Week 13 Picks: Can New York Giants Summon the Ghost of Kent Graham?

The New York Giants have a bit of a track record when it comes to dealing with undefeated teams in the latter stages of the season.

Everyone remembers Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Ariz., in February 2008, when the underdog Giants got a miracle escape from Eli Manning, an even bigger miracle catch from David Tyree and a touchdown with 39 seconds left from Manning to a pre-gunshot Plaxico Burress to upset the 18-0 New England Patriots, 17-14.

But with the 11-0 Green Bay Packers coming to MetLife Stadium on Sunday to take on the slumping Giants, I am reminded of another matchup with an unbeaten squad.

On Dec. 13, 1998, the 13-0 Denver Broncos—the defending Super Bowl champions—came to Giants Stadium to take on the 5-8 Giants, a team that had won the NFC East the season before, but had slumped badly in 1998. Before beating the Arizona Cardinals the week before the Denver game, Big Blue had dropped four of five to all but eliminate themselves from playoff contention.

There was no reason to think, other than the axiom of “Any given Sunday,” that the Giants would have a chance against the Broncos, even as Denver had not been playing particularly well coming into the Meadowlands.

Denver wound up the season with the second-ranked offense in the NFL. The Giants offense was mostly offensive in 1998, winding up ranked 29^th in a 30-team league.

But who knew that on this particular Sunday afternoon in December 13 years ago, a journeyman quarterback named Kent Graham would outdo John Elway in the fourth-quarter heroics department?

The Giants had taken the lead in the second quarter when Graham hooked up with his third-down back, Tiki Barber, for a 21-yard touchdown to make the score 10-6.

Denver scored the only points of the third quarter on a Jason Elam field goal to cut New York’s lead to 10-9 but Brad Daluiso countered with an extra-point length field goal after a Giants drive stalled at the Denver 2-yard line to make it 13-9.

The Broncos got the ball with 7:36 to play and Elway did what Elway was famous for doing. He marched his team 76 yards, capped by a 27-yard run by Terrell Davis, and Denver led 16-13 with 4:08 to go.

The Giants turned to Graham, a quarterback who hadn’t been able to beat out Danny Kanell in training camp. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Graham handed the ball to running back Gary Brown, who entered the huddle with no fumbles in 807 career carries.

Make it one in 808.

Denver recovered and appeared destined to run out the clock to set up a showdown in Miami on the following Monday night against the Dolphins and the ghosts of the undefeated 1972 team.

With help from an offsides call against the Giants, Denver needed one more first down to run out the clock, but on third down, the Broncos gave the ball to fullback Howard Griffith. Griffith lost five yards and Big Blue had life.

After Denver punted, the Giants were 65 yards away with 1:49 left and no timeouts. Graham completed two passes to get the ball into Bronco territory and then found Amani Toomer in the back of the end zone. In these days before instant replay, two officials came together, looked at each other in horror of getting the call wrong, and signaled touchdown.

Video showed they were correct, that Toomer had gotten both feet in bounds on the catch. Elway’s Hail Mary fell incomplete and with that, the Giants had scored an improbable—some might say inexplicable—win.

Food for thought as the unbeaten, defending Super Bowl Packers come to town on Sunday. Can lightning strike twice? Hey, considering it’s a different stadium, lightning wouldn’t even have to hit the same place again, right?

And with that, here are this week’s picks against the spread, with home teams in CAPS:

SEAHAWKS (+3) over Eagles (Thursday night): Michael Vick won’t play, LeSean McCoy is banged up and I am—for the second straight week—picking Tarvaris Jackson. I may be nearing the point of needing an intervention.

Titans (+3) over BILLS: Buffalo was feisty in defeat at the Jets last week, but this team is sinking faster than Herman Cain’s presidential campaign.

Chiefs (+7) over BEARS: The backup bowl! Based on what I saw last week, Tyler Palko and Caleb Hanie may be incapable of getting this game to a seven-point margin.

DOLPHINS (-3) over Raiders: I realize the 49ers have defied the logic on this one, but I continue to live my life leery of two things: West Coast teams playing the early games in the east and Carson Palmer on the road.

Broncos (+1) over VIKINGS: Getting points with the Fighting Tebows? Sign me up!

PATRIOTS (-21) over Colts: Dan Orlovsky has a shot at infamy. Wouldn’t you just love to be the guy who started at quarterback for the only two 0-16 teams in NFL history?

Bengals (+7) over STEELERS: I like the Steelers in this matchup, I really do—but not by a whole touchdown.

BUCCANEERS (-3) over Panthers: This game has that sort of movable object vs. resistible force feel to it.

Jets (-3) over REDSKINS: Mark Sanchez vs. Rex Grossman and let the misfires fly!

Falcons (-3) over TEXANS: I love underdog stories. I just don’t like to bet on them. C.J. Yates stepping in for the injured Matt Leinart who stepped in for the injured Matt Schaub is not something I want to commit to.

BROWNS (+7) over Ravens: Cam Cameron forgets he has a Pro Bowl running back way too often and I like Cleveland to keep it close at home. This has 9-6 written all over it.

GIANTS (+8) over Packers: At least until they got to the Superdome, the one thing the Giants can do well is pressure the passer and Green Bay’s line is vulnerable. Plus, getting more than a touchdown at home is hard to pass up.

Cowboys (-5) over CARDINALS: The hottest team in the NFC East stays that way.

49ERS (-14) over Rams: Double-digit spreads usually scare me. Then I remembered that I have seen the Rams play this year.

Lions (+9) over SAINTS: New Orleans wins—just not by more than a touchdown, Suh or no Suh.

Chargers (-3) over JAGUARS: The team with the six-game losing streak is favored on the road. In a related story, ESPN may be in the market for a new Monday Night Football scheduler this offseason.

Last Week: 9-5-2
Season: 96-69-10