Giants – Eagles Preview: Diary of a Giants Fan

After two troubling losses, the Giants host the Eagles this Sunday as they try to salvage what is left of their season and set off a complicated chain reaction that would see them make the playoffs.

...Such was likely the seen in millions of living rooms across the northeast as the final seconds of last week's 33-14 loss to the Ravens clicked away.

Admittedly, such a reaction is a bit aggressive, but we're fans - short for fanatic.  We are, as the word suggests, prone to episodes of irrational rage.  In short order, however, for those of us who don't brawl in the stands or take to Twitter with death threats - we functioning members of society - the anger subsides and we're left only with the objective reality.

In this case, the objective reality in which the Giants are a mediocre team - despite possessing what's necessary to be a great one - and in which second half collapses have become all too familiar.

This year's edition has been as spectacular as any that has preceded it, low-lighted by week 15 and 16 losses in which the team was outscored 67-14.  Now in week 17, the Giants - who controlled their own, very short, road to an NFC East title just a few weeks ago - will need to see a series of dominoes fall in order to make the playoffs, the first of which represented by a win over the Eagles.

Philadelphia has been their own mess this year, collecting only four wins in 2012 and giving rise to the Nick Foles era at quarterback.  An injury will keep Foles from Sunday's game, however, and resurrect an old foe - Michael Vick.

It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what the Giants will need to do to claim a win on Sunday and send their playoff hopes into the hands of the Lions, Packers and Redskins - its been a while since any facet of their game looked worthy of such.  Certainly, though, priority one will be shutting down the versatile quarterback who will be auditioning for a new job and priority 1A the sorting out of an offense that has looked listless over the last two weeks.

But as there has always been with Big Blue, something larger is at play, here.  Something that sees them embarrass teams like the 49ers and Packers but get embarrassed by the Bengals, Falcons and Ravens.  During the high points we call it pride and gravitas.  I don't know what to call it at a low-point like this. Complacency? Arrogance? Hubris, perhaps?  I'm not even sure that each can exist with the others.  What I do know, however, is that the Giants will need a healthy dose of the former to win on Sunday, and that each should have been around weeks ago.

Though it goes against every better sense I have, I'll say they get it Sunday, and keep hope alive. 24-21 Giants.

As for those playoff hopes to which I just alluded, things look bleak.  It's a complicated four-team parlay the Giants have to hit on Sunday, one that, I'd imagine, Vegas would be all too happy to see you bet.

But then again...

One time.  Don't stop believing Giants fans, don't ever stop.  Go Lions.  Go Packers.  Go Redskins.  And of course, Go Giants.