Wow!! What else is there to say about that performance, one of the best defensive efforts I have seen from the Giants. Pressure on the quarterback in the form of 12 sacks (six by Osi) was the knockout blow in this one. McNabb never had a chance, and his now limited mobility makes this Giant nemesis an even easier target. The Giants’ offense missed some chances in the first half (missed 34 yd FG, pick by Manning deep in Eagles’ territory) and then went conservative in the second half with the way the game was unfolding, allowing the Eagles to stay within striking distance. Problem is, they had no strike in them on this night.
 The subplot in all this carnage was Andy Reid’s blatant disregard for his quarterback and his inability to adjust his game plan to keep the Giants off his quarterback. At one point, I felt almost embarrassed for the Birds as it was simply too easy…almost like they were giving us the game. Even John Madden became critical. How about a double team or a chip on Osi? How about a rollout by McNabb? This underscores my evaluation of the Eagles: if they come out and everything is working their way, they are hell on wheels. But, if they come out and the opposing team does something different than expected, they simply do not adjust. And in the past relied on McNabb to pull it out. I don’t think he is that type of QB anymore.
Back to the Giants. This is really the fourth straight year under Coughlin that the defense has stumbled early, then picked it up to position themselves into a good spot. I said after the Dallas game the defense shouldn’t be this bad. They obviously aren’t the ’85 Bears either. But they should be a decent defensive unit that can rush the passer and consequently make big plays. The key for this team is to avoid the injury plague and play strong football in the second half. Not looking ahead, but the Giants have four very winnable games coming up. A season that looked so bleak two weeks ago has suddenly has a ray of light.
