The New York Giants pulled off their second fourth quarter comeback of the season last week when they defeated the Dallas Cowboys 29-24. Earlier this season they also came back in the fourth quarter to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 41-34.
A big part of them thriving in the fourth quarter is the play of quarterback Eli Manning, who led the Giants on an eight play, 60-yard game-winning drive against the Cowboys.
"You look at it lately and the things he does in the fourth quarter, he finds a way to rally a team to victory," said cornerback Keenan Lewis. "He comes in the fourth quarter and makes splash plays and once you do that week in and week out you are going to be one of the greatest. He is a good quarterback. He makes the plays, the throws on the field."
These kinds of comebacks are nothing new to Manning. Last week marked the 23rd fourth quarter game-winning drive of his career.
"He is very confident in himself and believes he can make those plays when it comes down to crunch time," said Lewis. "When you keep doing it week in and week out you just build from it and get better."
Fellow corner Ike Taylor said the defense will have to match the Giants intensity, particularly in the fourth quarter, to avoid being the victim of Manning's fourth quarter antics, but they won't be doing anything they haven't all season long.
"That is every week," said Taylor. "No week is bigger than the next week. As a football player every week is big, every play, every game. That is how we think. We are going against the defending world champions so that puts a lot on it."
Running back Isaac Redman practiced for the second straight day on Thursday and is hoping to get back on the field this week after missing time with an ankle injury.
"I'm feeling good," said Redman before Thursday's practice. "Once I get warmed up I feel good. I practiced yesterday and was able to make all of my cuts and wasn't too sore after practice."
Redman had hoped to play last week against the Washington Redskins, but wasn't quite ready and pushing it could have risked further injury.
"I felt like last week I might have been able to go out there but who knows what could've happened," said Redman. "I could've tweaked it again and been dealing with it a lot longer. You always have to look at the long haul of things.
"I doubt if I'll be 100% for the rest of the season. It's football. Nobody in this locker room is probably at 100% right now. I'm able to play through injuries. I've been doing it since I've been here."
