NFL: Ho-Ho-Home Field

Let’s be honest here, what did you think was more likely, Jimmy Hoffa rising out of his home beneath The Meadowlands, declaring he’s been hiding under the turf for the past 25 years, or the New York Giants having the best record in the NFC at the end of the season? I know, I thought Hoffa might have been alive as well, but it turns out he’s still missing, much to the delight of the Mafia.

However, the Giants, a team that was picked to finish in the bottom half of the NFC East, claimed the top seed in the playoffs with yesterday’s 28-25 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Five weeks ago, after a disheartening loss to the Detroit Lions at home, the Giants record stood at 7-4, and a promising start had begun to fizzle as both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins passed them in the standings. Two consecutive home losses to the Lions and the St. Louis Rams (minus Marshall Faulk and Kurt Warner) clearly became too much for the mild-mannered Fassel to take.

A seething Fassel boldly guaranteed that his team would make the playoffs, challenging them to play up to their capabilities. After two seasons of not making the playoffs, several experts mused that Fassel’s prediction was hollow, as it was of no risk to himself.

If the Giants once again failed to reach the postseason, he would most likely be fired anyway.

Fassel’s rookie season as head coach came in 1997, when he led the G-Men to a 10-5-1 record and a division championship. However, his team struggled in both the ‘98 and ‘99 seasons, compiling a 15-17 record, failing to make the postseason either year.

Five weeks after Fassel’s guarantee, the Giants are, according to record, the best team in the NFC. Five consecutive victories over the Arizona Cardinals, Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, and Jaguars, leave the Giants with a record of 12-4, their best showing since the 1990 Super Bowl championship team went 13-3.

Statistically speaking, the Giants are not in the class of the Minnesota Vikings or the Rams, particularly on offense. They don’t have that one superstar player that instills fear into opposing teams. However, what the G-Men do have is a balanced attack, which produced a respectable average of 333.5 total yards per game on offense, tied for sixth with the Green Bay Packers in the NFC.

Quarterback Kerry Collins rewarded the Giants for signing him to a contract last year by passing for 3,610 yards along with 22 touchdown passes. The total passing yardage was the most by a Giants quarterback since Phil Simms threw for 3,359 during the 1988 campaign. A strong running game tandem of Tiki Barber and 1999 Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne, who totaled 1006 and 770 yards rushing respectively, enabled Collins to achieve success throwing the ball. The solid one-two receiving corps punch of Amani Toomer (1094 yards) and Ike Hilliard (787 yards) led the Giants, as the two combined for 15 TDs.

However, when speaking about the Giants, one thing they always have been know for is defense, and the 2000 season was no exception. Led by linebacker and Pro-Bowler Jesse Armstead, defensive end Michael Strahan, and rejuvenated defensive tackle Keith Hamilton, New York’s defense held opponents to 10 points or less in seven of the 16 games.

Fiery defensive coordinator John Fox, fast becoming one of the most respected coaches in the NFL, consistently pushed his unit to clamp down, and the results were staggering. Allowing an NFC best 281.3 total yards per game, including a ridiculously low 72.4 yards on the ground, enabled the Giants to overcome some of their inadequacies on offense. The New York defense allowed an average of only 15.4 points per game, also lowest in the conference.

Despite having the best record in the NFC and home-field advantage, many experts and fans still don’t expect the Giants to go very far in the playoffs. With teams such as the Rams and Vikings powered by such potent offenses, it is easy to see why New York might have trouble. While it’s true that their defense was the stingiest in the conference, the one weakness of the unit is the secondary, and with receivers such as Isaac Bruce of St. Louis and Randy Moss of Minnesota possibly looming, the Giants task is obviously monumental.

Fassel noted recently, that when he made his prediction several weeks ago, making the playoffs was not the end of the line. The Giants have since won the NFC East, secured a first round bye, as well as home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Their first game is not for another two weeks, which will give them time to rest and heal, particularly Barber, who sprained his toe in yesterday’s victory.

Perhaps the Giants are not as dominant as they appear, but don’t try telling that to the players. Hamilton for one, believes New York is where they are at for a reason, and he doesn’t care what anyone else thinks, “Nobody ever thought we would be here....We’re just going to keep playing hard, and they can doubt us all the way to Tampa.”

New York will have a tough road ahead in order to be a participant in Super Bowl XXXV, but they’ve been underdogs all year and succeeded. Nobody, this author included, believed the Giants would accomplish what they have so far, but the playoffs are a time when anything can and usually does happen.

The Giants, a team that makes its home in the swamps of Jersey, have a chance to quiet their critics who have been hounding them since training camp. Maybe it’s a bit too harsh to slam the critics, as even the most die-hard Giants fans never could have envisioned a season such as this. What’s that you say....you expected the Giants to play like this?? Yeah, right...and Jimmy Hoffa has seats on the 50-yard line at The Meadowlands. Strike that analogy...he probably does...well, UNDER the 50-yard line.