Giants vs Patriots: 5 Things We Learned from New York's 24-20 Win

Improbable. Incredible. Unbelievable. Remarkable. Elite. Whatever word you want to use to describe it, the bottom line is the New York Giants 24-20 win over the New England Patriots left you speechless.

One of the more boring games of the year turned in to an exciting game of who was going to get the ball last, and wouldn't you know it? No. 85 haunts the Patriots once again.

Jake Ballard, who now wears the same number David Tyree wore in Super Bowl XLII, had the two biggest plays of the game.

On a 3rd-and-10 on the final drive, Ballard made an unbelievable catch in traffic to extend the drive that had the announcers reminding us of Tyree's catch in the Super Bowl. Then on 3rd-and-goal from the 1-yard line he made the game winning touchdown catch with 15 seconds to play.

Apparently whoever wears No. 85 steps up against the Patriots.

All that said, here are five things we learned from this game.

Jake Ballard Is Better Than Kevin Boss

Jake Ballard may not be one of the best tight ends in the league, but he's proven time and time again this season that he can be everything Kevin Boss was and more.

The introduction slide pretty much sums up his impact on the game, but for those stat gurus, he had four catches for 67 yards and a touchdown.

The Defense Took a Huge Step Forward

Probably lost in this game with all the fourth quarter excitement is the fact that the Giants held the Patriots to 20 points and forced four turnovers.

It was a huge step forward in their development and confidence with big tests in the coming weeks. If they can build on this performance, they may not be as bad off as we think.

Brandon Jacobs Walked the Walk

For all the smack I talked about Brandon Jacobs last week, he certainly impressed me against the Patriots. He ran hard, downhill and with passion.

It was the first such showing by Jacobs this season.

He finished with 18 carries for 72 yards and a touchdown, a respectable performance that allowed the Giants to open it up with play action.

The Giants Need Hakeem Nicks

Apart from the great fourth quarter by the Giants offense, it was abundantly clear they missed Hakeem Nicks. Eli Manning dropped back several times only to be forced in to a bad throw or a sack because no one could get open.

Hopefully he comes back next week after getting a good rest watching this game from home.

Eli Manning Is C.L.U.T.C.H

This is more of a reminder for us Giants fans, but for those of you who don't know Eli Manning is one of the more clutch quarterbacks we have in the NFL.

He leads the NFL in QB rating in the fourth quarter this season and has five (count em) fourth-quarter comeback wins.

So in five of their six wins, the Giants have been losing in the fourth and came away victorious—that's pretty damn good.

All week we were forced to listen to the so-called experts bring up Eli's comments as to whether or not he was in Tom Brady's class.

I wouldn't stack their careers up against each other, but as far as 2011 goes it's a lot closer than everyone thinks. 

Life is good for the Giants—they have a two-game lead in the NFC East and are now brimming with confidence. Hopefully they keep it going.