The New York Giants are amazing. I hate to sound like a broken record, but seriously, I’m not wrong. They are leaving a trail of battered quarterbacks and defenses in their wake and show no signs of stopping that trend.

I’ve heard all the cracks against my G-men this season. I’ve heard “Plaxico needs to shut his mouth and play.” I’ve heard “Toomer’s too old to be a good receiver.” I’ve also heard “Eli’s just a hick. There’s no way he can keep this up.” Well, naysayers, I will now answer all of these comments, one at a time.

First off, I agree with you that Plaxico needs to shut his mouth. It’s distracting and disrespectful. However, as long as he still goes out on the field and catches the football, I’m not going to condemn him to football hell (or the Detroit Lions, because they’re the same thing). Burress leads the team with 454 yards receiving, which is really not a spectacular total, considering league leader Andre Johnson has 955 yards. However, keep in mind that the Giants’ roster has six players that have over 200 yards receiving, and that softens the blow considerably.

Second, Amani Toomer. He’s 34 years old! Last time I checked, that wasn’t ancient, even by NFL standards. And it seems like people have been saying that the Michigan alumnus has been too old or too soft. Bear in mind, however, he has never been a marquee receiver. And his quiet, cool demeanor is the perfect compliment to Burress’ brash nature. Again, as long as he’s out on the field catching the football, I have no complaints.

Next, I do agree that Eli’s a redneck. So is Brett Favre. So is Terry Bradshaw. And the last time I checked, Bradshaw was in the Hall of Fame. And Favre will be very soon. So saying he’s a hick really isn’t an insult. And Manning wasn’t particularly thrilling last season either, though if I’m not mistaken, he currently has an obscenely gaudy ring adorning one of his fingers as a result of his play in 2007-08.

Besides this, there isn’t a single chink in the Giants’ armor. The team’s running game is unreal, due in large part to the skilled offensive line stacked in front of them. The defense is excellent, at times even brilliant.

Running back Brandon Jacobs is currently ranked fourth in the NFL in rushing yards, with 879. His 11 touchdowns ties him for the league lead with Tennessee’s LenDale White and Jacksonville’s Maurice Jones-Drew. One could liken the fourth-year player to a wrecking ball when he hits opposing defenders. And let’s not forget Derrick Ward, Jacobs’ backup. Ward, a lightning quick option in the backfield, gives the Giants another option to throw at the opposition, who having just gotten used to stopping the bruising Jacobs, are caught completely off guard by the speed of Ward. Ward is second on the team with 531 rushing yards, and fourth on the team in receiving yards, with 266. Lastly, the Giants have a third option at running back, in second-year pro Ahmad Bradshaw. The Marshall alumnus is the balance between Jacobs’ crushing style and Ward’s lightning speed. The trio is sometimes referred to as “Earth (Jacobs), Wind (Ward) and Fire (Bradshaw).” The trio can be counted on in any given week to light up the scoreboard. But again, running behind the stellar offensive line, who wouldn’t be?

Defensively, the Giants are not necessarily a shutdown defensive unit. However, as opposing QBs will tell anyone willing to listen, they have a quick and brutal pass rush, and oftentimes end up driving those quarterbacks into the turf. Defensive end Justin Tuck leads the way with eight sacks, while fellow DE Mathias Kiwanuka and DT Fred Robbins both have six.

The team is allowing 17 points per game, which is fifth in the NFL. They allow the second-fewest passing yards (174.8 per game) and total yards (265 per game) in the entire league.

The bottom line here is this: Football fans should sincerely rethink underestimating the Giants in 2008. Because, believe me, opposing teams are not.