Osi Umenyiora hopes to play vs. Cowboys

The Giants are on the cusp of turning what was a mediocre season into a improbable playoff run if they can knock-off the Dallas Cowboys for the second time in five weeks to capture the NFC Eastern division crown.

To do that, the G-Men need to get healthy, so in a season full of bumps and bruises, Big Blue could get their biggest defensive playmaker back for Sunday's showdown when Osi Umenyiora returns from the high ankle sprain he suffered against the Saints.

Umenyiora has been beat up all season, missing most of training camp because of a holdout, then missing the first three games of the year because of a knee injury.

Because of his absence, Jason Pierre-Paul has stepped up and become the force that many people expected him to be. Pierre-Paul has 15. 5 sacks and 81 tackles on the year. He has earned the right to become the Giants premiere defensive end, but as we have seen from the Giants over the years, they are at their best defensively when they can bring multiple threats off the edge in the pass rush.

During Big Blue's Super Bowl run in 2007-2008, the combination of Michael Strahan, Umenyiora and Justin Tuck proved lethal for teams to handle, including the unbeaten Patriots.

If the Giants are to clinch the NFC East title against a banged up Tony Romo and the Cowboys, having as many pieces as possible is the best solution.

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