Giants Clinch #1 Seed in OT Thriller

They scatched and clawed their way back from a 21-10 deficit in a high stakes nationally televised night game and then - with just over 3 minutes left to play - Manning and Jacobs both executed the fake handoff to perfection, and the Giants tied the game with a successful two point conversion. That play symbolizes this team in every way. Not only are they resilient but they are money when the chips are down. They believe. And are on a mission to put a final stamp of validation upon last year's Super Bowl trophy.

In overtime, with the ball on their own 13 yard line, the Giants delivered a knock out punch that demonstrated total phyisical dominance over Carolina. Ward for 51 yards. Ward for 14 yards. Ward for 17 yards. Jacobs for the TD (the other two plays were an incomplete pass and a 3 yard Jacobs run while Ward was catching his breath after his 51 yard scamper). Game over. With an exclamation mark.

They won last year's SB trophy with two all-pro defensive ends named Strahan and Umenyiora. Neither of whom played a single down this season. No problem. On offense, they entered the 2008 season without pro bowl TE Shockey. And they are without the best WR to have worn Blue in Giants history. No problem. There are not many teams that can survive the losses of such dominant players on both sides of the ball. Yet, on Sunday night this team clinched the #1 seed in the NFC and are the favorites to return to the SB one year after everyone declared them the most shocking upset team in SB history. Now, one year later, the rest of the world is starting to realize something the players knew all along - maybe it wasn't so shocking after all.