, the Patriots were supposed to have a perfect season. Then Eli took over.
As a fan of the New York Mets, Knicks, Rangers and Giants, I have come to gain a deep appreciation for Big Blue. They are underdogs who actually win. They do bizarre things - like losing their first six games - to keep you on your toes, but they never let you give up on them. They are not owned by anyone named Wilpon or Dolan.
Logic tells me the Giants are not good enough to reach the playoffs this year. Manning is having one of the worst seasons of his career. The situation at running back remains dire. The special teams unit seems at constant risk of falling apart, as they did frequently earlier this season.
At the same time, all it takes is a little momentum to get this team going, and that's exactly what the Giants have right now. If they can defeat the under-achieving Cowboys next week and then beat the 3-7 Redskins the week after that, they could find themselves in first place.
It seems crazy for a team that started 0-6. But it's standard fare for the G-Men.
In the Giants' defensive huddle during the fourth quarter on Sunday, defensive lineman Jason Pierre-Paul told his teammates he knew what the next play would be: a quick pass to his side of the field. Then, Pierre-Paul, who has struggled this year recovering from back surgery, said he was going to intercept it. Can you guess what happened next?
Pierre-Paul picked it off, saw daylight and rumbled 24 yards into the end zone, all but icing the victory. That's what happens when the Giants get their swagger back.
The Giants are 4-6, 1.5 games behind the Eagles in the East. They have six regular season games left. Don't count them out.
Aaron Leibowitz is a senior who is majoring in American studies. He can be reached at Aaron.Leibowitz@tufts.edu.
