1 Eli Manning is clutch » The Giants quarterback led his sixth fourth-quarter comeback of the season Sunday night in Dallas as New York scored 15 points in the final 3:14 to beat the Cowboys and take over the NFC East lead. Manning has tied an NFL record with 14 fourth-quarter touchdown passes this season. In his eighth year in the league, Manning has a career high in passing yards (4,105) and passer rating (95.5).
2 A change of philosophy?» New York is usually known for having a stingy defense and being one of the best running teams in the league. But the Giants are last in rushing (85.8 yards a game) and rank 30th in defense (allowing 391.6 yards a game). While the running game has shown some improvement recently with the return of Ahmad Bradshaw, the defense hasn’t done anything well with the exception of rushing the passer (36 sacks).
3 Vulnerable secondary » The Giants suffered key injuries to the secondary early — particularly losing the team’s leading tackler in 2010, Terrell Thomas, in August — and have been exposed all season because of it. Cornerback Aaron Ross has obviously lost a step, and first-round pick Prince Amukamara is still getting used to the NFL after missing the first nine games of the year with a broken foot. The Giants’ last three opposing quarterbacks have thrown for more than 300 yards.
4 Jason Pierre-Paul emerges as the top defensive playmaker » While most of New York’s defense has underperformed, Pierre-Paul is becoming a star. The second-year defensive end never gives up on plays, and his motor has led to a team-high 12.5 sacks this season. He’s coming off his best game of the year. He had eight tackles, 2.0 sacks, a forced fumble and a safety and blocked the game-tying field goal attempt in the win over the Cowboys.
