COMMENTARY

By Dave Goldberg

updated 12:48 a.m. ET Oct. 31, 2005

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Five days after Wellington Mara died, the pass-happy, defenseless New York Giants figured out how to win the Mara way — with running and defense.

The 36-0 win that vaulted the Giants to the top of the NFC East on Sunday wasn’t necessarily a surprise, although the margin was and so was the way it was accomplished.

“Mr. Mara loved the great defense and he loved the running game,” coach Tom Coughlin said after a game played in conditions that always arrive at Giants Stadium as autumn moves on: swirling winds that make any ball in the air an adventure.

So Eli Manning, anointed just 13 games into his career as the NFL’s next superstar quarterback, was just 12-of-31 for 146 yards and threw an interception that the wind knocked down in the east end zone, a spot Phil Simms called “Dead Man’s Corner.” But Tiki Barber ran for 206 yards and a defense next-to-the last in yards allowed going into the game limited Washington to 125 yards, got five sacks and forced four turnovers.

In fact, Washington never got across midfield until the last minute of the third quarter, when the outcome had long been decided.

Indeed, this game was starkly reminiscent of a Redskins-Giants game here on Jan. 11, 1987 with the temperature about 40 degrees lower and the wind-chill below zero. The Giants won 17-0 to win the NFC title, and two weeks later beat Denver to take their first Super Bowl.

This game was hardly that significant.

All it probably means is that at 5-2, the Giants will contend for a division title. Remember that they were 5-2 at this point last season and finished 6-10, largely because of injuries and because they used the last seven games as a break-in period for Manning.

In truth, this win probably had a lot to do with timing.

The death of Mara, the last of the league’s founding fathers, who died Tuesday at age 89, certainly had the team in a “win one for the Gipper” mentality. Especially Barber and Jeremy Shockey, who had a 10-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. They were the two players invited to Mara’s home last Monday to represent the players in paying their respects to the dying patriarch.

But just as important, most likely, was Washington’s 52-17 win a week ago over San Francisco on a day where the other three NFC East teams played games that went down to the final seconds. That victory over a bad team fueled a “the Redskins are back” celebration in a city that dotes on a team that has done little since it won the last of its three Super Bowls after the 1991 season.

That attitude comes from the top — the Redskins’ owner, Dan “The Fan” Snyder, isn’t one to tone down his enthusiasm. How much of that carried over to the team? Hard to tell, but it’s difficult to ignore everyone from the owner on down telling you how great you are.

Mara was the opposite of Snyder, 48 years older and full of experiences in a fickle game in which he knew that what went up must come down. In the NFL of 2005, that can happen in a week. The Redskins had a 35-point win one week and a 36-point loss the next, a swing of 71 points.

It also showed the silliness of statistics, especially yardage rankings.

As noted, the Giants were next-to-last on defense, yet allowed nothing. The Redskins came in ranked second in yards allowed — and gave up 262 on the ground alone.

How good are the Giants?

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OK, certainly in the upper half of the league.

How bad are the Redskins?

Not as bad as they looked Sunday, but not as good as their 52-17 win last week.

Maybe the Mara factor can propel the Giants on. At least one player seemed ready to push on to what on paper looks like another victory.

“We know he’s up there somewhere smiling at this win,” Shockey said. “But at the same time, we know he’s saying, ’Get ready for San Francisco next week.’ “

Yes, Wellington Mara’s lessons live on.

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