Mike Celizic

It’s breath-holding time in New York this week, and it’s all because of one of those Charles Dickens best-of-times, worst-of-times moments.

Eli Manning grew into his advance notices on Sunday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys. He threw for 312 yards and four touchdowns with just one interception that wasn’t his fault; the kid was everything his critics had been waiting three years for him to become.

And then Manning left the game, standing on the sidelines late in the fourth quarter and watching the Giants lose while team doctors poked at his right shoulder. A bruise, said his coach, Tom Coughlin. It just stiffened up after he got dumped on it, said Manning.

Turns out it's more than a bruise. Manning will miss at least a month because of a separated shoulder.

Until Manning came out, it was a pretty good night, not just for the Giants, but for the Cowboys as well. On a day when not many teams put very many points on the scoreboard, the ancient NFC East rivals scampered up and down the field as if they were running offensive drills against their scout teams. They put 80 points on the board — 45 for the victorious Cowboys and 35 for the Giants — and that was the most ever scored in the history of their rivalry.

They came at a cost. The Giants lost defensive end Osi Umenyiora and running back Brandon Jacobs, two of their most talented performers. But still they rolled right along because of Manning and back-up running back Derrick Ward, who piled up 89 yards on just 13 carries.

With or without Manning at the end, it probably wouldn’t have been enough.

With and without Umenyiora, the Giants defense was non-existent, allowing Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo to amass 345 yards passing on just 15 completions and surrendering 478 yards overall.

Romo’s heroics made it opening night of the Wade Phillips era a success, although not an unmitigated one.

The upside was that the Cowboys’ two-pronged running attack of Julius Jones and Marion Barber was good for 131 yards and a touchdown on a great run by Barber. Also, Romo spread the ball around to his receivers, making excellent use of tight end Jason Witten, who had 116 yards. Romo neglected to get Terrell Owens involved until the second half was well underway. But before T.O. could work up a post-game speech about needing to get the ball, Romo found him for two touchdowns and 87 yards on just three huge catches.

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So three big questions were answered positively: Romo showed that last year wasn’t a fluke; T.O. held his tongue and his temper and ended up making big plays; and the running game  especially Barber — was effective.

But then there was the defense, which is supposed to be Phillips’ specialty.

Where it was is open to speculation — it might have been in the locker room playing cards with the Giants’ defense, which also forgot to come to the game.

In the aftermath of a big win, it’s easy to overlook that. The Giants, too, for that matter, can take a lot of comfort from the offense and, like the Giants, figure whatever is ailing the defense can be fixed.

What can’t be fixed for the Giants is the loss of Manning.

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