By PAUL SCHWARTZ
Last updated: 9:26 am
October 28, 2008
Posted: 2:49 am
October 28, 2008
For a team coming off the highest of highs after outlasting the rugged Steelers, there's nothing more intoxicating than the chance to finish off the despised Cowboys.
That's the next challenge awaiting the surging Giants, who Sunday at Giants Stadium get to pile more misery on a Dallas team bumping along without Tony Romo and sagging under the weight of great expectations.
MORE: Romo-less Cowboys Using Blue Collar Strategy
"They hate us, we hate them," Justin Tuck said, aptly summarizing this bitter long-term relationship.
The hostility was not nearly as evident in Pittsburgh, where the Giants amid playoff-type intensity came back to beat the Steelers 21-14. On their way into the visitors' locker room at Heinz Field, general manager Jerry Reese was there to shake the hand of every player and coach, saving a quick hug and hearty back-slap for a few select individuals. In every corner of the large room, the laughter and outward sense of accomplishment served as a reminder that even Super Bowl champions are capable of finding new mountains to climb.
"To go into that stadium and to beat them at a point where they're playing well, it was definitely a huge win and we're definitely excited about it," defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka said yesterday.
The Giants might not want to come down with the arrival of the Cowboys in the first NFC East clash since the Giants beat the Redskins in the season opener.
"If we take it as we should, a good victory, something we can build on, then yeah, it definitely will help propel us to next week," Kiwanuka said.
"I would not think there would be any kind of letdown," said Tom Coughlin. "You're talking about only our second divisional game and it is the Dallas Cowboys that are coming off a win. I would think we'll be very excited about the game."
The Giants (6-1) know they can put some real distance between themselves and the Cowboys (5-3) in a division where the Giants remain in first place, but not by much over the Redskins (6-2), with the Eagles (4-3) also lurking.
"It will continue to be that way, I would imagine, right till the very end of the season," Coughlin said of the tight race.
Perhaps not, if the Giants attend to business against the team they ousted from last season's playoffs with an upset at Texas Stadium. The Cowboys are in survival mode until after this game, when their bye week arrives and they can regroup and welcome back Romo from a broken pinkie. Without him, they've at times been unwatchable on offense, with 40-year old Brad Johnson laboring as the fill-in starter. Johnson threw for 122 yards in a 13-9 victory over the Buccaneers and of his 33 attempts, only five were thrown more than 10 yards and his longest completion was a mere 14 yards. Dink, meet dunk.
It's been so bad, there are rumblings in Dallas that Johnson is on a short leash, with Jets castoff Brooks Bollinger waiting in the wings.
The Cowboys paid for beating Tampa. They lost starting cornerback Anthony Henry to a thigh contusion and he's doubtful to face the Giants. Henry's loss would be critical, as already, two other cornerbacks - Terence Newman and Adam Jones - are out of commission. The Cowboys would be left with rookies Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick and second-year Alan Ball as their top three corners. The other potentially damaging injury is to Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten, who was forced out with a rib injury and said "I'm hoping for the best."
It all adds up for an exciting time for the Giants.
"We just beat a good, hard-fighting, fourth-quarter fighting football team," Brandon Jacobs said. "We got a lot of knock down, drag down guys on this team that want to get it done."
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