Finally Giants Won't Back Down [J. Mark English]

Well I won't back down. No I won't back down. You can stand me up at the gates of hell, but I won't back down. No I'll stand my ground, won't be turned around. And I'll keep this world from draggin' me down, gonna stand my ground. And I won't back down. - Tom Petty

After the crushing defeat to the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday, as I vacated my seat in Giants Stadium, and the crowd marched out to a silent cadence, from the stadium speakers you could hear the Tom Petty song. Then in the tunnel of the stadium, the song of "I Won't Back Down" was replaced by a numerous amount of Cowboy fans cheering each other as if they were all from Dallas, and had been life long fans. (Please take note of the sarcasm.)

But the words "I Won't Back Down" outweighed the Dallas cheers this weekend, as the New York Giants took a significant step towards righting the ship. It wasn't pretty, but the team proved that sometimes nothing really can be fina' then an afternoon in Carolina. For the first time in over a month they not only out played the opposing team, but by the end of the game the scoreboard showed the proper result. A Giants win, 27-13 over the Panthers.

No doubt the team seeked revenged over last years playoff loss, and also sought to regain that winning feeling. A feeling that had eluded them so much over the past four weeks. They actually held and maintained a lead after the first half. They contained the big defenisive let downs that blew so many oppurtunities in the past.

The hat should go off to Tiki Barber for breaking the 10,000 yard rushing mark. Numbers in football don't have the same meaning as numbers in baseball. Everyone knows that a player that has 3,000 hits deserves to have special recognition. The same should be said of a player that runs for over 10,000 yards. Tiki is now in an elite club with just 20 other running backs. His joining this club should book him a reservation for the hall of fame.

Speaking of backs, perhaps the Giants need to rethink how they utilize Brandon Jacobs. I think they need to use him more often. He needs at least 10 carries in a game to get anything done. And teams now know that the only time he comes in is in short yardage situations. If that be the case, why not do more play action with him in the game. Instead of giving it to Jacobs, roll out Eli on the play action fake, and throw off the defense. It might have worked last week against Dallas on the 4th and 1 before the half, and could have worked a few times yesterday.

The Giants have a chance to take destiny even more into their hands with a win next week over the Philadelphia Eagles. I'm bringing a friend to the game who is an Eagles fan. Forgive me Giant fans. I know that Mike & Matt who sit behind me will have a fun time with him. And I'm sure he'll have a fun time watching a crucial game between our two teams, with a playoff berth on the line.