Old Man Winter is a spectator Sunday to a frozen bloodbath when cold-blooded Giants, fired up Saturday night by Forever Young Man Coughlin, charge into the warm embrace of MetLife Stadium and vow to put the Cowboys on ice.
Victor Cruz tells The Post why the Giants will win:
“One is because we found balance between the run and the pass, and we’re doing a good job of doing both and mixing it up,” Cruz begins.
“Two, because our pass rush is going to get to Tony Romo an abundance of times.
“Three, because we’re just going to want it more just because of everything that we’ve gone through in the first six weeks and how we want to get through the other end of the tunnel, and this is basically the first step to doing that.”
Cruz was asked if he thinks the 4-6 Giants, once the 0-6 Giants, are ready to play their best game of the season and make their move on the NFC East title.
“Yes,” he said. “I think it’s time. We’ve been taking baby steps to where we needed to be, and I think this is where make that stride and make that turnover is this week, and I think offensively and defensively we’re prepared to really turn it over and make things happen.”
The Post has learned that Tom Coughlin, who has stared down adversity and shooed away any hint of despair, offered his Giants a quote from Sir Winston Churchill at the Saturday night team meeting at Big Blue hotel headquarters:
“It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time.”
Coughlin also quoted another one of his favorites, Vince Lombardi:
“The good Lord gave you a body that can stand most anything. It’s your mind you have to convince.”
The Giants were buoyed by another one of what they call their Perfect Friday practices. Asked how many Perfect Fridays they’ve strung together, Cruz said, “Five now.”
Every team has its own personality, and Talk Is Cheap Play the Game no longer fits this one in the wake of Terrell Thomas’ Friday guarantee. “It’s an opportunity to prove ourselves as a team,” Thomas told The Post.
The Giants likely will have to prove it in wind-chill temperatures in the teens with possible 30 mph wind gusts and snow showers. That would make it a test of Tom Coughlin’s “No Toughness! No Championships!” mantra. “It’s going to take a lot of mental toughness to get through this game,” fullback John “The Terminator” Conner said.
And plenty of physical toughness, with Jason Pierre-Paul leading the charge on the best Romo they have seen, and Andre Brown toting the rock-hard rock without having to worry about middle linebacker Sean Lee.
“I think in those trenches, man, it’s definitely going to be a bloodbath,” Cruz said.
In truth, the Giants would be excited to play this game in Alaska, on the equator, on the moon. As long as the other guys show up with the star on their helmets.
“I’m going to be out there with no sleeves, like it’s Southern California,” Thomas said, and laughed.
There is a possibility of a little snow, but that won’t bother kicker Josh Brown.
“The wind can be treacherous, but 22 miles an hour outside of here is 12-15 in that stadium because the walls are so high,” he said. “What you see on the outside is not necessarily what’s going on the inside, but it will be rough — anything 15 miles an hour and above is heavy, that’s hard to deal with, and you have to play it, and you have to consider it, you have to respect it. The idea is hit a good, solid ball, not to try to beat Mother Nature, but use her to your advantage.
“Dallas has played, what, two games outside? Maybe three all season? We have to use as much of this to our advantage as possible.”
Eli Manning’s three interceptions in the opener in Dallas proved to be a foreshadowing of his 2013 season. There is no better time for him to remind Giants and Cowboys fans the single biggest edge between their teams is him versus Romo in a big game.
“I can take the cold, the cold I’m not worried about, but the wind is what scares me, especially as a receiver,” Cruz said. “But this is New York City, this is New Jersey, this is the elements you have to play in and you have to be ready to play.”
Manning versus the wind?
“We’ll find our areas to hit them and find our areas to throw the ball and see what happens, but we’re not worried about it at all,” Cruz said.
Cruz is asked to visualize what he sees at 7:30 p.m. or so.
“I see us exhausted in the locker room after a hard-fought victory,” Cruz said, “but everybody’s excited.”