Steel a win Sunday, and G-men have 7 straight
PITTSBURGH — There was a time in recent seasons when the Giants barely could crawl, much less walk or, dare we say it, run. The Giants of 2016 already have proven they are not that stumbling, bumbling team. They have mastered crawling and are walking quite nicely, thank you.
As for the running, well, wait and see, shall we?
You want to find a team running and sprinting away from the pack, look no further than the Cowboys — who are 11-1, winners of 11 consecutive games and in command of the NFC East. In many years, the Giants at 8-3 would sit atop the division, but not this season. Barring a collapse in Dallas, the Giants realistically are looking to secure their hold of an NFC wild-card playoff berth and reaching the postseason for the first time in five years, as the division title looks beyond their reach.
Sure, a Cowboys loss this past Thursday in Minnesota and a Giants victory on Sunday over the Steelers at Heinz Field would have set up a magnificent showdown next weekend. Now, no matter what happens in the Steel City, the Cowboys will arrive and depart MetLife Stadium in first place. So be it. The Giants, rolling along with a sixgame winning streak that has not impressed everyone — they are sixpoint underdogs to the Steelers, who are dangerous but still 6-5 — embark on a challenging five-game stretch run. They seem anxious to get going and eager for the steep upgrade in quality after disposing of the Bears and Browns.
“Some people take it as being just another game and some people take it as a playoff game,’’ said Landon Collins, the ascendant second-year safety. “For me, I just look at it as a game. It’s a game with another team that’s in our way. You have to fight to the end. Just continue pushing to where you want to go.’’
Unlike his predecessor, Tom Coughlin, Ben McAdoo does not detail the pennant race at the start of team meetings, preferring the focus stay within the walls of the facility and not beyond. That’s where his “farm your own land’’ credo comes in.
“I think the most important thing is that I need to be consistent,’’ McAdoo said. “That’s number one. Number two is they need to get lost in the details. ... Let the big picture take care of itself.’’
It is expected to be cold, damp and dreary in a stadium notoriously difficult for the road team, and the Steelers can make life miserable for any defense — with Ben Roethlisberger throwing to Antonio Brown or handing it (or throwing it) to Le’Veon Bell. It is the best three-ring circus in the NFL.
Even after winning two straight, the Steelers are in desperation mode. They are on the outside looking in the AFC wild-card race. Their ticket to the playoffs is winning the AFC North, where they are tied with the Ravens, but behind in the tiebreaker.
“Going into their house, it’s going to be a hostile environment,” Olivier Vernon said. “They’re a playoff team as well. This whole month of December is going to be really big for both of us down the stretch. We are going to see who wants it more.’’