The 9-7 New York Giants paved their way into the record books on Sunday night.

The Giants won their second Super Bowl in five seasons, knocking off the New England Patriots, 21-17. Identical to their 2008 win, quarterback Eli Manning took home MVP honors, and possibly a Hall of Fame bust in the process.

This was a franchise-defining win for the Giants. They aren’t a dynasty, but they are certainly one of the top teams since the turn of the century. Coach Tom Coughlin and many of the same players who led the Giants in 2008 were key components during this campaign. That speaks volumes to the competitiveness and cohesiveness of this franchise.

The Giants were 7-7 after losing to the Washington Redskins in Week 15. They weren’t even guaranteed a playoff spot. But a win against the New York Jets began a path of destruction against some of the league’s top teams, including road wins in the postseason in Green Bay and San Francisco.

But just as they’ve come back so many times this season, they came back from a mediocre record to take home the biggest win of them all.

New York played a near perfect game. When the Patriots attacked Victor Cruz on the outside, quarterback Eli Manning went to Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham. When Jason Pierre-Paul was double-teamed, Justin Tuck came through with two sacks, including one on third down during the Patriots’ final drive. That showed that this team wasn’t about one individual. Maybe at times. But when opposing teams did their job at stopping that single player, others stepped into the limelight.

New York’s game winning drive was the perfect example of this. Manning hit Manningham from the Giants’ 12 for a 38-yard gain on a stellar grab. Manningham, who was criticized a series earlier by failing to keep his feet in bounds on a deep pass, made a difficult over-the-shoulder grab along the sideline. This wasn’t in the same category as David Tyree’s in 2008, but perhaps one tier below. Manning then went to Manningham the next three plays, totaling 56 yards to put the ball on the New England 32.

It was then Ahmad Bradshaw and Hakeem Nicks the rest of the way, with Bradshaw entering the end zone with 57 seconds remaining. I honestly believe Bradshaw wanted to score. Who wouldn’t? It’s the Super Bowl. But before he did, he tried to wait as long as possible before falling past the goal line. Here’s the thing: If Bradshaw fails to get in on 2nd-and-6, there’s the chance that he fumbles again or Manning throws an interception. There’s also the chance that Lawrence Tynes, who already booted two field goals, doesn’t make the short kick. Any of those situations occur and the Patriots win.

As I was watching this unfold, however, I began to think that there are only three teams I don’t trust with the ball in their hand and the clock under a minute: New Orleans, Green Bay and, of course, New England.

Just as the Giants offense had been reliable much of the season, their defense was too. While the situation itself was stressful, knowing that defense was on the field helped add a sense of ease. Nine plays later, with Brady completing only two of seven passes and taking the Tuck sack, the Giants were Super Bowl champions.

There are no negatives to take away from Sunday’s win. The Giants, however, have nearly two dozen free agents, including Nicks, about to hit the market. Hopefully the optimism of creating a dynasty will convince many to stay. New York isn’t known for shelling out big bucks – look at how they handled the Steve Smith situation. They’d rather find younger, suitable replacements. This time around, the organization might want to consider opening their wallet to continue something special. It would be a disappointment if New York misses the playoffs as they did after their last Super Bowl win.

This can be up to debate as the offseason drags on. For now, New York is celebrating being the NFL champions. They showed this season that not always the best team that finishes on top. It’s the one that finishes the best.

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It would be silly though if the New York Giants wore trench coats as they practiced.

I’ve had the opportunity to cover the Giants and the rest of the NFL on a fairly regular basis over the last seven years. I’d estimate I’ve reported from the press box at close to 30 games since my first on Oct. 30, 2005 — Giants vs. Redskins. It’s truly my favorite sport to witness and write about firsthand.

2008, however, was an experience unlike anything I’ve ever been a part of. I wasn’t in Green Bay when Lawrence Tynes’ kick sailed through the uprights, sending New York to their fourth Super Bowl. I, like most, couldn’t believe this Giants team was making the trip to Arizona. It’s not that they were a bad team — they started off 6-2 before going 4-4 after their bye — but, simply put, there was nothing special about them.

It’s all about making runs though, and that’s exactly what they did. First, the Giants knocked off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 24-14, in the Wild Card game. They then traveled to Dallas to face a Cowboys team that had swept them during the regular season. New York emerged 21-17 winners; the prize: a trip to face the second-seeded Packers in Wisconsin.

Similar to two weeks ago in Green Bay — this year the snow showers came a few days earlier — the Giants defense slowed down the Packers offense. Nobody thought they’d make it out of Brett Favre country as survivors, but they did. Only it’s Aaron Rodgers’ land now. Didn’t matter. The result was the same.

We saw in the Baltimore/New England game how fragile an on-the-line kick is. Tynes didn’t care the ground was frozen and snow covered five years ago. He didn’t care it was soft and soaking wet on Sunday in San Francisco. Tynes went out and did what he’s done his whole life: kicked a football in the direction it needed to go. The difference with these field goals compared to any others is these sent the Giants to the Super Bowl.

This year the Giants weren’t too special either. They started off hot (4-2) before their bye, then finished a mediocre 5-5, similar records to their Super season. Being swept by the Washington Redskins and a home loss to the Seattle Seahawks were the low points. Beating the New England Patriots in Foxborough, the highlight.

It’s perhaps ironic that the last two times the Patriots and Giants have met up during the regular season, they also took part in the Super Bowl. NFC East teams don’t face off against AFC East teams every year. Rather, it’s every five, the span it’s taken both teams to get back to the game’s grandest stage.

The Giants couldn’t stop the Patriots from a 16-0 record in 2007-08. They were the last of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady’s victims. To make it worse, they capped off the perfect regular season on the Giants’ home turf. That stung many of the players.

The two weeks before the Super Bowl are split in two. The first, each team spends in their home city, practicing and prepping for the game. The second is spent in the location of the big game. The latter is much more lax, as much of the game plan has already been strategized, leaving little time for on-field practicing and more time for interviews and parties — some of the guys hate this, Brady included.

I didn’t make the trip to Arizona in 2008. I did cover several of the Giants practices during the week before they headed west though. The first one I brought along a camera crew from FoxNews.com to film my report, which you can watch right here. It was my first such package for the network, and I was thrilled this was the topic. Also, I had only covered NFL games, so this practice thing was new for me.

Before MetLife Stadium, the Giants offices were underneath Giants Stadium, and the practice field was in a large inflatable bubble in the parking lot. That morning, with crew in tow, I walked into the bubble to watch about 30 minutes of practice. Media is usually allowed to watch near the end when not much of the week’s game plan is revealed. Seeing Eli Manning toss casually in red zone schemes and Michael Strahan not hit someone hard on the line was fascinating. I had only witnessed these guys play at 100 percent before.

The thing I remember most is how relaxed every player appeared. No one came across as anxious or nervous. They all looked like they were having fun and had nothing to lose. I guess that’s the bonus of being the underdog, the team no one in a million years thought would upset perhaps the best team in the NFL over the past several decades.

Talking with the players in the locker room after practice reiterated my feelings. Every one of the guys I spoke with — Amani Toomer, Sam Madison, Justin Tuck and others — were thrilled to be in the position they were, but none acted like this was going to be any other game. Toomer had been to the Super Bowl before, with the Giants in 2000. He told me a lot of the guys asked his advice on what to expect. Toomer told them to focus on the game since there will be a lot of other distractions taking place during that week.

I went back the following day by myself and talked with several other players, including David Tyree, about the upcoming game. I might have talked to him longer had I known his place in history, but no one can predict the future. Even one day later, that same calming aura surrounding the team remained. I believe it was there all week.

We all know the end result of the 2008 Super Bowl. It is in the history books as one of, if not, the greatest games in history. Rightfully so, too. The Giants weren’t a bad team; in fact, they were damn good in the playoffs. But no one expected them to win. This time around, there’s more optimism. Perhaps it’s because they’ve done it before and not too long ago. Maybe it’s because the Patriots looked just okay last week, while the Giants looked remarkable.

Regardless, this is going to be one helluva game.

Here’s my take on how the Giants and Patriots stack up in Super Bowl 46:

Quarterbacks: There’s no denying that Tom Brady is one of the greatest passers in the game. The way he stands in the pocket is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. There is simply no one with more confidence back there than the three-time Super Bowl winner. Eli Manning, on the other hand, is completely the opposite. He always seems scattered with a head-hung-low-type demeanor. But looks can be deceiving and Manning is one damn good quarterback. Getting back to the Super Bowl cements him as one of the Top 5 quarterbacks in the game today, in my opinion. Look at what he did in crunch time this season. You know the Giants will always have a shot when within one score, the ball in Manning’s hands and the clock ticking down. Brady gets the edge only because he’s No. 1 in that aforementioned Top 5.

Edge: Patriots

Wide Receivers: The Giants feature two of the most dynamic wideouts in the game today: Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz. Nicks and Cruz are both deep threats, although Cruz might have the edge in that department. Cruz is also much better on third down. Nicks in the end zone, however, is unbeatable. Throw in Mario Manningham as the third wide receiver and any quarterback would feel comfortable. Outside of Wes Welker, the Patriots don’t have the depth at wide receiver that the Giants do. Brady relies more heavily on his tight ends, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Both guys are just so big for their position, making it extremely hard to cover them.

Edge: Tie

Running Backs: New York is using the same running back tandem that they used in 2008 with Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. While Jacobs is still a bruising runner, he hasn’t been as effective as in years past. Bradshaw, however, still picks up big gains and is especially helpful in the flat. The Patriots have BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who is famous for having never fumbled in his NFL career. He isn’t a big gainer, but is effective near the goal line. Former New York Jet Danny Woodhead is the Patriots’ Bradshaw. He’s not used too often, but will make a play here or there.

Edge: Giants

Defense: I don’t think it’s even a question which team’s defense is playing better right now: The Giants all the way. Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora, both of the 2008 squad, and Jason Pierre-Paul have been unbelievable on the pass rush throughout the postseason. The Patriots don’t have a good enough offensive line to protect Brady from being hit with those three guys coming at them. Aaron Ross and Corey Webster do a nice job protecting the outside, but the hard work will be on safeties Antrel Rolle and Kenny Phillips with helping out on Gronkowski and Hernandez. New England, meanwhile, has Kyle Arrington and Devin McCourty at the corner position. Arrington, who had a healthy seven picks this season, will likely draw Nicks. Up front, New York will have to watch out for defensive end Mark Anderson (10 sacks) and Vince Wilfork.

Edge: Giants

Special Teams: Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski is one of the more efficient players at his position. He’s been in a number of big games and always seems to come through. Tynes has an impressive resume himself, with the two aforementioned kicks in bold at the top of his resume. Even punters Steve Weatherford and Zoltan Mesko were both effective for their teams this season. Weatherford averaged 45.7 yards a kick to Mesko’s 46.7. The Giants kicker also had 25 balls downed inside the 20 compared to Mesko’s 24. The difference in this category comes down to the other special teamers. I love the way the Giants’ Devin Thomas is playing right now. The former Washington Redskins castoff is playing some smart football. It also seems that Chase Blackburn is involved in every special teams play. Will Blackmon, who only handled kicks for six regular season games this year, will receive all of them for the Giants. His numbers aren’t overly impressive, but neither are those of Matthew Slater — both had zero return touchdown in 2011. Julian Edelman, the punt returner for New England, does have one.

Edge: Giants

Prediction: Coming Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012.

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This is a team headed to their second Super Bowl trip in five seasons.

Part of it could be just damn luck. Maybe this is the big game the Gods wanted to see. Regardless of who had a hand in Sunday’s 20-17 overtime victory against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game, the Giants are happy it worked out the way it did.

Now they’ll return to the game’s grandest stage in a rematch of Super Bowl XLII, which New York won 17-14. That one, too, they won with the clock ticking its final seconds.

A lot will be written ahead of that matchup, which NFL executives have to be ecstatic over. This is Part II, the sequel, the follow-up to one of the most exciting Super Bowls in league history. It’s a game, no matter what NFL team you root for, you’ll be happy to watch.

I’ll say this about the Giants win on Sunday: That was a damn good game. Both teams played well enough that they could have won. But the Giants were simply better in all facets of the game: offense, defense and special teams.

If I’m the Giants, I feel pretty good about my chances heading into Super Bowl Sunday. The Baltimore Ravens showed they can contain Tom Brady in the earlier game. The Giants already did that this season with a Week 9, 24-20 win in Gillette Stadium. Similar to the 2007-08 regular season, both teams met up, with the Giants being handed the Week 17 loss.

The Patriots have double the reasons to avenge their recent losses in less than two weeks. After all, Bill Belichick and Brady don’t forget. New York has shown they’re up for the task though. It’s time for their greatest performance yet.

Here are the seven Giants stars from Sunday:

Victor Cruz: Cruz was quiet last week, but even the best wideouts have mediocre weeks. He made up for that silence against the 49ers, grabbing a game-high 10 balls for 142 yards. That yardage was nearly half of Giants quarterback Eli Manning’s total (316) for the evening. Cruz could have had more, but was shutout for much of the fourth quarter.

Devin Thomas: Thomas was huge on special teams for the Giants, displaying both focus and smarts. First, he was the only one who initially thought the football grazed 49ers kick return Kyle Williams’ knee (the play would have likely unnoticed). Thomas plucked the ball off the ground and ran it into the end zone — to the quietest crowd reaction in playoff history. Thomas argued, urged coach Tom Coughlin to challenge, which he did, and the play was eventually overturned. This set up Mario Manningham’s 17-yard touchdown to give the Giants a temporary 17-14 lead. Then, with 9:32 remaining in overtime, Jacquian Williams stripped Kyle Williams of the ball on a punt return. Thomas recovered deep in 49ers territory, essentially securing the Giants’ win.

Bear Pascoe: The tight end did not reach the end zone once this season. That said, there’s never a better time to get that first touchdown grab than in the playoffs. Pascoe’s 6-yard score helped tie the game for New York in the second quarter. It would be the Giants’ only touchdown of the first half.

Lawrence Tynes: Tynes’ leg should go into the Giants Hall of Fame one day. Four years ago, he sent the Giants to the Super Bowl with it, and on Sunday he did the same. Tynes’ 31-yard boot in overtime secured New York’s fifth trip to the big game. In the rainy San Francisco weather, he was 2-for-2 on both field goals and extra points.

Steve Weatherford: Punters never seem to receive enough credit. We saw last year how much they can be criticized, but Weatherford has helped put thoughts of Matt Dodge in the past. Against the Niners, the former New York Jet booted 12 times for an average of 46.4 yards. Keep in mind, though, there were a few short-yardage punts, including the one giving the ball back to the Niners with 19 seconds to go in regulation. Weatherford then did a wonderful job cleaning up a wobbly snap on Tynes’ game-winning field goal in overtime. I bet he’s glad his days in New York… on New York’s other team are over.

Ahmad Bradshaw: The Giants haven’t been able to replicate the running game they put together against Atlanta in the Wild Card round. Bradshaw did a heck of a job against a very good 49ers defense though. He ran the ball 20 times for 74 yards and caught six passes for 54. He’s not a Ray Rice-type or Adrian Foster-type back, but he’s sure valuable.

Eli Manning: It wasn’t Manning who will be attributed with this comeback win, but he was an integral part of it. He threw a ton, 58 times to be exact. He completed 32 of those passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns. Manning now has a shot at surpassing his brother, Peyton, with two Super Bowl wins. Is he the better brother after all?

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The New York Giants — the 9-7 New York Giants — went into Green Bay and looked more like the 15-1 team they took on. The offense clicked magnificently, and the defense slowed one of the game’s top quarterback. Throw in the fact that the Packers fumbled three times and dropped eight passes and New York’s opponent never had a chance.

It never appeared that the Giants would make it to the NFC Championship game this season. There just wasn’t anything that made you say “wow” about this team. Then, after the Week 15 loss to the Washington Redskins, things began to click. They won 29-14 over in-house rivals, the New York Jets. Then, they took the win-and-in game against the Dallas Cowboys, 31-14. With no time to rest, they perhaps saved one of their most well-balanced victories for the Wild Card game against the Atlanta Falcons. In that matchup, the Giants won 24-2.

Heading into Green Bay, where they won on their way to the Super Bowl in 2008, there was an overwhelming feeling that the 15-1 Packers were in trouble. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers hadn’t played in nearly three weeks and their defense had already been surrendering the most points in the league. They looked every bit as rusty as anticipated. The result: Giants 37, Packers 20.

The Giants played the Packers so close in Week 13, only to fall on a last-minute scoring drive, that there was an overwhelming sense of revenge in waiting. It just seemed like the Giants wanted this one more, before it began and as it played out.

Next week, the Giants travel to San Francisco to take on another team that handed them one of their seven losses this season, the 49ers. Hearing the team name, the 49ers, immediately makes you think that this will be an easy meeting, but not so. The Niners have numerous weapons on offense — arm, hands and feet — and a better defense than New York has faced the first two games of this playoff period. The downside is a win likely sends them up against the New England Patriots, their opponent in the 2008 Super Bowl, who right now are playing with a just-as-high-powered offense as that season.

Here are the five Giants stars of the game:

Hakeem Nicks: First off, let’s quit all the talk comparing Nicks’ Hail Mary catch to the one David Tyree made in the Super Bowl a few years back. It’s not even close. I don’t write this to take anything away from Nicks’ catch, which in itself was an amazing grab, but it’s just not of the same magnitude or meaning. Nicks had two touchdowns Sunday, becoming the first player in NFL history with four touchdowns in a single postseason. He finished with 165 yards off seven catches.

Eli Manning: The Giants quarterback has put together back-to-back stellar postseason games heading into next Sunday’s NFC championship game in San Francisco. Manning tossed three touchdowns and only one interceptions on 330 yards passing. As I wrote last week, the key has been his efficiency and ability to not turn the ball over.

Kenny Phillips: Phillips knocked the ball out of Green Bay running back Ryan Grant’s hand with just under seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The ball was picked up by lineback Chase Blackburn and brought down to the Packers’ 4. Manning found Mario Manningham on the first play of the drive to put the Giants up by three scores and essentially out of reach for the Packers.

Osi Umenyiora: The Packers were driving in Giants territory to open the second half. On 1st-and-10 from the 30, Omenyiora pushed past defenders and slapped the ball out of Rodgers’ hand as he was about to launch downfield to a wide open Greg Jennings. Deon Grant, who also had an interception late in the fourth quarter, recovered. While the Giants didn’t score off the turnover, the key was that Umenyiora essentially prevented a Packers scoring drive.

Michael Boley: Boley had a game-high nine tackles and two sacks of Rodgers, who was hard to catch as he rushed for a game-high 66 yards on seven carries. Boley and the rest of the Giants defense deserves kudos for rattling the league’s likely MVP.

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Here are the five stars of the game:

Hakeem Nicks: Nicks has been overshadowed by Victor Cruz’ success this season. Despite that, he remains one of the Top 10 wideouts in the league, and was on full display against the Falcon defensive backs. Nicks hauled in two touchdowns on six catches for 115 yards. The 72 yarder was also a career high.

Brandon Jacobs: I saw something different in Jacobs this afternoon. Do you ever tense your entire body when working out and simply give it all you’ve got? That’s what Jacobs looked like. He lowered his head and was ready to plow over defenders. The result was 92 yards on 14 carries.

Eli Manning: The key for Manning was not turning over the ball. He threw three touchdowns and no picks on 277 yards. Manning doesn’t get the credit he deserves in terms of being a top quarterback, but that’s because when he’s bad, he’s real bad. Most of the time, though, he’s very good. He’ll need to more than that next week at Lambeau Field.

Corey Webster: The Giants cornerback did a stellar job covering Atlanta’s top receiver, Roddy White, all day, holding him to just five catches for 52 yards. Webster also had two pass deflections and four solo tackles.

Antrel Rolle: The entire New York defense should actually be mentioned here after completely shutting out the Falcons, whose only points came on a safety. As mentioned with Webster, Rolle also played a factor in holding Atlanta to just 199 yards in the air. He and Chase Blackburn led the Giants with nine tackles.

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The Giants won the NFC East and a playoff spot by beating the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. The performance featured an impressive mixture of strong pressure on a good quarterback (Tony Romo) and solid offense. This type of play on both sides of the ball in a single game hasn’t been the case much of the season, but it was on New Years Day. New year, new Giants perhaps?

Meanwhile, New York’s other football team, the Jets, are packing up their locker room on Monday, heading home to watch the playoffs on television or from some distant vacation destination. This season the Jets were better than their New York counterparts in one area: running their mouths. That’s exactly what coach Rex Ryan and others did all year long, while the Giants — safety Antrel Rolle may be the exception — simply put it all out on the field. Plain and simple, the Jets never backed up the talk, especially when Ryan said the Jets were New York’s best team.

After beating the Jets in Week 16, then taking home a conference championship, Ryan should sit behind his desk in Florham Park with his tail between his legs.

Six comeback victories. That’s where the Giants were most impressive in 2011-12. Rarely were they in control for most of a game. Eli Manning, however, was in control in the fourth quarter. His passers rating was among the best in the game during the last 15 minutes, and that type of poise and commanding presence is what any NFL team would love to have.

Four losses stand out the most: 1) The two losses to the Washington Redskins in Week 1 and Week 15. The Redskins will pick sixth in this year’s draft, and to have been swept by the NFC East’s worst team is tough to swallow. 2) Week 13’s 38-35 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The Giants put together another last-minute comeback, only to leave 58 seconds left on the clock for Aaron Rodgers to drive the Packers down the field to set up a game-winning field goal. 3) The 36-25 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5. The Seahawks were playing pitiful at this point of the season. During the game, the Seahawks lost their starting quarterback, Tarvaris Jackson, and the Giants still couldn’t win. It was at this point many fans thought the Giants were not a playoff team.

The wins that should be front and center thus far are the two against Dallas, which certainly shifted the landscape of the NFC East. Had the Giants lost even one of them, the Cowboys would have likely taken the crown and the Giants would be in the same situation as the Jets. The 24-20 victory over the New England Patriots in Week 9 was also huge. The Patriots showed signs of a dynamic offense heading into this one. The Giants defense stepped up though, and so did the offense.

Outside of the 49-24 thrashing the Giants suffered against the New Orleans Saints, they seemed to play better against better competition. The Packers, Cowboys and Patriots — all playoff caliber teams. New York was either in or won each of those games. That brings a sign of hope to next Sunday’s home playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons. At 10-6, Atlanta finished one game better than New York. They were a .500 team on the road, led by quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner.

New York last played Atlanta in 2009, winning at home 34-31. Atlanta was without Turner in that one, but since they’ve also upgraded at wide receiver by drafting Julio Jones. Ryan has also become more seasoned, and that could equal a much tougher contest than last time. With temperatures expected to be in the 50s, it’s not going to be a typical winter in New Jersey-type contest.

As for the Jets, there is a lot of uncertainty heading into the offseason. We know that Ryan will in all likeliness be back. His offensive coaching staff, starting with Brian Schottenheimer, probably will not though. The Jets offense simply did not perform well this season, especially at quarterback. Mark Sanchez continues to get praise from the coaches that he can be great, but now a three-year veteran, he hasn’t shown remote signs of that.

Sure, before this season, Sanchez took the Jets to the AFC Championship game in back-to-back seasons. But as was suspected, it was truly the defense that was the primary reason behind those tremendous runs. This season the Jets’ defense was completely inconsistent and Sanchez played the same as in the past. This time the result was an 8-8 record and an early trip home.

One player likely to have played his last game in green and white is Santonio Holmes. The wideout is one of the best in the game, but his display at the end of Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins was pitiful. Holmes not only argued with teammates in the huddle at the end of the game, but then sat on the bench and didn’t even pay attention to the action. Later he would not discuss his future with the team. Teammates were very candid afterwards that Holmes quit before Week 17, likely cutting his short tenure with the team. It’s amazing to think that Plaxico Burress could be back, but Holmes not.

The Jets must also upgrade on defense. Linebacker Bart Scott, who was also with Ryan in Baltimore, likely has played his last game for the Jets. That will be a key position to upgrade. The Jets must also add depth to the safety spot if they want to keep Jim Leonhard on the roster. Leonhard has had season-ending injuries the last two years. He’s such a key player on the field, but his ability to stay healthy creates too much uncertainty.

This is the Giants’ town now and for the foreseeable future. Until the Jets can prove people wrong, they’ll continue to be green with envy of their in-house rivals.

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The Giants fell to Washington, 23-10, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. on Sunday. It was the Giants’ second loss of the season to Washington, who pulled off their first season sweep since 1999. Sunday’s loss puts the 7-7 Giants a full game behind the Dallas Cowboys in the division. A loss at Philadelphia next week and a Dallas win would eliminate them from the playoffs.

“I don’t really care about the Giants at all,” quarterback Rex Grossman said. “I care about our team and going out there and winning a division game, working your ass off all week and celebrating the fact that all that hard work you execute and win. That’s plenty of gratification.”

Washington’s (5-9) success on the field should not have surprised the Giants too much. They were coming off a 34-27 loss to the New England Patriots one week ago, and their offense was just as potent. The Redskins primary advantages came on third down (8-15) and ball control (35 minutes).

“We made some big plays on third downs,” Shanahan said. “I think that was the key to the first half.”

The Giants defense failed on a number of fronts during the Redskins’ first touchdown drive. A Jason Pierre-Paul sack set Washington back to 3^rd-and-17 on the their own 49. Grossman then found Donte Stallworth for 16 yards and Jabar Gaffney for seven on 4^th-and-1 to get a new set of downs. Six plays later, Grossman connected with Santana Moss from 20 yards out to put the Redskins up 10-0.

“One thing that Mike preaches to us is keeping our poise,” Stallworth said. “I think we did that today. We kept going and hung in there. The guys did a good job today.”

Washington added a second touchdown on their next drive, again thanks to a third-and-long conversion. With the ball on the Giants 22 and facing 3^rd-and-14, Grossman hit Gaffney for 16 yards. Fullback Darrel Young followed with a six-yard scamper into the end zone.

In the hole 17-0, the Giants were able to get on the scoreboard thanks to a 40-yard Lawrence Tynes field goal before heading into the locker rooms at the half. Tynes would miss from 44 with 5:28 left in the third. Meanwhile, Tynes’ counterpart, Graham Gano, was 3-for-3, including a 25-yarder to open the fourth quarter.

New York put together a 64-yard drive on their first possession of the fourth. Manning, however, was picked off by Redskins cornerback Josh Wilson in the left corner of the end zone on a pass intended for Mario Manningham. Manning (23-40, 257 yards) and Grossman (15-24, 185 yards, 1 touchdown) combined for five interceptions.

“I credit our offense for keeping us off the field, moving the ball and putting some points up,” linebacker Brian Orakpo said. “I credit our defense for having the opportunities and being able to stop them.”

The Redskins defense made their biggest stand with nine minutes remaining. With the ball on the Washington 4, Manning passed short to D.J. Ware at the goal line. Initially, the catch was ruled a touchdown, but it was reversed when replay showed Ware didn’t have possession until he was pushed out of the end zone. The next play, Manning got the ball to Nicks for a touchdown that was nullified because of an offensive holding penalty on David Diehl. Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan sacked Manning on 4^th-and-12 to all but end the Giants’ best and worst offensive performance of the afternoon.

“I think it was big because at that point they were down 23-3, so if they score it’s a different ball game,” linebacker London Fletcher said. “That was a big part of the game.”

New York finally added a touchdown with 33 seconds remaining. Ahmad Bradshaw’s three-yard score put the game at a more respectable final number. Inside the Giants locker room, that didn’t matter though.

“The Giants have really been our nemesis the last five or six years,” Fletcher said. “This year, to be able to sweep them means a lot.”

The Giants now face a must-win situation heading into a matchup against the in-house rival Jets on Christmas Eve. That would set up a Week 16 meeting at home against the Cowboys. A win then would send New York back to the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

Washington, meanwhile, has already been eliminated from postseason contention and are in the basement of the NFC East. The franchise was last in the playoffs in 2007.

“I don’t really have an opinion on who makes the playoffs,” Grossman said. “It just sucks that we’re not in it.”

The Giants could be saying the same thing next week.

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The following blog was being updated from the Press Box at MetLife Stadium during the Giants/Redskins game on Sunday, Dec. 18.

› Postgame: I spoke with Mike Shanahan, Rex Grossman, Brian Orapko, Donte Stallworth and London Fletcher after the game. Check back for a game story on Monday right here on CheapSeatsRadio.net and audio on ScottStanchak.com later tonight.

› Fourth Quarter: 23-10 Redskins – Graham Gano kicked a 25-yard field goal to open the fourth quarter. He hit from 43 and 36 earlier in the game…Manning was picked off a third time when he tried to reach Mario Manningham in the corner of the end zone. Redskins cornerback Josh Wilson made the pick and sent much of the crowd out of MetLife Stadium…Tight end Jake Ballard left the game with a knee sprain. He did not return…The Giants had two touchdowns overturned with just over nine minutes remaining. The first one when it was ruled that D.J. Ware didn’t have possession of the ball at the goal line. The second to Nicks that was nullified on a holding penalty charged to David Diehl…Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan both with sacks of Manning in the fourth…The Giants finally added a touchdown on a 3-yard run by Ahmad Bradshaw. The running back had scored a few plays earlier, but it was overturned when replay showed his knee was down.

› Third Quarter: 20-3 Redskins – Manning started off the second half similar to how Grossman did the first. On the second play, first passing, his deep pass intended for Nicks was intercepted by DeAngelo Hall. That set the ball up on the Giants 34 for Washington…Tynes missed left from 44 yards out to keep the Giants point total at just three…A weird sight at the half as Devin Thomas was being tended to on the field. A marching band came out to perform, but couldn’t do so with the cart and Thomas in their way. Thomas suffered a neck injury, but is said to be walking around.

› Second Quarter: 17-3 Redskins – Grossman was hoping to have a much better second quarter and was able to start it off on the right foot. He found Santana Moss in the end zone 20 yards away for the game’s first touchdown. At first it looked like Grossman was throwing the ball away, but it fell perfectly into the back corner of the end zone and into Moss’ arms…This game has been a defensive back’s dream. This time it was Manning who was intercepted down the field on a deep pass to Cruz. The ball was batted up in the air and fell into the arms of Oshiomogho Atogwe, who returned it 26 yards. The Giants challenged the call, but it was clearly a good pick…The Redskins scored for a third time, again thanks to a third-and-long conversion which set the ball up on the Giants six. Trying to catch New York off guard, Grossman handed the ball off to the fullback Darrel Young, who dragged a couple of defenders into the end zone with him, putting Washington up 17-0…New York was finally able to stop the Redskins on third and fourth downs near the two-minute warning. Manning took the Giants down the field, but they had to settle for a 40-yard field goal from Lawrence Tynes…The big stats are the ‘Skins are 6-for-9 on third down and have held the ball 20:26 of 30 minutes.

› First Quarter: 3-0 Redskins – It wasn’t at all an ideal start for the Redskins as Grossman was picked off on the game’s first play. Washington tried to use some trickery with a flea flicker, but Grossman grossly underthrew Santana Moss and Corey Webster nabbed it easily. The Redskins defense sent the Giants to three and out though to help make the mistake an afterthought…Outside of that interception, the Redskins have been able to move the ball through the air against the Giants defensive backs, who look to be playing pretty lax…New York could have had a pretty easy touchdown on a deep pass from Manning to an open Nicks, but the ball hit the wideout’s face with the sun in his eyes and bounced off his helmet about 10 yards in front of the end zone…Grossman is just making awful decisions on deep passes, as he had his second throw of the day plucked from the air, this time by Kenny Phillips. They should stick with the slants and short routes, both of which they’ve had mild success with in the early going…Add another sack to Pierre-Paul’s season total. The defensive end hit Grossman with just over two minutes to go and sent the Redskins to 3rd-and-17. Washington picked up 16 and went for it on 4th-and-1, converting on a short pass to Jabar Gaffney…The Redskins held the ball for nearly 11 minutes this quarter.

› Preview: The Dallas Cowboys win on Saturday night can be seen as a positive or a negative. The positive is it could motivate the New York Giants with the mindset that they have to win to stay tied with Dallas at the top of the NFC East. On the flip side, the added pressure can’t help. Then again, New York does have six comeback victories this season, so perhaps it does.

Sunday’s meeting against the Washington Redskins will not be an easy one. While the Redskins are only 4-9, but they are far from an easy win as their record depicts. Last week is a prime example as Washington took the hot New England Patriots down to the wire only to lose 34-27. The Redskins, who are known more for their defense, showed their offense has the ability to keep up with even the best teams.

New York’s toughest task will be stopping rooking running back Roy Helu, who has three straight 100 yard games. Helu wasn’t even a thought to get starting reps this season; however, Tim Hightower and Ryan Torain have both been injured late in the season. Helu had 100 yards against a very good New York Jets defense. That speaks volumes for his talent.

The Redskins’ quarterback situation is much less worrisome. Rex Grossman has top target Santana Moss back after a couple week injury layoff, but he lost his top target, Fred Davis, to a drug suspension. Grossman has the ability to surprise people moving the ball down the field. Where he can be caught though is the red zone, where he is turnover prone.

Grossman needs to worry most about defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. The sophomore has a great shot at picking up some Defensive Player of the Year honors with 12.5 sacks, 60 tackles and a number of huge blocks, including last Monday night against the Cowboys.

Eli Manning is having one of the best years of his career, thanks in part to wideout Victor Cruz. The two have connected for 1,150 yards and seven touchdowns. Manning has thrown for 25 touchdowns and 4,105 yards and has a 95.5 passer rating, nearly 13 points higher than his career average. With Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham also in the mix, the Giants should be able to work the ball downfield against the Redskins’ 13th ranked pass defense.

The Redskins would like nothing more than to sweep the season series — they took the Week 1 victory — and spoil the Giants’ season. New York knows what’s on the line. That’s a type of pressure they can definitely handle.

Prediction: Giants 24, Redskins 17

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Postgame: I spoke with Chiefs coach Todd Haley and the Jets’ Santonio Holmes, Jeremy Kerley, Matt Slauson, Antonio Cromartie and Aaron Maybin. Audio interviews will be posted on ScottStanchak.com later tonight, while a game feature will appear here on Monday.

Fourth Quarter: 37-10 Jets – This was by far the most complete victory of the season for the Jets. Their running and passing game was synchronized for a majority of the game. The defense did their job frustrating Palko and the rest of the Chiefs offense. While the blowout victory did come against the Chiefs, it certainly was a statement game about what this Jets team can do.

Palko did get the Chiefs into the end zone for the first time at 12:58 left in the fourth quarter when he hit wide receiver Jerheme Urban from 24 yards out. It was Urban’s eighth career touchdown and Palko’s second of the season.

The Chiefs tried to pull a fast one on the Jets on the kickoff after their touchdown. Kicker Ryan Succop was trying an onside kick, but practically whiffed on it, setting up the ball on their own 38. The Jets couldn’t muster anything and went for it on fourth down, but Sanchez was hit hard and fumbled the ball. That’s the downside to keeping your starting quarterback in the game in a blowout with about 10 minutes remaining. The Chiefs’ Derrick Johnson recovered the ball on their own 45, but they too faltered on fourth down, giving the ball back to New York.

After a beautiful punt by T.J. Conley that was stopped at the Jets 1, Sione Pouha stopped Chiefs running back Jackie Battle in the end zone for a safety with about 3:30 left. That sent most of the MetLife Stadium fans to their cars.

Third Quarter: 35-3 Jets – I thought the Chiefs would perhaps put together some resemblance of a drive here in the third. Kansas City started to on their second possession of the half, but a 13 yard sack by Eric Smith on third down shut the door on their attempts to score. Palko actually threw the ball pretty well, even connecting with Bowe for a 20 yard gain. I still think he needs to come out, but Chiefs coach Todd Haley might be scared to see Stanzi have to face this Jets defense.

Speaking of Haley, the Chiefs head coach picked up an unsportsmanlike conduct call. I don’t think I’ve seen that before, but there’s been a lot of that today. That same drive, the Chiefs were flagged for two pass interference calls, which helped land the ball on the Kansas City 4 for New York. The Jets would add their fifth touchdown on Sanchez’ second rushing score of the afternoon.

Second Quarter: 28-3 Jets – Bad news for the Jets as safety Jim Leonhard went down with a knee injury after picking off Palko. Leonhard was helped off the field, but carted to the locker room. He’s not going to return. The pick gave the Jets the ball on the Kansas City 38. New York was able to take advantage of that short field position and Sanchez tossed a 4 yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes to put them up 14-3.

Palko has looked completely lost out there throughout the first half. The Chiefs quarterback is only 3-for-8 for 11 yards and an interception. He’s also been sacked three times, including hard by Marcus Dixon and Pace on their second to last possession of the quarter. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw third-stringer Ricky Stanzi out there before the day is through.

The Jets running backs have had a ton of success today. Both Tomlinson and Greene added scores in this second quarter. They’re both the team’s leading rushers (Greene 12-for-67 and Tomlinson 7-for-15) and receivers (Greene 3-for-58 and Tomlinson 2-for-50).

This is the most completely showing of offense and defense the Jets have had thus far in 2011.

First Quarter: 7-3 Jets – The Jets started the game off one of the most unique ways I’ve ever seen in my years covering the NFL. They called a timeout before the first play from scrimmage. It was done to avoid a delay of game penalty, but still poor game management on Sanchez’ part, especially when the first 10 or so plays of the game are predetermined. Luckily, running back Shonn Greene busted off a 31 yard run on their first play. That set the momentum for the rest of the drive, which ended with a 1 yard touchdown scamper by Sanchez. The score featured one of the best fake handoffs I’ve ever seen. Not one Chiefs defender bit and Sanchez practically walked into the end zone.

Palko opened the game with three straight pass plays. His first was tipped by Calvin Pace, second completed to Bowe and third nearly intercepted. That three-play set was very surprising considering how well respected the Jets defensive backs are.

Preview: The Jets are in the middle of a cluster of 7-5 AFC teams vying for a playoff spot. With only four games left, every win helps. That’s why facing the Kansas City Chiefs couldn’t have come at a better time.

The Chiefs enter Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium off a big win against the Chicago Bears. It was a spectacular defensive showing for the Chiefs, who held Chicago to three points and Pittsburgh to only 13 one week earlier. The Jets have more weapons than both the Bears and Steelers so even if they can post 14 on the scoreboard, their defense should be able to hold the unspectacular Chiefs offense to no more than a dozen.

Kansas City’s offensive problems stem heavily from the loss of quarterback Matt Cassel and running back Jamaal Charles earlier in the season. Charles’ absence means Jets fans will see more of former back Thomas Jones. Wideout Dwayne Bowe is the team’s top offensive threat; however, he has no one that can get him the ball consistently. The Chiefs have been using quarterback Tyler Palko and will have to do so again against the Jets. The team had claimed Kyle Orton off waivers, but he hurt his finger in last week’s game and is listed as inactive. Palko, whose first two starts were on Monday and Sunday Night Football, has thrown just one touchdown compared to six interceptions in three starts. Jets corners Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie could have a field day against Palko.

New York has won two straight, both by close margins — the Washington victory was closer than the 34-19 final. But let’s be honest: Mark Sanchez has gotten the job done. He may not put up great fantasy numbers or make it look pretty, but the guy knows how to win. That’s something many teams in the league struggle to find behind center.

This contest is one the Jets can’t lose and much of the weight falls on Sanchez’ shoulders. With no offense for the Chiefs, the Jets defense should be able to post great numbers against them. That means Sanchez just needs to put a couple of scores on the board, head to the locker room and call it a day. I know it always doesn’t look that easy for Sanchez, but this one will.

Prediction: Jets 27, Chiefs 10

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The Green Bay Packers knocked off the New York Giants, 38-35, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. on Sunday. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers led his team 67 yards in 55 seconds to set up Mason Crosby’s 30-yard field goal as time expired. The win helped improve the Packers to a perfect 12-0 with only four games remaining in the regular season.

“Some teams would be like, ‘we don’t have enough time,” said tight end Jermichael Finley. “That’s almost too much time for us.”

The Giants tied the game at 35 with 58 seconds left on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Hakeem Nicks. Rodgers got the ball back and went 4 of 4 to set up Crosby’s game-winning kick.

“The two minute drive is something we practice every week,” said Packers head coach Mike McCarthy. “It was a drive that we needed. It was something that Aaron Rodgers, I think, does an excellent job of.”

Rodgers began the drive with a 24 yard pass play to Finley. A 27-yard grab by Jordy Nelson on the following snap set Green Bay up on the Giants 29, and within Crosby’s range. The Packers were able to get two more plays off though, a short pass to Brandon Saine for a 1-yard loss and an 18-yard haul by Jennings.

“I don’t think there was any hoopla in going out there,” said Nelson. “Everyone got in the huddle, Aaron called the play and we went and ran it.”

“We knew what kind of game it was going to be.” said Rodgers. “The Giants are a very good football team, very well coached, a lot of veteran guys on that team. We knew it was going to be a tough game.”

The Giants (6-6) took the lead on the game’s opening drive when Manning hit reserve tight end Travis Beckum on a 67-yard scoring play. Green Bay countered seven minutes later on a 12 yard Rodgers to Finley connection.

In the second quarter, with the Giants up 10-7, Manning was picked off by Packers linebacker Clay Matthews on a pass intended for running back Ahmad Bradshaw. Matthews ran the ball 38 yards untouched for the score. Matthews also had a sack and forced fumble in the game.

New York took the lead again on a 1-yard touchdown run by Brandon Jacobs at 6:44 in the second quarter. Green Bay headed to the locker room at the half with the lead though when Rodgers found wideout Donald Driver from 13 yards out.

The heavyweight back and forth battling continued in the third quarter with the Packers striking first. Rodgers and Jennings combined on a 20 yard touchdown to give Green Bay the 28-17 lead. New York closed the gap to four on a 4-yard touchdown catch by Nicks on their next drive.

Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes’ 50 yard field goal brought New York within one with just under 11 minutes remaining. Seven minutes later, Rodgers connected with Driver for the second time on the afternoon to put the Packers up 35-27. Nicks’ second touchdown catch came another 2:36 off the clock.

“We were hoping to put them away early in the fourth,” said Rodgers. “But Eli played pretty well and put them in a position to tie the thing up.”

Manning finished 23 of 40 with three touchdowns, an interceptions and 347 yards. His counterpart ended the day 28 of 46 with four touchdowns, an interception and 369 yards. Giants wideout Victor Cruz led all receivers with 119 yards, while Nelson and Jennings each racked up 94 for Green Bay.

Sunday was the first time this season the Packers have had to run a hurry-up offense in the final minute of play. Nelson doesn’t think that lack of in-game, late-game experience could have hurt them.

“I think no difference because we have confidence in what we do,” said Nelson. “We work on it every week. We know what we can do. We expect each other to make plays and we did it.”

“We have a lot of time invested and haven’t had that type of situation come up in some time,” said McCarthy. “We did a great job running the drill and managing the ball. Receivers made the right route adjustments. It was just a classic two minute drive. It was awesome.”

When asked where this game ranks this season, Rodgers called it the toughest.

“Probably right at the top,” the NFL MVP frontrunner said. “I can’t think of another team that played us this well on both sides of the ball. The Chargers game was close. We really had a good rhythm. The Giants defense did a good job of getting us out of some stuff and hitting me a number of times. We just ran enough plays in the end to get the job done.”

The Packers have Oakland, Kansas City, Chicago and Detroit remaining on their schedule before they can write 16-0 into the record books. Jennings, who has suited up for the Packers six seasons, said he isn’t ready to classify where this season stacks up just yet.

“Right now is one of the better seasons we’re having,” Jennings said. “None of this really matters at all. We know that because of what we were able to accomplish last year.”

An undefeated season would only add the icing on top of the cake to back-to-back Super Bowl titles.

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