Upset of Eagles gives Tuck confidence

PHILADELPHIA

Football players being the tough guys they are, you don't find them admitting to things like this. So when Giants defensive end Justin Tuck, one of the toughest guys in the game, concedes that doubts were starting to creep inside the locker room because of the rash of injuries from the start of the preseason, it's a big deal. Especially when everyone around him kept insisting everything was fine.

This was a few minutes after the Giants pulled off a 29-16 upset of the heavily favored Eagles, the self-appointed "Dream Team" and self-anointed Super Bowl contender. Tuck has been among the Giants' injured, including yesterday, when he had to miss a few plays. He leaned against a wall outside the dressing room and confessed he wasn't certain just how much his team had left after the early-season carnage.

"You're human," Tuck said. "You think about the injuries. You think about the people that aren't here. You go out on the football field, you see 11 guys in the huddle, you believe in those 11 guys. But you know that sometimes the talent isn't there."

That's a big admission from a player who is at the very heart of the Giants' leadership. Tuck is as thoughtful and honest as he is talented, and to allow someone a look beneath the sheath of toughness offers a revealing moment not often seen in this game. So while many of his teammates insist the season-ending injuries to cornerback Terrell Thomas, linebacker Jonathan Goff and wide receiver Domenik Hixon are simply a part of the game, Tuck at least concedes what others will not.

But after the Giants won a game that tested their resilience after they frittered away a 14-0 first-quarter lead, Tuck has gained a newfound respect for those closest to him. If there were questions about his belief in the Giants' ability to withstand the injuries, as well as the free-agent losses of Barry Cofield, Kevin Boss and even Steve Smith, who played for the other guys Sunday, there are none now.

"For me personally, it helped me believe even more in this football team," Tuck said. "I do believe in them and I did before we won this game, but now there's no doubt whatsoever that when we play our style of football, we can beat anybody."

Tough to argue with that assessment. Playing on the road against a team looking to bounce back after narrowly losing to the Falcons, a game in which Michael Vick suffered a mild concussion, the Giants were terrific.

Eli Manning threw four touchdown passes against a secondary that includes coveted free agent Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Asante Samuel.

And the Giants' defense pummeled Vick, who started after being cleared to resume practice Thursday. He was sent out of the game in the fourth quarter with a broken right (non-throwing) hand and passed for only 176 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. Replacement Mike Kafka threw two interceptions.

It was the way the Giants won that was most impressive. After going up 14-0 on touchdown passes to second-year receiver Victor Cruz and running back Brandon Jacobs, they saw the lead vanish by the end of the third quarter.

But they took advantage of Andy Reid's questionable decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Giants' 43 instead of pinning them back with a punt. Linebacker Michael Boley stopped LeSean McCoy for a 3-yard loss and the Giants scored on their ensuing possession. They scored again after Kafka's first interception.

It is early, yes, with so much season and drama to be played out. But after losing six straight to the Eagles, the most recent being that 38-31 horror show last December at the Meadowlands, this one was huge.

"It's as big a regular-season win as we've had in a while," Giants president and co-owner John Mara said. "Not too many people gave us a chance to win. To come down here and beat this team, which is a heck of a team, is a big win."

For linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka, it changes the entire dynamic of the season.

"I think it's the point in which we're going to stop worrying about the injuries," he said. "After this game, we know this team is good enough to compete with anybody in the NFL, and we have to approach every game that way."

That's a good approach to take, especially for a team with newfound confidence, thanks to an exceptional effort.