For The New York Giants, It's Time To Sink Or Swim

Last week, the Giants were tossed from their cozy little boat named Victory .

In the three weeks prior to their horrific loss in New Orleans, Eli Manning and the Giants steamrolled their way through Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Oakland.

Big deal.

Tim Tebow and the University of Florida could have probably steamrolled their way through Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Oakland.

The Giants’ first true test since they took the field at the new $1.3 billion Cowboys Stadium in Week 2 came last week in New Orleans; and they failed miserably.

Manning threw for just 178 yards, Jacobs and Bradshaw combined to rush for just 81 yards, and Drew Brees mopped up the end zones with the Giants secondary.

It’s now time for the Giants to sink or swim.

Prior to the New Orleans debacle, the Giants were considered by many to be the best team in the NFC.

That’s no longer the case.

But, as we all know, the NFL season is a long and grueling test. This isn’t college football, where one loss can end your entire season.

However, the way the Giants bounce back this evening against a good Arizona Cardinals team will say a lot about what we can expect from the team for the remainder of the season.

In recent years, the Giants could be considered a streaky football team.  

Last season, the Giants were 11-1 when they lost to the Eagles at home in Week 14.

That single loss changed the entire complexion of the season.

They lost the next week to Dallas, then barely snuck by Carolina in overtime in Week 16 before finishing off the regular season with 20-19 loss in Minnesota to the Vikings.  

In stark contrast to their 2007 Super Bowl run, the Giants limped into the 2008 playoffs and were handily defeated by the Eagles 23-11 in the divisional round.

Up until last week, the Giants had been virtually untested. The next five games will be one long test.

After taking on Arizona this evening, they will face off against Philadelphia, San Diego, Atlanta and Denver over the next five weeks (with a bye mixed in). These are all very good teams.

It’s only October. But the Giants are already at a crossroads, and the way they come out and perform this evening against the Cardinals could be a defining moment of the 2009 season.