I am an empty vessel. I have nothing left inside. Just when I think it can’t get any better, they up the ante on me. I have experienced every emotion a sports fan can have in the past two weeks. And now I have two more weeks to recuperate for what might be the most unlikely run the Giants, or any other team of mine, has ever had.

How on God’s green Earth did we get here? This team, with a new defensive scheme, had allowed 80 points in the first two weeks, and was trailing by 14 at halftime in Week 3 in Washington. Now the Giants are in the Super Bowl. Go figure. Every season has some defining moments. A play here, a bounce there, and a 10-6 season becomes 3-13. But it’s those fumbles that find their way into a burly offensive lineman’s chest, the tipped passes that don’t get intercepted, or the questionable coaching decision that turns into gold that sometimes fuel a successful season.

As most of my friends know, I am a sucker for countdown lists. So indulge me for a minute, as I count down the top 10 season-changing moments from the 2007 New York Giants.

10. Akers Doinks One

The Giants had played, at best, a sloppy game vs. the Eagles. It was a typical late-season NFC East battle. Field goals were the name of the game, as Lawrence Tynes hit three short ones and David Akers booted two of his own. It was his third attempt that clinched a victory and solidified Big Blue’s playoff spot. Donovan McNabb led the offense 50 yards in less than a minute, setting up Akers for a 57-yard field goal. He drilled his kick through the cold Philadelphia air, it looked good, and DOINK! Off the right upright.     G-Men move to 9-4.

9. Better Late Than Never for Eli in the Windy City

Eli Manning looked horrendous in Week 13 against the Bears in Chicago. Two interceptions and a fumble had led to 10 Chicago points. The Giants trailed 16-7 going into the fourth quarter and things looked bleak. Then Eli got hot. A long drive culminating in an Amani Toomer touchdown was followed by a 77-yard drive that ended with a Ruben Droughns 2-yard plunge with less than two minutes left. The Giants were helped immensely by a drop of a sure touchdown by Devin Hester, who somehow got behind the defense but couldn’t haul in Rex Grossman’s perfect pass. Another week, another road win.

8. Heart and Soul Goes Down; Big Boost for Offense

It kills me to include this. I am a big Jeremy Shockey fan. But his season-ending leg injury may have been the key for Eli’s emergence. When Shockey was in, Eli felt an obligation to somehow feed him the ball and keep his volatile tight end in the flow of the game. Often times, this worked to the Giants’ detriment, as Eli would force bad passes through the middle, resulting in tipped passes and interceptions. Defenses don’t pay nearly as much attention to Kevin Boss, Shockey’s replacement, but he has proven to be a more than capable receiver, and Eli doesn’t feel the pressure of forcing balls into coverage.


7. I’ll Meet You at the Quarterback

A week after their season-saving win against Washington in Week 3, the Giants’ defensive line decided they were going to carry the team. Poor Donovan McNabb. Twelve sacks and about a dozen more knockdowns later, the Big Blue D-line had established itself as a unit to be feared for the rest of the season. Winston Justice still hasn’t touched Osi Umenyiora.

6. Old-Style Giants Football

The Giants of yesteryear were predicated on two things: a power running game and a dominant, ball-hawking defense. In Week 16 in Buffalo, with a playoff spot on the line and the Patriots looming the following week, the Giants turned back the clock in the second half to clinch a playoff berth. First came the defense. With the G-Men trailing in the third quarter, Kawika Mitchell tipped, intercepted and returned a Trent Edwards pass for the go-ahead TD. Then, pinned back on their own 12-yard line and the snow whipping at Ralph Wilson Stadium, little-used rookie Ahmad Bradshaw broke free for an 88-yard touchdown, a signature moment for this season. Bradshaw is now a key piece to the offense.

5. No Such Thing as Moral Victories?

It was Tom Coughlin’s shining moment, so far, as a coach. They had nothing to play for, yet gained everything. Coughlin decided to play his regulars in a game that essentially meant nothing against the 15-0 Patriots. Eli Manning threw four TDs, Plaxico Burress had a huge game, and the Giants were in it until the bitter end in a 38-35 loss. Since that game, Eli hasn’t thrown an interception and his confidence shot through the roof. The secondary has become a play-making unit, and the Giants gained a certain swagger that they were as good as any team in the league. Not bad for a meaningless game.

4. Karma’s a Bitch

Patrick Crayton had been talking smack all week. He was actually really the only Cowboy to chirp up. Then he had to walk the walk, and he stumbled like a sloppy drunk. With the divisional playoff game tied in the third quarter, and the Cowboys facing a third down deep in their own territory, Tony Romo threw a perfect pass to Crayton on a slant. Crayton had a step on the cornerback and might have been able to take it the distance. However, to all Giants fans delight, he dropped the ball. The ensuing punt was returned by R.W. “Fumblitis” McQuarters 25 yards to the Dallas 37 resulting in a quick drive for the go-ahead score.

3. Emanuel Lewis Would be Proud

Corey Webster lost his starting job in Week 3. People feared he was a draft bust. Then Giants corners started dropping like flies. Webster seized the opportunity in the postseason and has made two huge plays. First, in the Wild Card round, he stopped a Tampa Bay threat by picking off Jeff Garcia in the end zone while absolutely blanketing Joey Galloway. Things didn’t look so good at the start of the NFC Championship Game. Webster was burned badly on a 90-yard Brett Favre-to-Donald Driver touchdown. But Webster had the last laugh on the second play in overtime, when he jumped an out-route and picked off Favre, which led to the game-winning field goal.

2. Thanks Joe Gibbs

Who knew that a play in Week 3 could have such an affect on an entire season? The Giants were 0-2, had given up 97 points in two-and-a-half games and were trailing 17-3 at halftime in Washington. (Cue the NFL Films music) The Giants season began at that moment. They stormed back and scored three second-half touchdowns to take a 24-17 lead late in the fourth quarter. Joe Gibbs’ Skins drove all the way down the field and had the ball at the to the 1-yard line with 58 seconds to play. First down: Jason Campbell spikes the ball to stop the clock. Second down: Pass to the flat dropped by Mike Sellers, who probably would have been tackled short anyway. Third down: Ladell Betts (where’s Clinton Portis?) stuffed at the line. Fourth down: Betts is drilled in the backfield! Coughlin keeps his job, the Giants season doesn’t unravel, and off we went.

1. Quick Strike

It looked like the Cowboys had just taken control of the game. They had driven 90 yards in 22 plays, ate up more than 10 minutes, and scored the go-ahead TD with less than a minute to go in the first half of the divisional playoff game. With 53 seconds to go and the ball at their own 29, taking a knee and gong into the half down by a score never crossed the Giants’ minds. Seven plays later, Amani Toomer caught Eli’s pass at the goal line and dove in for the tying score, swinging the momentum in the Giants’ favor, and demoralizing the Cowboys. Galvanized in the second half, the Giants defense finally broke through and pressured Romo into some poor decisions that ended up being the difference in the upset win.

That drive sums up the Giants’ season perfectly. After a slow start, and things not looking so bright, they could have packed it in. They could have taken a knee, but they went for it. They could have rested their starters against the Patriots, but they didn’t. They could have let two Lawrence Tynes misses in the fourth quarter in Green Bay shake their confidence, but they kept chugging along. Now, they’re in the Super Bowl.

You might think they’re just happy to be here. Something tells me we are in for a surprise come Super Sunday.