Palladino: Final 5 Games Will Unveil Giants' True Identity
By Ernie Palladino
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Starting Sunday and continuing until New Year's Day, the curtain of uncertainty that has shrouded the Giants' 8-3 start will rise gradually, but steadily.
By the time it reaches its apex, all will know whether Ben McAdoo's first team is either the real thing or just a postseason wannabe that has barely scraped by on a beatable schedule.
The record says real, of course. Whether a team wins by two or, in the Giants' case last week against the winless Browns, a season-high 14, they all look like blowouts. And there's not another coach or player in the world who would throw one back based on style points.
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But it is those style points that have some pundits this week throwing around the F-word -- as in "fraud" -- when talking about the Giants' true identity. While even the most virulent voices cannot deny that defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's group is vastly improved from last year, thanks in large part to general manager Jerry Reese' $200 million rebuild this offseason, Eli Manning and the offense still remain in large part a one-trick pony behind Odell Beckham.
Hence the doubters, and with good reason. As things stand now, the Giants have placed themselves in excellent wildcard position. But after fattening up on eight teams that have a combined record of 35-53-1 -- which would be a lot worse if one takes away the season-opening, one-point win over 10-1 division leader Dallas -- the Giants' success looks a lot like the Jets' 10-6 of 2015.
We all know the kind of one-year charade that turned into.
And by the end of these final five games, we'll have a good idea of exactly how much that first part of the schedule helped the Giants.
The real games start Sunday. And they won't get away in any of them with the kind of stinker they pulled out against the 0-12 Browns last week.
First up, Pittsburgh and its knockout passing combination of Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown. Those two will certainly test Janoris Jenkins, who has played to a Pro Bowl level in recent weeks, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who gamely plays and makes plays despite a bad back.
But the Steelers are more than that. Unlike the Giants, whose 31st-ranked ground game has barely crept over the 100-yard rushing mark as a team the past two games and has yet to produce a 100-yard individual rusher this year, the Steelers have Le'Veon Bell, a slasher whose ninth-ranked 699 yards and three touchdowns belies his real danger anywhere on the field.
Given the Steelers' potential firepower, the Giants may have to win a shootout at Heinz Field. The problem is, they haven't scored at least 28 points since their five-point win over Philadelphia on Nov. 6.
Dallas and Detroit follow the next two weeks. If the Giants are lucky, the Cowboys will become the first team to clinch a playoff spot this week to create an emotional letdown next week.
The 7-4 Lions lead the NFC North. Hardly invincible, they're still tougher than usual behind Matthew Stafford, who has supplemented a strong statistical season with seven comeback wins.
Sort of reminds one of a local quarterback who made comebacks his signature.
Wrapping up the schedule with the Eagles and Redskins is no easy task, considering one or both may still be in the hunt for a playoff spot. The Giants haven't ended the last two seasons well, losing twice to Philly. Washington beat them in Week 3 and is very much in the wildcard race at 6-4-1. The 5-6 Eagles could make a run at it, too, if rookie quarterback Carson Wentz gets hot.
At least one self-styled loudmouth proclaimed the Giants this week as the worst team in the NFC East, total frauds hidden under a six-game winning streak.
That assessment contained not a small dose of hyperbole, and was most certainly premature.
But it won't be long before the Giants unveil their true identity.
The final stretch will raise that curtain.
Follow Ernie on Twitter at @ErniePalladino
