What Should We Make of These New York Giants?

Being entrenched firmly in Redskins land, it's not as hard as you might think to find fellow New York Giants fans. Washington D.C., by its nature, is filled with transients from all over this great land, and it seems as NFC East fans find their way here quite easily.

So as I watched Game Seven of the Sox/Rays series (another article for another time), I found myself striking up a conversation with a fellow next to me in a Giants cap.

Maybe it was the tall Miller Lite drafts, maybe it was the slow realization that the Red Sox would not be going to the World Series, but the conversation left me with a slightly empty feeling.

I don't have any reason to complain. After all, the Giants won the greatest Super Bowl of my lifetime a mere eight months ago. But that doesn't mean you don't want to win it all next year.

But what I'm afraid of is this: That this year's Giants, without defensive anchors Osi and Strahan, might be stuck in the worst situation possible for a football fan.

The lukewarm stew of mediocrity.

Fans and alums of Virginia Tech will recognize this. For most of my college years, Tech used to destroy the Marshalls, Western Kentuckys, and Ohio States of the NCAA world, but falter when given a chance at home against Miami or Georgia Tech.

And that's where I think these Giants could be.

I wasn't afraid until this week. The game against the Redskins worried me, but seeing as they beat every other NFC East team, I consider that game to be a positive thing.

The game against the Bengals made me slightly apprehensive, but it also showed me that the Giants could quell what I thought was a potent passing attack (a must have in a division with Tony Romo, Donovan McNabb, and a rapidly maturing Jason Campbell), and they could pull out a gutty win in OT, no matter who the opponent.

The game against the Seahawks had me very worried. Tom Coughlin-led teams don't fare well post-bye, but the Giants took care of business and then some, and they even gave those brave fantasy football teams who drafted David Carr (all three of them) some extra points.

But they came out and performed better than a contender should do. They performed like a Super Bowl champ. They had lethal execution, attacks from the air and ground, and all this done without a main weapon.

Then came the fiasco last week. While the Giants weren't going to go 16-0, they let Anderson, Edwards, and Co. have season (or career) days, and as yesterday's 'Skins-Browns game showed, the Browns aren't experiencing a resurgence.

So what should we make of these Giants? They won yesterday, but not in any sort of convincing fashion. Eli was back in his efficient mode, throwing to Plax for a TD, and letting Jacobs do the rest.

That's the way I like them to play. Eli shouldn't be counted on to win a game. He has been in the past, and he has failed, and succeeded, but as much as I like him, he still doesn't have my trust the way that Tom Brady and Peyton have.

So are the Giants destined for a 9-7 or 8-8 season and a first round exit?

Or can they turn on the jets just in time to play the Steelers, Cowboys, and Eagles?

Because if they expect do make a dent in the playoffs, they need to win two out of those three. The rest of the schedule is favorable, but I need a good win over a good team, preferably a division foe, before I start to believe.

Then again, I didn't believe last year, and look what happened.