“We’ve seen Eli (Manning) do that a lot of times this season and in other season,” Giants general manager Jerry Reese said. “We felt good. We had a timeout. We had a lot of time on the clock. We needed a field goal to win the game – and we felt that we were at least going to get a field goal – and he (Manning) put us in the end zone.”

Osi Umenyiora took it a step further: “I knew that we were going to win from the beginning – honestly,” the defensive end said. “There wasn’t any doubt in my mind.”

When your team has already run off five consecutive victories when one loss would have ended the season, then you can look at it two ways: the hot streak will continue or you are overdue for a bad game. The Giants actually made it look easy by continuing the former rather than starting a new streak with the latter.

Manning has made a habit of picking the Giants up off the mat and willing them to a win when it appeared that all was lost. This game was certainly no different – other than perhaps it seemed a foregone conclusion that somehow he would move his team down the field and get the job done again.

Confidence goes a long way. A lot longer than 88 yards.

The New York Giants and New England Patriots will face one another on Sunday, February 5 in Indianapolis.

Our NFL coverage continues the following week when Brad Smith, wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills, joins us.

MuscleSport Radio can be heard live every Tuesday from 1:00 to 1:30 PM Eastern time on www.blogtalkradio.com and all episodes are archived and available free on Blog Talk Radio, MuscleSport Mag and iTunes. Join us on the air by calling in at (347) 884-8157.

MuscleSport Radio has enjoyed a steady flow of special guests since launching, with famous names in the bodybuilding and sports industry such as Samir Bannout, Bill Grant, Boyer Coe, Troy Brown, Ronnie Coleman, Gunter Schlierkamp, Leo Ingram, Heather Mae French, Cathy LeFrancois, Colette Nelson, Cathy LeFrancois, Dena Westerfield, Marshall Faulk, Bill Romanowski, Tony Mandarich, “Leapin’” Lanny Poffo, Taylor Boyd, Steve Michalik, Dan Lurie, Emy Silvagni, Rae Holitt, Tom Terwilliger, Dan “The Beast” Severn, Kevin Levrone, Layne Norton, Randy Roach, Debi Laszewski and more.

In Dallas, a team that played well in the second half of the 2010 season was picked to make a return to the playoffs and being ‘America’s Team.’ The interim coach who rallied the troops was given the job full time and Jason Garret was sure to get the most out of a healthy Tony Romo.

So guess what? The Eagles and Cowboys combined have the same amount of wins as the New York Giants and Washington Redskins do each after a quarter of the season has been played.

Both of the latter were left for dead. The Giants were getting old and a revamped offensive line was going to be a problem. Washington? They had a legitimate chance to ‘earn’ the number one pick in next year’s NFL Draft going into the season with Rex Grossman and John Beck as their signal callers.

Perhaps things will change as the weather turns colder, but both teams are playing very sound football. Both starting quarterbacks on Dallas and Philly have taken beatings thus far and that may pose a huge problem as the calendar changes.

Tom Coughlin was always confident and is not shocked by the way his team has begun the year, and he also knows that there is a long way to go, as well. “No, I’m not surprised,” the Giants head coach said. “But we do have to improve and continue to get better and get more out of a lot of people who need to grow and expand and develop.”

One week at a time, of course.

 Photo by William J. Hauser

NFC WILD CARD

Green Bay Packers (6) at PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (3)

The Pack needed to win their last two games to ensure their spot and did just that, laying waste of the New York Giants and then holding on to knock off the NFC North Division champion Chicago Bears. Their defense, led by linebacker Clay Matthews, has been on their game and will be the difference in this contest.

Matthews, who earned his second consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl after finishing with 13.5 sacks, has the speed and strength to keep Eagles signal caller Michael Vick in check, especially considering that he is coming off a quad injury. Vick has been off in the last five games, throwing six interceptions after not doing so in the previous seven. By holding Philly’s best weapon down, Green Bay will allow their offense some precious time on the field to put the ball in the end zone.

That unit is led by Aaron Rodgers, who has returned after two concussions and looks to be in good health. When the offense is clicking, the Packers can light up the scoreboard. They will rely more on their passing attack after struggling on the ground after workhorse back Ryan Grant went down early. Brandon Jackson and fan favorite John Kuhn have done an admirable job, but Rodgers will have to look downfield to wideouts Greg Jennings and Donald Driver to get it done.

For Philadelphia, big-play receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin will have to get themselves on the highlight film. Vick will need to use his arm as well as his feet. The Eagles can score with the Packers and this game may well indeed turn into a shootout. The weather is always a concern at this time of year, but these are two teams that do not concern themselves with small things such as below freezing temps or snow.

A possible scenario is the Eagles set up for the tying field goal in the waning moments of the game and David Akers hitting it wide.

PREDICTION:

Green Bay Packers – 27, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES – 24

Rebounding after losing to Houston in the opener, the Colts led 24-0 at the half and never looked back. DE Dwight Freeney gave LT David Diehl nightmares and was able to get into the backfield regularly. A big win for Indy, while the Giants will not lose too much sleep dropping an out of conference game after winning their opener versus Carolina. Both teams are pretty much where they were expected to be at this juncture.

Speaking of Carolina, the Panthers are now 0-2 after Tampa Bay prevailed by a score of 20-7. The Bucs improved to 2-0 and are definitely one of the early surprise teams of the young season. How long their good fortune will last remains to be seen, but don’t expect it to be for much longer. Another surprise 2-0 team is the Pittsburgh Steelers, who took care of the Tennessee Titans, 19-11. Winning two consecutive games with two more to go before QB Ben Roethlisberger returns from his suspension is a huge boost for the Steelers. The Titans (1-1) can ill afford to lose games such as this and need QB Vince Young to get back to producing the way he did in the second half of last season.

The Texans appeared to have fell into the ultimate trap game at Washington after beating Indy and looking forward to their interstate rivals Dallas next weekend. The Redskins (1-1) led basically the entire way and practically could taste 2-0 before Houston mounted their comeback. WR Andre Johnson made a nice grab with just over two minutes to go to send the game into OT, where the old timeout as the snap on a field goal attempt came into play. The Skins thought they had the win, but could not convert on the second attempt after the TO. Houston took over near midfield after the miss and marched down the field to kick their own FG and win, 30-27.

Washington will be kicking themselves about this because they could have taken a 2-game lead over Dallas, who lost in their home opener to the Bears. It’s been nearly a decade since the Cowboys have started 0-2 and Chicago evened their record out with the upset win away from the Windy City. Another NFC East team took advantage of an opportunity to get their first win as Philly held on for a 35-32 victory at Detroit, who predictably fell to 0-2. QB Michael Vick looked like his old self before his legal troubles.

The Green Bay Packers are poised to have a big season after a blowout win at home versus the 0-2 Buffalo Bills. They look dominant in some areas and are definitely the favorites to win their division, especially after the Vikings remain winless. QB Brett Favre should have stayed retired and looked every bit the old man in the Miami Dolphins’ 14-10 win. The Fish are now 2-0 following two road wins to begin the campaign and come home to host the Jets (1-1) next Sunday night on NBC. Mark Sanchez was given the keys to the green bus and drove it right down the Patriots’ throats in a 28-14 win at the New Meadowlands. New England (1-1) did not look nearly as sharp as they did in Week 1 when they took care of the Cincinnati Bengals, who bounced back with a 15-10 win over Baltimore. Both teams are now 1-1.

The Kansas City Chiefs looked good for the second week in a row as they came back to defeat the hapless Browns, 16-14. Expect Eric Mangini to get the boot out of Cleveland soon if the Browns continue to lose. Atlanta felt better this week after evening out their record with a 41-7 blowout win at home versus Arizona, who historically do not fare well when having to travel to the east.

The Broncos, Chargers and Raiders all evened out their records to clog up the AFC West. The Broncos beat the Seattle Seahawks 31-14, Chargers over the Jags 38-13 and Oakland held on to keep St. Louis winless, 16-14.

A very exciting Week 2, and we didn’t even get to the Monday night game when the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints take on the San Francisco 49ers.

Photo by Bill Menzel

DALLAS COWBOYS

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the ‘Boys  - aka America’s Team – would actually host the Super Bowl in their own stadium on February 6? Don’t count on it, but expect them to finish atop the division and make some noise in the playoffs. The loss of OL Flozell Adams will be felt greatly but the addition of WR Dez Bryant may soften the blow. For QB Tony Romo, it’s put up or shut up time, and the same goes for HC Wade Phillips.

PREDICTION: 10-6 (11-5 in 2009)

NEW YORK GIANTS

Coasting at 5-0 a year ago, the G-Men appeared to be on their way to a dominating season before the wheels came off. Now HC Tom Coughlin must pick up the pieces and that will not be an easy task. Their once impregnable defense is going through a transition period and they still lack a set of receivers that put a scare into anyone. Their backfield? If RB Brandon Jacobs can stay healthy, it will be formidable, but he hasn’t been able to do that in the past. QB Eli Manning needs to be nearly perfect for Big Blue to make the playoffs, and he is far from that.

PREDICTION: 9-7 (8-8 in 2009)

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

HC Mike Shanahan needs to put his stamp on this team right away and straighten out the situation concerning overweight and non-conditioned DT Albert Haynesworth. The overpaid former All-Pro has been a distraction since he came to town and the only way this team will succeed is if he gets his ass in shape or is shipped away. New QB Donovan McNabb is a vast improvement and will look to avenge when the ‘Skins play the Eagles twice.

PREDICTION: 8-8 (4-12 in 2009)

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Even the hard-to-please fans in Philly have to realize that this is a rebuilding year. QB Kevin Kolb gets the nod and will have his hands full. Expect Michael Vick to get more playing time than last year and he may be the difference between third and last place if he can find some of that magic he used to have in Atlanta.

PREDICTION: 6-10 (11-5 in 2009)

Photo by William J. Hauser

In 2009, Ware played in eight games and had 13 rushes for 73 yards and a touchdown. He backed up both Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw and also played on special teams. His official website is www.dannyware28.com.

MuscleSport Radio can be heard live every Tuesday from 1:00 to 2:00 PM Eastern time on www.blogtalkradio.com and all episodes are archived on Blog Talk Radio, MuscleSport Mag and iTunes.

Please feel free to join us and give us your opinion, ask a question or make a comment. Our call-in number is 347-884-8157.

UPCOMING GUESTS:

Tuesday, March 23 - MuscleSport Mag wrestling columnist Jared Silkerbildt

MuscleSport Radio has enjoyed a steady flow of special guests since launching, with famous names in the bodybuilding and sports industry such as Samir Bannout, Bill Grant, Boyer Coe, Troy Brown, Ronnie Coleman, Gunter Schlierkamp, Leo Ingram, Heather Mae French, Cathy LeFrancois, Colette Nelson, Cathy LeFrancois, Dena Westerfield, Bill Romanowski, Tony Mandarich, “Leapin’” Lanny Poffo, Taylor Boyd, Steve Michalik, Dan Lurie, Emy Silvagni, Rae Holitt, Tom Terwilliger, Dan “The Beast” Severn, Kevin Levrone, Layne Norton, Randy Roach, Debi Laszewski, Heather Armbrust and more.

Photo Courtesy of ESBL Sports Management.

But that is not always the case and teams that do in fact have something to play for lay an egg on their way to the postseason. Many of the mighty have fallen, but can hold their heads up at the end of the day because they have earned the right to live another one.

The New England Patriots, who already had the AFC East sewn up, also could have clinched the number three seed in the AFC with a win at Houston, but the Texans kept their faint playoff hopes alive with a 34-27 win. Unfortunately, wideout Wes Welker was lost for the season and quarterback Tom Brady is banged up.

The first-seeded Indianapolis Colts dropped their second straight after coming out of the gate with 14 consecutive victories, following up a home loss to the New York Jets with a 30-7 pasting at the hands of the Bills in Buffalo. San Diego, the number-two seed in the conference, held on to beat the hapless Redskins by a field goal.

The Baltimore Ravens clinched a berth in the next round by narrowly edging the Raiders in northern California, and the Jets closed out Giants Stadium with a blowout win over the Bengals, setting up another meeting of the two teams next weekend in Cincy.

In the NFC, New Orleans maintained the top seed even though they lost their third straight. Quite a difference from when they were challenging the unbeaten streak 13 weeks into the campaign. The Vikings also earned a bye with their 44-7 whitewashing of the New York Giants, who finished with only three wins in their last 11 games after a hot start.

In a battle for the third seed and the NFC East crown, the Cowboys shout out the Eagles – who are going in as the final seed – in Dig D, and the Cardinals took a beating at the hands of their opponent next week, the fifth-seeded Green Bay Packers, when the rematch comes back to the desert.

Photo by William J. Hauser

Speaking of the Saints (13-2), they have now lost two in a row in the dome after the hapless Tampa Bay Bucs (3-12) came back from a 17-0 hole to win 20-17 in overtime. Also in the NFC, the New York Giants – after coming out of the gate 5-0 – all but put their postseason hopes to rest with a putrid 41-9 pasting at the hands of the carolina Panthers. This occurred in their final game at Giants Stadium, with the grand opening of the still yet-unnamed new Meadowlands stadium opening up in 2010. The Panthers (7-8) have been out of the playoff picture for quite some time while the Giants dropped to 8-7 and left their rabid fanbase wondering what happened.

In Indianapolis, possible MVP candidate Peyton Manning was pulled from the game in the third quarter with the Colts nursing a five-point advantage. Back-up Curtis Painter was not effective and allowed the Jets to get right back into the game.

Not only did Gang Green do the unthinkable after dropping a heartbreaker last week to the Atlanta Falcons, but actually control their own destiny if they can defeat the Cincinnati Bengals (10-5) at home next Sunday night. The Jets (8-7) needed a lot of help heading onto the day and by the time they kicked off at 4:15, much had broke their way.

Miami (7-8) dropped a 27-20 decision at home to the Houston Texans (8-7) while the Steelers (8-7) took care of the Baltimore Ravens (8-7), 23-20, in the Steel City. All of this activity coupled with Jacksonville losing and falling to 7-8, the Jets slid up into one of the wild card spots in the AFC. Denver (8-7) lost by a late field goal in Philadelphia after a big comeback, but still can get in at 8-7 with tiebreakers.

Photo by William J. Hauser

New York Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce can spin it any way he wants, but anyone that has watched him play in the past can clearly see that he was not himself in Sunday’s 20-14 loss to Philadelphia. Although the entire team had a lousy day, Pierce stood out for all the wrong reasons. Perhaps the most obvious example of that was on Brian Westbrook’s second touchdown on the day. After catching a third down pass from Donovan McNabb, the crafty running back easily outran Pierce – no shock – but when the linebacker appeared to pull up at the five yard line, Westbrook walked into the end zone untouched.

“Obviously everyone os going to use that as an excuse,” Pierce said, referring to the talk of distractions affecting the team’s play. “It’s not an excuse. The Philadelphia Eagles came ready to play and they more plays than the New York Giants today.”

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While not totally inaccurate, Pierce did back some of that up by leading the team with 12 tackles during the game. It just didn’t seem like the same team out there and even though it is easy to point to the Burress situation as the reason, the Giants may have been overdue for a bad perfoemance.

Falling to 11-2, they dropped their first home game of the season. Maybe things are aligned right for them, though. Because the Dallas Cowboys lost in Pittsburgh, the Giants clinched the NFC East. That is clearly not a case of ‘backing in,’ and Big Blue still is being viewed as a favorite to repeat as Super Bowl champions.