Boston vs. New York

                The statement game is a term thrown around in sports but in many cases it is misused.  It should be used to describe a game that makes people take notice of someone or something they had not been prepared for. Not all wins are statement games, and not all statement games are wins.  The second week of the 2008 New York Giants season produced a statement game that should put the rest of the NFC East on notice.

                The St. Louis Rams have fallen on hard times, so it might seem odd to call a victory over them a statement game, but this game wasn’t about the Rams, it was about the Giants.  After their week one game, people around the league questioned whether the Giants would ever be able to put a team away, or if they will be doomed to sweating out close games week in and week out.  They questioned if Eli Manning had really turned a corner or if he had simply gotten hot at the right time last year that led them to a Super Bowl.  They questioned if there would be enough footballs to go around between all the talented WRs and the RBs.  They even questioned if the Ageless Wonder Amani Toomer should be replaced by one of the young guns that currently make up the stable of WRs on the roster.  There were many who doubted the defense could sustain the loss of not just Michael Strahan, but also Osi Umenyiora.  They didn’t know if Justin Tuck could continue to dominate offensive lines as he had without the help of those other two pass rushing demons.  Anytime one game answers that many questions at the same time, it’s a statement game.

                Eli turned in one of his best overall performances going 20-29 and throwing three tds passes without an interception.  Toomer came out hot and led the team with 6 catches for 67 yards and one TD catch, while being open most of the day.  Eight different players caught a pass from Manning, and each RB contributed over 6 yards per carry and over 50 yards of rushing. Tuck added two more sacks to his total, and also made an athletic interception after batting a pass at the line which he returned for a score.  He was a force all day long, being held on virtually every passing play whether called or not.  The defense held the Rams to one fluke touchdown and 201 yards of total offense while collecting six sacks as a team.  Finally, the Giants did not get a lead and sit on it for 2 quarters.  They kept attacking and challenging an overmatched secondary until the game was safely put away.  Every major question surrounding the Giants going into this game was soundly answered.  All that remains is for them to sustain this level of play over the course of the season.

                Despite this tremendous all-around effort, the Giants cannot let up or they will risk losing their slim lead on the division.  The schedule provides some favorable matchups early in the season, and they are going to have to capitalize on that to stay ahead of the pace.  The Cowboys are a good team and so are the Eagles and neither one of them will be going away quietly.  The Giants made a statement this week to the NFC East and the rest of the league that they are still Super Bowl Champions until somebody else wins the trophy, and hopefully they will continue to make that statement until everybody starts to pay attention.

By: Nick Giangarra

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