That is what it’s like.
Without having to go into a long lecture, that is the message the veteran members of the Giants wished to impart to the youngsters who were not on the scene or merely bit players during last year’s stunning Super Bowl run. No one could properly explain all the grit and adversity and toughness that added up to Sunday’s 21-13 victory over the rugged Saints. It had to be experienced, and now it was.
“Games like that benefit the young guys, because we’re going to need those guys to play big for us,” defensive tackle Keith Hamilton said. “It was good for us to come out on top, gives us some confidence and will help us down the stretch when we need to make that playoff push.”
Mixed in with the sloppy play, the myriad of penalties and the late surge that nearly carried the Saints into the end zone, the Giants may have found themselves. Each year, a team must identify a formula for success, and even though this is essentially the same group from a year ago, no two seasons are alike. There was little established in the 1-1 start, but a familiar blueprint may have surfaced for the Giants.
“I think we may look back and this game may have been the beginning for our personality and what we want,” Jim Fassel said. “They all walked away saying, ‘That’s the way we have to play to win.’ I had the feeling when I went home that this could have been the beginning and the starting of our personality and how we have to play and what we have to do.”
The Giants won, and controlled the game most of the way, despite having only 253 total yards, running only 51 plays, getting only nine completed passes from Kerry Collins, losing one fumble and allowing 291 passing yards. They won because their defense stopped the run, Collins did not throw any interceptions and did make one eye-opening play on a 46-yard touchdown pass to Joe Jurevicius, Ron Dayne awakened a slumbering ground game with 111 yards and the field-position battle was singlehandedly decided by the punting of Rodney Williams.
Rarely is anything easy, although this week the Giants do face the Redskins, who have been outscored 112-16 in their embarrassing 0-3 start. Dealing with this sort of game is another step in the development process. The Giants have put much faith in Will Allen and Will Peterson, a pair of rookie cornerbacks, in Williams, a rookie punter, in Brandon Short, a second-year linebacker, and now increasingly in Dayne, who will be force-fed the ball until Tiki Barber’s pulled left hamstring heals.
All those unproven first or second-year players came up big against the Saints.
“That’s what you need from young guys, because they’re going to be the ones to help carry the team in the long run,” Jessie Armstead said.