An all too familiar scene from a year ago that the players know they can`t afford to repeat. A lot has changed since a year ago, a lot of players have since departed, head coach Tom Coughlin is a `nicer` coach, and for the first time in as long as I can remember, the Giants team is relatively healthy. A problem that has plagued this team since Coughlin took over.



Riding a 6 game winning streak the NY Giants will go for number 7 as they face the first place Dallas Cowboys, who themselves are coming off of a thrashing of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Tom Coughlin knows all too well the importance of this upcoming game. “It is no doubt a big game," Coach Tom Coughlin said. “It is in the division, it has all of the excitement of a divisional game that certainly does have a lot at stake."

Eli Manning, who two weeks ago, had the worse game of the season in London, has put that game behind him as he prepares for the challenge ahead.

“I think it is a big game for us," quarterback Eli Manning said. “We are coming off an off week, so we should be rested and ready to go. We know we are going to have to come out and play our best football. They played a great game on Sunday night, so it is going to be a tough test. But I think that is what it is all about. You look forward to these types of games."

This is of course not the same Giants team that Dallas saw in week 1 when Tony Romo and the high powered Cowboys offense put up 45 on the Giants defense What many `experts` fail to remember is that the Giants offense put up 35 points on the Dallas defense.

Week 1 seems like an eon ago, and everyone knows you can throw that game out, as both of these teams have matured and have played much better since their first meeting in Dallas.

As well as the Giants are playing, no one is playing better then Giants defense, especially the front four, who potentially have 3 pro bowl players in Osi Umenyiora, Michael Strahan and Justin Tuck.

“I think the bye week came exactly when it needed to," defensive end Justin Tuck said. “Right in the middle of the season, giving us a chance to rest, and we were pretty healthy before the bye week. With the injuries that we did have, the bye week gave us an opportunity to work on those things, too. We are looking forward to what the second half presents and we know it is a challenge. But we’ll take it one game at a time."

Nothing could be more true with the old cliche, one game at a time. The next game is against Dallas at the Meadowlands with a 4:15pm EST start.

By: Michael C. Podlesny