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Will the Giants offer resistance?

Will the Giants offer resistance?

By Dan Ralph

Brandon Jacobs did the New York Giants a huge favour Sunday.

The Giants running back ran for a career-best 145 yards and two touchdowns to rally New York to a 38-21 road victory over the Buffalo Bills. Not only was the win a club-record seventh on the road this season but also clinched the Giants (10-5) a playoff spot.

That's fortunate because the last thing the Giants needed was to head into the regular-season finale in a must-win situation. That's because New York’s next opponent is none other than the NFL’s top team, the New England Patriots.

New England set a league record Sunday by downing Miami 28-7 for its 15th win this season to remain perfect. The Patriots will attempt to become the first NFL team to ever go 16-0 next weekend when they face the Giants.

The decision over Miami was a record-setting one on several fronts for the Patriots, who have scored 71 touchdowns (breaking the league mark of 70 held previously by the ‘84 Dolphins). Wes Welker also boosted his season receiving total to 101, tying the club record Troy Brown established in 2001.

Quarterback Tom Brady and Randy Moss are both closing in on league records as well. Brady increased his TD pass total to 48, just one behind the NFL record of 49 set in 2004 by Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts. He also needs just 106 yards to break Drew Bledsoe’s club record for most passing yards in a season with 4,555 yards.

Moss has been on the receiving end of 21 TD strikes this season, leaving him one behind the NFL record of 22 set by Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers in 1987.

As well, New England needs to register one converted touchdown to break the NFL single-season points record of 556 currently held by the Minnesota Vikings.

If New England beats the Giants on the road Saturday night, then runs the table and wins the Super Bowl, it will not only go 19-0 but join Miami as the only team in NFL history to post an unblemished record. The Dolphins went 14-0 during the regular season in ‘72 before winning all three playoff games en route to the league title that year.

Fortunately for the Giants, Saturday’s game will have no meaning to them. And that’s a good thing because after hitting a bit of a blip a few weeks back, Brady and the Patriots seem to be kicking it into gear down the stretch.

Brady had three touchdown passes against Miami, two going to Moss, as New England tied its record of 18 straight regular-season wins set in 2003-‘04. More importantly, the Patriots were able to put the Dolphins away early, storming out to a commanding 28-0 advantage by halftime, scoring on four of their opening five possessions.

And the Patriots showed they’re more than just a passing team. Running back Lawrence Maroney had the club’s two longest runs of the season, going 59 yards for a TD and 51 yards. He registered He gained 156 yards on 14 carries, surpassing the 100-yard mark for the second straight week after gaining 104 yards on 26 attempts in a 20-10 win over the New York Jets.

Here’s figuring the Patriots will dispatch the Giants next weekend and finish the regular season 16-0. New York has nothing to prove, and a playoff game the following week to consider. The club has already lost tight end Jeremy Shockey to injury, the last thing it needs is to have someone like quarterback Eli Manning or defensive lineman Michael Strahan go down to injury in an otherwise meaningless game for them.

New England, on the other hand, can take the chance to chase NFL history safe in the knowledge that they’ve got home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs and will have two weeks to prepare for the postseason.

But a 16-0 record wouldn’t be enough to call New England the greatest team ever in NFL history. For that to happen, the Patriots must go all the way and win the Super Bowl. If the Pats post an unblemished regular-season record, then lose in the playoffs, their history accomplishment will be a mere footnote to many NFL fans.