Things Fall Apart. Giants Season Dying?

COWBOYS 20

GIANTS 8

As the song "Extreme Ways" goes in it's third stanza, "Then it fell apart, it fell apart." That might be the theme of this the 2008 New York Giants season.

A season that had been full of so much promise for a repeat trip to the Super Bowl on February 1st, looks more destined for golf on Februrary 1st for many of the Giants players. At a time of the year when a team must play its best football, the Giants are not doing that at the moment.

The Cowboys not only beat the Giants, they physically and psyhcologically beat them. Tony Romo, who was beat up all night long by the Giants defense, and even suffered a back injury, toughed it out and played well, throwing for 244 yards and two touchdowns.

The same can't be said for Eli Manning, who was sacked eight times in the game. The once vaunted Giants offensive line was no match for the Cowboys violent pass rush which harrassed Manning all night, not allowing the Super Bowl MVP to do anything. It was also obvious that the Giants missed Brandon Jacobs. Without Jacobs, the Giants rushed for only 72 yards total on the night, with Derrek Ward getting 64 of them.

With the game still scoreless, Romo rolled to his right, back injury and all, and heaved the ball over the head of rookie corner Kenny Phillips into the hands of a wide open Patrick Crayton for the touchdown.

Later, with Dallas up 14-8, Tasard Choice, turned out to be the right choice for the Cowboys, as he dashed right through the Giants defense for a 38 yard touchdown run to give the Cowboys a commanding 20-8 lead.

The Giants fall to 11-3 on the season and are no longer guaranteed home field through the playoffs. They are currently tied with the red hot Carolina Panthers for the number one seed. Both teams square off next week at the Meadowlands in a semi-playoff game. The winner clinches home field advantage throughout. The loser is the number two seed. If the Giants lose and fall to 11-4, and go into their regular season finale against a 10-5 Minnesota Vikings team, a loss to the Vikings would cost the Giants a bye week. The Vikings would be the number two seed, and the Giants will have to play on Wild Card weekend. How the mighty fall fast ... like a stone through water.