Sit or Stand? (NFL)

The New York Giants have made the playoffs, but they’re scraping the bottom of the barrel.

So when the Patriots’ mother ship descends on the Meadowlands Saturday night to play what is largely considered a meaningless game, Giants coach Tom Coughlin is going to have to make a decision. Should he rest his starters for the playoffs, or play them against the Pats?

First of all, I’d like to object to everyone who calls this game meaningless. There aren’t any truly meaningless games in the NFL. Yes, some of them hold more weight than others, but all of them have something to play for–even if it’s just the game itself. If the game were truly meaningless they wouldn’t play it at all.

This game means a lot to the Pats. If (and when) the Pats blow the Giants out of the water, they’ll have their perfect regular season. This game also means a lot to the Giants, because this could be the game that guarantees their recent tradition of going “one and done” in the post season if any of their starters get hurt Saturday night.

And ultimately, that’s what coach Coughlin doesn’t want to happen.

The whole point of playing in the NFL is to win a Super Bowl. That’s it. I rarely agree with Terrell Owens, but when he rhetorically asked what the point of playing in the NFL is if you’re not playing to win a ring, he was dead on.

So, let me repeat: The point of playing in the NFL is to win a Super Bowl. The point is NOT to beat the Patriots in a “meaningless” week 17 game. The point is NOT to throw everything you have at Belichick so you can spoil his perfect regular season. Especially when it’s next to impossible for the Giants anyway. Even with all their starters active.

Some say the Giants aren’t good enough to take any time off. Sports writer Mike Sando believes Eli Manning needs the practice against a good team after he fumbled five times in Buffalo and has been fairly inconsistent with his play overall.

Sando also believes “The Giants won’t go far if they can’t trust their quarterback,” and he’s right, but they also won’t go very far if they lose him to injury. If I were coaching the Giants, I’d rather have a shaky Eli Manning on two working and well-rested legs than on a stretcher. Wouldn’t you?

Perhaps you’re thinking that the odds of Eli getting severely injured are slim, and even though you’d be right, you wouldn’t be certain. As this season has progressed, we’ve seen the Patriots’ servings of humble pie get smaller and smaller, and Tom Brady has already admitted the Pats are trying to “kill” their opponents.

The Pats won’t hold back. Do you think they’re going to phone it in for the last game of an unbeaten regular season? Plus, the element of unwelcome surprise is always there. If you don’t believe me about unwelcome surprises, I’ve got three words for you:

Willie Parker’s fibula.

The NFL’s leading rusher ended his season when he broke his leg against the Rams—just in time for the playoffs. It’s proof that accidents happen.

If the Giant’s aren’t good enough to take any time off before the playoffs, then they aren’t good enough to beat the Patriots either. And if they aren’t good enough to beat the Pats, why risk injury? But don’t worry, Giants fans, so far, no one is good enough to beat the Patriots.

This is not a defeatist attitude. This is preemptive thinking. And if the media in New York wants to spend all their time and ink blasting the Giants and saying how unreliable they are going into the playoffs, or calling coach Coughlin names for resting his starters in hope of winning a playoff game, so be it. That kind of press is nothing compared to what Coughlin will get if he loses Eli Manning, Plaxico Burress or Strahan right before the post season. The fans are fickle.

The Giants will just have to ignore it and focus on doing something they haven’t done in years under coach Coughlin’s leadership:

Win a playoff game.

–Joey Alfino, RED Editorial Staff