Dreams of Playoffs Dance in Giant Heads

Jim Fassel insisted the notion was there, “deep down inside,” all along, even though he did not share it with the public or his players. “I still had those dreams, they never left me,” he said. But after the New York Giants’ epic upset of the Denver Broncos Dec. 13, their coach allowed the idea to bubble to the surface at last.

The playoffs? Why the heck not?

“Luck is just seizing an opportunity; keep believing and keep fighting,” he said on the morning after the Giants’ 28-7 rout of the Kansas City Chiefs, which kept them alive for the final NFC wild-card berth. “Yeah, it would be unusual, but unusual things happen in this league a lot. We’ve already made one thing unusual happen (beating the Broncos). We’ve made a lot of unusual things happen, from where our record was to where it is now.”

The Giants are 4-1 since Kent Graham took over at quarterback and finally look like the team that won the NFC East in 1997. Most players view the chance at the postseason with a mixture of bemusement and excitement, a bonus at the end of a trying season. They have little to lose Sunday.

“I believe in miracles,” defensive end Michael Strahan said.

After a 3-7 start, the Giants needed a miracle, but now require only two upsets of NFC rivals, and a victory against the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday at Veterans Stadium.

Their odds were dealt a blow Sunday when the Cincinnati Bengals learned quarterback Jeff Blake, who beat the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday, will miss the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of a broken right wrist, forcing the undistinguished Paul Justin into action. The Giants must hope the Bengals beat the Bucs in Cincinnati, and that the San Diego Chargers win on the road against the Arizona Cardinals.

With the Bucs playing at 1 p.m. and the Giants at 4:05, Fassel was asked whether he is worried about a letdown if his team is eliminated before taking the field.

“If Tampa Bay wins, I’d hope and I would believe it’s not going to (happen),” he said. “If they lose, it may give us an added incentive.”

Fassel said he would have mixed emotions if the Giants finish 8-8 but miss the playoffs--disappointment at falling short, but satisfaction with a strong finish. Either way, Fassel’s stay-the-course, one-game-at-a-time approach has been vindicated. He said as far back as Nov. 8 the playoffs were out of reach “realistically,” but never coached that way.

Fassel and the front office vow not to get carried away by the late surge in general, or certain players in particular. For example: Should the team put its near future in the hands of Graham and tailback Gary Brown, two well-traveled veterans with modest resumes.

“We’ll look at everything with a realistic eye,” Fassel said. “You have to be careful. You take the season as a whole, and break it down. Why did certain things happen? You try to analyze things. It can be a tricky situation.”

Fassel praised Graham, saying he made excellent throws early in the game. He said the team has improved overall, but said Graham “has really played well and given us a spark.” The only change in the starting lineup after the 3-7 start was Graham for Danny Kanell.

Fassel insisted again there will be no evaluations of the quarterbacks, or anyone else, until after the season. With something to play for, the Giants are worried only about 1998, and are preparing for anything. Assistant coach Mike Gillhamer began preparing tapes Monday of the next possible opponent after Philadelphia: the Cowboys, in a wild-card game at Texas Stadium.

By late this week, Gillhamer will be gathering material on the Minnesota Vikings, whom the Giants would visit in the second round. Pro personnel director Tim Rooney plans to scout both the Vikings and Cowboys this weekend. But wait: Super Bowl XXXIII is less than six weeks away.

“What about the Jets?” a reporter asked. Fassel laughed, said, “Oh, you guys are wonderful,” and left the podium.

Hey, why the heck not?