Ruling the Roost The biggest difference in the last two games is that the Bears, as a team, had gotten in the heads of the defense and the Bills last week. They were putting up points with ease, and not only that, they were putting them up with ease. With how good the defense has played in the first five games, you’d have to believe that there were plenty of plays where they got in that defense’s heads and slowed them down. When those things happen, teams do what the Giants are doing to the Giants today. Teams will keep doing that all day. It is the little things that make a difference in the outcome of games. That same offense in week five did not have Jay Cutler on the field. They did not have Julius Peppers on the field. They didn’t have Willie Young in on kick and punt returns. It also didn’t help that Ereck Flowers and Bobby Massie were at their best. The more time players like Jay Ajayi get in games and the more time they see the rest of the defense, the better they get. I think when you get into all of this “hiding one or two things” nonsense you forget that things like this happen in games, especially early in the year. It is natural for any team in the NFL to get caught up in the hype and to let those things cloud their judgment. Whether the Giants did it in week one or week five, they could have had a good sense that things were not exactly as good as they appeared. Injuries are a big part of it, though, and it is a real test to keep perspective in today’s NFL. Let’s not forget that the Giants are also missing some key contributors on offense. It is easier to look in on the defenses of teams that aren’t getting their touchdowns, but that is not going to be the case very often this season, and when it does happen, it is a test for every defense that makes them do it to themselves. “With every game we’re adding to each other’s learning experiences,” Gettleman told the press after today’s game. “We’re just getting better as coaches, players and staff. There are things that we can do to create and play better and I think that will come.” “This is the beginning of the season, we are building,” he said. “We are looking to get better each and every week. What happens this week, happens this week. We just got beat by a really good football team. We’ll see how much better we get this week.” There are certain players on the Giants who should look in on the film this week and see where they can get better, but they will have to do it individually. I think that’s what makes it such a big deal for an emotional team like the Giants to be tested this way. When things go wrong they have to watch it through the lens of a coach and try to figure out what they can learn from the game. All of this isn’t to suggest that everything is perfect, but this team is playing much better than most would have imagined at this point in the season. I am still extremely optimistic, despite how well their defense is playing and with what they have on offense, that the Giants will still make a run this season. A great offense with a poor defense, like the team that lost to the Bears today, are rare. The Giants might just be one of those teams. Their defense is an offensive line away from being able to do something amazing, but more importantly, they are close to being able to slow the offense down. They haven’t quite managed it yet. When they do, however, they will be unstoppable. The Giants are built like a strong team. Whether they are this year or not, I hope they get a chance to show us what they can do. [Watch Giants videos on GiantsTV] — Written by JC Martinez, who is part of the Athlon Contributor Network. He filed this report from MetLife Stadium. (Top photo courtesy of Andy Marlin and usatoday.com)