The Giants showed up to class Monday night and went unnoticed.
In fact, I didn't care.
The result was an electric, scintillating finish that lit up the Meadowlands night with the Giants No. 24 and Packers No. 22 on the scoreboard at MetLife Stadium, giving once-wary fans a chance to dream, even if just for a moment. Now you can see.
Left on the side of the road in Texas after a 49-17 loss to Dallas last month, the Giants are on a three-game winning streak and are now 5-8, surprisingly one game out of the playoffs.
play off?
Is it unrealistic?
probably. But still, it's not dead yet.
Most Giants fans understandably appreciate the storybook Tommy, who went from emergency duty on the practice squad to a 3-1 starter and now has a legitimate NFL career. Blindly drunk on the euphoria surrounding DeVito's story.
But let's not forget the Giants' defense either.
Tommy D and the offense won't be able to enjoy the chicken cutlet sub without the Giants' D.
“We didn't start the season the way we wanted,” Giants cornerback Adoree' Jackson told the Post amid a raucous locker room commotion. “And it's our responsibility to control and change the narrative.”
Remember when it was reported that Wink Martindale would be kicked out of the jersey by Brian Daboll before the end of this season?
Seems like a long time ago.
Now, Giants defensive coordinator Martindale might get a raise before Christmas because of his defensive play on Monday night.
“We’re going to go with what the defense is doing,” guard Justin Pugh said. “Our defense was unbelievable. Turnovers. Big stops. Needless to say, they did that, and we put them in some bad spots. This is the team here. . This is a team and we compete every week.”
Martindale's defense forced Green Bay into two turnovers. Kayvon Thibodeau ripped the ball out of the arms of Packers quarterback Jordan Love. Jason Pinnock picked off the love pass. With the Giants holding a 21-13 lead in the fourth quarter, rookie cornerback Deonte Banks intercepted a love pass to Samori Toure in the end zone and forced a field goal for the Packers with 5:30 remaining.
There was much more in between.
And now look what we're getting: a big game for the Giants in December.
That was an unthinkable thought after a blowout loss to the Cowboys that nearly swallowed DeVito.
Following NFC division leaders Dallas, Detroit, San Francisco and Tampa Bay, the first two of the three wild-card teams are Philadelphia at 10-3 and Minnesota at 7-6.
Next up are five teams at 6-7: the Packers, Falcons, Rams, Seahawks and Saints, who the Giants will face on Sunday in New Orleans.
The Giants have emerged as a playoff contender even without starting quarterback Daniel Jones (who missed the season with a knee injury) and backup Tyrod Taylor (who just returned from a rib injury). Turn on the TV screen.
“We have one game left,” Thibodeau said. “We have to keep doing this.”
A win in the Big Easy Sunday and who knows where it will lead them.
I wonder what would have happened if Taylor's brain hadn't froze at the end of the first half in the Giants' 14-9 loss to Buffalo, or if Graham Gano had made a brainless field goal on the road. I am made to do so. The Jets lost 13-10 in overtime.
Of course, they can't do that, but if they reverse these two outcomes, the Giants aren't just “in the hunt,” they're now a playoff team.
Sure, DeVito made a remarkable discovery, but that defense. The Giants have forced 11 turnovers, including nine interceptions, in their past three games.
“We're just playing with high expectations and a great performance,” linebacker Bobby Okereke said.
Okereke called the series of forced turnovers “huge” and “contagious.”
“The players are doing a great job flying for the ball, getting the ball, getting picks, applying with great awareness and expectations,” he said. “Wink has been a big part of our defensive success all season. We're playing with a lot of confidence right now and a lot of anticipation and situational awareness, and that's down to Wink and him. It's a testament to how they're preparing us.”
When asked about Martindale, Thibodeau said, “If this were Madden, I would play Madden, as Wink calls the game.”
The Packers entered this game in the thick of NFC wild-card playoff contention with a three-game winning streak and a 6-6 record, but thought they would be a little more resilient than the Commanders (4-9) and Patriots. (3-10), victims of the previous two giants.
Love had some comparisons to his famous predecessor, Aaron Rodgers. The Packers entered the night as 6 1/2-point favorites, but limped away after being overwhelmed by the Giants' defense.
Suddenly, the damage control for the Daboll-Martindale rift seemed to evaporate into the cold Monday night in the Meadowlands.
