Unbeaten Giants dominate opponents

New York is off to its best start since winning their first 10 games in 1990.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Super Bowl champion New York Giants came into the season with a chip on their shoulders, and they still have it — even with some people now calling them the NFL’s best team after a 4-0 start.

“We just laugh at it because those are the same people who, two months ago, 69 days ago, were saying the Giants weren’t going to be the best team in the NFC, wouldn’t even make the division, wouldn’t even get to the playoffs,” linebacker Antonio Pierce said Wednesday.

“For us, we couldn’t care either way, good or bad, we’re not trying to get respect here in September going into early October,” Pierce insisted. “For us, it’s about getting respect from late December to early January and early February.”

A quarter of the way into the season, it’s hard to ignore Tom Coughlin’s team.

Off to their best start since winning their first 10 in 1990, the Giants and the Tennessee Titans are the only two undefeated teams left in the NFL.

Not only are the Giants winning, they are dominating.

On offense, Eli Manning and company lead the league in total offense (431.0 yards per game), rushing yards (181.3), yards per carry (5.8), first downs (24.2) and points (31.7).

Defensively, coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s aggressive group is second in points allowed per game (12.25), third in total yards (236.0), second in passing yards allowed (154.0) and first in pass attempts per sack, getting one every 9.3 times the opposing quarterback goes back to pass.

What has been so impressive about the Giants has been their depth.

They lost seven-time Pro Bowler Michael Strahan to retirement in June and fellow Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora to a knee injury in training camp. Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka filled in without missing a beat.

When kicker Lawrence Tynes had minor arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in late August, the front office signed veteran John Carney. The 44-year-old has been perfect on all 12 of his field goal attempts.

Over the last two weeks, the team also had to deal with the distraction of having leading receiver Plaxico Burress suspended for a game for missing a team meeting.

So what happened this past weekend? Everyone stepped up. Domenik Hixon caught four passes for 102 yards, including a 32-yard touchdown on New York’s opening drive.