...posted by Anthony De Rosa...
The loss to the Green Bay Packers back on September 16th, the second game of the season was something of a turning point. Brandon Jacobs and Ryan Grant did not even play. Eli Manning feared he might miss a month with a shoulder injury.
After the loss, the Giants never looked back, and began a run to and through the playoffs, which now has them facing the opportunity to go to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2000.
September 16th was a long time ago, and as David Picker writes in The New York Times, these are two very different teams now.
The Giants have lost Jeremy Shockey to injury and replaced him with Kevin Boss. Michael Strahan, who wavered before deciding to return this season, is relishing his role as the veteran anchor of the Giants 5th ranked defense, playing alongside the best defensive end in the league, Osi Umenyiora.
Amani Toomer and Steve Smith have stepped up and contributed after the early part of the season was dominated by Plaxico Burress. Perhaps most surprisingly, the Giants found that there is life after Tiki Barber, as Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw have combined forces with two very different styles of attack.
Last but certainly not least, Eli Manning threw his best game to date this year, nearly ending the Patriots perfect season. He has yet to throw an interception in the playoffs and proven he has to poise to rise to the occasion in big games. In fact, he seems to thrive under the pressure of playing in a no-huddle offense.
The Packers have seen the renaissance of ageless Brett Favre, and the emergence of Ryan Grant. Their explosive offense is second only to the New England Patriots.
The Giants will face another turning point in their season on Sunday, against the same team they faced when they turned their season around in the first place. Two very different teams than who they were last time they faced each other, with a chance to turn their season into something very special.
ShareThis