Factoid provided by Bob Christ:
Since 1970, teams eliminating the defending world champs in the conference playoffs are 0-13 in their next game if it’s not the Super Bowl. All 13 losses were by at least 7 points.
There are some players that you can see who are ready to letdown. I’m not worried about guys like Manning and Tuck. The ones who went to Super Bowl XLII know how each game gets tougher. I’m thinking about guys like Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham, Michael Boley, Linval Joseph and Jaquian Williams, to name just a few. It doesn’t have to be a full game, all it has to be is a half. A drop or two on offense. A missed tackle on defense.
This is the week of the possible letdown. This is the week where Coughlin earns his money for having the team continue to play at a super high level. If this score is tied at the end of Q1 and Q2, that will be a huge battle won.
Let’s take an example of a team we all know and love, the Philadelphia Eagles. They played a wild card game in the 2008 playoffs, then they played the defending champion NY Giants in the NFC Divisional Round. They upset them and then went on the road vs the Arizona Cardinals. And they letdown. They were flat and by the time they reached the half, they were down 24-6. They had to climb out of an 18 point hole, which they did, but they still lost in the end. This is a perfect example of what it looks like to be part of an 0-13 statistic. I believe the Giants are the better team. But will they also be the better team this Sunday?! It’s up to the Giants to be a statistic or to be at Super Bowl XLVI.
1-13!! Play the game!!
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