[Relsenlilky]

Giants aren't planning ... to serve as the Washington Generals for New England's Globetrotters-like run at 19-0 history ...

Perfection ruined? Giants relish that thought

By Brian Heyman, The (Westchester, N.Y.) Journal News

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants were still coming down from the high of living through sudden-death overtime in the NFC Championship Game in Green Bay on Sunday night. And they were still reveling Monday over the Super-sized reward — a rematch with the perfect New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

They might be early two-touchdown underdogs, but the Giants aren't planning on walking into University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Feb. 3, to serve as the Washington Generals for New England's Globetrotters-like run at 19-0 history — certainly not after a record 10 straight wins on the road.

The Giants want to finish the job.


Photo by Robert Deutsch,
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"The atmosphere is going to be incredible," said wide receiver Plaxico Burress, fresh off his huge 11-catch, 154-yard night against the Packers. "We can't really even imagine what it's going to be like. We're just looking forward to the opportunity to compete for a world championship. That's why you're in this business, to win world championships.

"You're not just satisfied with just getting there. You want to win the game."

The team arrived home early Monday morning from their thrilling 23-20 win over the Packers and later reconvened at Giants Stadium for strength and conditioning work and a midday meeting.

Coach Tom Coughlin will give the players a chance to rest for the next two days before returning on Thursday to begin three days of practice. The Giants had nothing at stake but ruining history the last time they played the Patriots on Dec. 29 at the Meadowlands, and held a 12-point lead in the third quarter. But New England rallied for a 38-35 win, giving it the unprecedented 16-0 regular season.

Now the Giants are getting a second chance to ruin the Patriots' perfection.

"When you lose to a team, you always want to have a chance to avenge yourself," Burress said. "Who could have ever thought that we would have an opportunity to compete with those guys who they're saying is the greatest team in football history with their dynamic offense? They're just an all-around great team. And we have a chance to compete against them for a world championship. You couldn't ask for a better position to be in."

The Giants' ride to the Arizona desert really took on fuel with that last game against the Patriots. There was the great debate: Should Coughlin rest his starters or play to win the game? He played to win the game. And though he didn't, the Giants saw that they could play with the best.

"I think we learned a lot about ourselves and about our team in that game," Shaun O’Hara said. "I think that game really kind of set the tone for believing in each other and believing in the talent on the team. When we're not playing bad football, when we're eliminating turnovers and penalties, we're a good football team."

And when their quarterback plays mistake-free football, the brand he has been playing this month, they have a chance to win every game, including the next one.

The Giants reached the Super Bowl in large part because they haven't committed an offensive turnover in their postseason road sweep through Tampa Bay, Dallas and Green Bay. Eli Manning has seemingly taken a step forward in his development, making good decisions with the ball. It started with the New England game when he threw for four touchdowns and only one interception.

Manning knows he and his team will have to be at their best to outduel the Patriots' 50-touchdown MVP, Tom Brady, and his teammates.

"We thought we played pretty well against them, but we didn't play perfect," Manning said. "We made enough mistakes to put us in a situation where they won the game. We know now we are going to have to play great football to beat them because they are a heck of a team. ... We are going to have to go in with the mind-set that we have to play perfect."

The Giants have another mind-set right now. They're happy to embrace their huge underdog status.

"It's not a slap in the face because we've been underdogs everywhere," running back Brandon Jacobs said. "It doesn't matter if it's two points or 21 points. We just keep proving everyone wrong."

Copyright 2008 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

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