Coughlin's Gamble Mostly Pays Off, But Giants Learn the Game's Only Beginning When You Get a Late Lead on the Patriots

Some quick thoughts on Patriots-Giants on the train ride home from New York...

* It was one of the best games of the season, thanks to the decision by Giants Coach Tom Coughlin to play his regulars the whole way. Coughlin's gamble paid off. Yes, the Giants lost and they got four players hurt--center Shaun O'Hara, linebacker Kawika Mitchell, safety Craig Dahl and cornerback Sam Madison--in the process. But those probably weren't players that you would have sat down even if you'd scaled things back. Coughlin escaped with Eli Manning, Brandon Jacobs, Plaxico Burress, Osi Umenyiora, Michael Strahan and Antonio Pierce unscathed. And the Giants right now can feel a whole lot better about themselves than they could 24 hours ago, after pushing the Patriots to the absolute limit and seeing Manning perform so well under such a bright spotlight.

*What you have to know to beat the Patriots is that you first have to find a way to build a late lead, THEN you need to bear down, get serious and play even better because that's what the Patriots will do when they fall behind. The Giants became the fourth team this season to have a fourth-quarter lead over the Patriots. But just like the Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens, they couldn't finish. And if you're ahead, you'd better cover Randy Moss because Tom Brady will be looking his way for a big play. It seems obvious but apparently some opponents haven't figured that out yet.

By Mark Maske |  December 30, 2007; 12:33 PM ET  | Category:  Giants , Patriots
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Posted by: delOH | December 31, 2007 9:12 AM

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