NFL Week 14: New York Giants Hope History Repeats Itself This Weekend in Dallas

When the New York Giants travel to Dallas this Sunday, they'll be looking to ignite the same flame that sparked New York's 2007 Super Bowl run.

Back in 2007, the Giants faced off against the then-15-0 New England Patriots, nearly upsetting them by a score of 38-35.  Although New York was unable to hand the Patriots their first loss of the season, they gained confidence from sticking with Brady and the Pats until the final down.

From there, the Giants surged through the playoffs, upsetting Dallas and Green Bay on the road, which ultimately culminated in a Super Bowl XLII victory over New England.

Last week, however, the Giants' defeat at the hands of the Green Bay Packers was extremely reminiscent of their end-of-the-season loss to that undefeated New England team in 2007, especially since they also lost by a score of 38-35. 

Like New England in 2007, Green Bay is also undefeated, and it appears that the Giants have gained some confidence from hanging with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Packer's offense, just as they did in 2007 against Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

Following the loss to Green Bay, Giants quarterback Eli Manning confirmed the energy gained from the loss, saying, "I think in the locker room, guys are obviously disappointed with the loss, but there was a little sense of energy, a sense of, 'Hey, we can get this thing going now.'"

The Giants' defense was in no way great, but it was something to build off of.  After being dormant the past few weeks, the Giants' front four recorded two sacks and six hits on Rodgers, helping Chase Blackburn secure Rodger's fifth interception of the season.  

This weekend in Dallas, the Giants are looking for another road victory over their rival the Dallas Cowboys to propel themselves into the playoffs.  New York currently sits at 6-6, with Dallas leading the NFC East at 7-5.

A Giants win on Sunday would force a tie in the NFC East, with a Week 17 showdown in New York possibly deciding the fate of the Giants.

For New York to beat the Cowboys, they'll need to bring a strong pass rush and their high-powered offense to Dallas, with the latter not being much of an issue for the Giants this season.