Giants, at 5-2, are following form
Tom Coughlin has his Giants in a familiar spot at 5-2. Credit: Getty Images
The Giants are 5-2. Sound familiar? It should considering that at this point the Giants have had the same record in six of Tom Coughlin's seven seasons with the team. The only time they didn't land on 5-2 exactly was in 2008, when they were 6-1.
Only one of those seasons resulted in a playoff win. So being hot early doesn't necessarily translate to overall success.
"It just goes to show it's not always where you start, it's where you finish," defensive tackle Barry Cofield said Wednesday.
The feeling around the team, though, is that the Giants will continue to be formidable and that they show no signs of stopping at 5-2.
"We're still putting it together, we still haven't tied that knot yet," safety Deon Grant said. "When we tie that knot, it's going to be ugly."
The last two years have ended in particularly harsh disappointments. They started 10-1 in 2008 and were bumped from the first round of the playoffs, and were 5-0 last year before finishing 8-8 without a postseason appearance.
"I don't see that happening this year," defensive end Osi Umenyiora said. "I'm not saying we're going to win the rest of our games, but I don't see a situation in which we just collapse like we've done in the past a couple of times."
Nicks was hamstrung
Hakeem Nicks caught nine passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns against the Cowboys on Monday night. Wednesday he said he did so while holding back because of tightness in his hamstring.
"I don't feel like I opened up completely," Nicks said, "but I feel like I was running at a decent amount of speed."
Nicks said he didn't have any setbacks, and that most of his restraint in pushing himself was mental and not physical. Now, with a bye, Nicks hopes he can return in two weeks at full speed. "This rest should do me some justice," he said. "I just want to take care of these legs."
Blue notes
S Antrel Rolle did not back down from his statements during his weekly WFAN radio interview that the Giants are the best team in the NFC. "I just feel that we're a great unit," he said. "I don't see us going down. I see us climbing. This is just the beginning." . . . Special-teams coordinator Tom Quinn said that he plans on sticking with Darius Reynaud as punt and kickoff returner despite a "regression" against the Cowboys after showing glimpses of promise against the Lions . . . With a defense that has knocked five quarterbacks from games, coordinator Perry Fewell was asked what he would think if he were a head coach facing the Giants. "Protect my quarterback," he said. "I would stay up at night thinking about 'Wow, am I next?' "
