Coughlin wouldn’t reveal what the research revealed but clearly the Giants have to alter the script all those other teams they followed if they want to be in Tampa Bay in February.

Linebacker Antonio Pierce is wise to the hill his team has ahead of it.

“Our team needs to step up to the next level,” he explained. “We showed we can win a championship. Now we have to play championship ball week in and week out. That’s been our approach the last three or four years: that we’re the best team in the NFC. But you have to step up your game. We’ve got to be a team that has that mentality: ‘We know what it’s like, we know how hard it is, now let’s go out mentally and physically prepared for it.’ ”

Defensive end Justin Tuck knows teams will circle every Giants game in red ink. Twice.

“With the fact everyone’s gunning for us it brings out our best too, I’m excited for it,” he explained. “You’ll see what the Giants really have to offer. You definitely expect it. Honestly, I don’t think we’ve had to have that meeting where we say, ‘Everybody needs to step it up because every game has to be our best game.’ We haven’t had to do that because we have a lot of veterans that understand that and a lot of young guys who are beginning to. We’re blessed with a team that gets it and a coach that continues to drive it into you. I’m not looking at what past Super Bowl winners have done. It doesn’t apply to us unless we make it apply to us.”

Giants backup offensive lineman Grey Ruegamer was with the Patriots for their Super Bowl win in 2001 and in 2002 when they went 9-7 but missed the playoffs.

“It takes a dedicated mindset to get it done,” he said. “One of the barriers to success the next year is being able to let go of the season before. If you sit around and say, ‘Hey, you remember this play last year … ’ you’re going to get kicked in the teeth. You have to expect that teams are going to come at you this year."

Said Tuck, “Regardless of whether we’re the defending Super Bowl champions or not, we still have to go out there and play football and handle our business. If we keep things simple everything will work out fine.”

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