There was nothing cheap about it. I pointed out something that should be obvious, but apparently isn't, given the posts in the thread.
And pointing to the 9-7 Giants makes the point. If they'd been 8-8 they wouldn't have won the Super Bowl. In professional U.S. sports, how you're playing is meaningless if you're not winning games. The Giants started off the season at 6-2, going 3-5 the rest of the way. So, it was those early weeks that got them into the playoffs, not some late season surge because of great late season play, because they were only 3-2 in December and January.
Or, to use a phrase frequently spoken for just this sort of discussion: There are no moral victories.
Yeah, OK, sure. If the Giants had been 8--8 last year, that wouldn't have gotten them into the NFC Playoffs (but it could have done so in the AFC) and so it's "obvious" even to someone as dumb as me that they wouldn't have been in a position to win the Super Bowl...though I can't for the life of me figure out why you observe that in response to my post.
And thanks for pointing out that "playing well" is kind of pointless unless you're winning. I'll be sure to write that down somewhere and keep it in mind the next time I mistakenly think that it's just yippee, boy-howdy, dadgum great to play really well and lose.
And yes, it's a matter of record that the Giants started 6--2 and ended 3--5, which latter was actually a 1--5 "streak" followed by a 2--0 finish. Thanks for pointing that out too, but I live in New York City and follow the Giants' season pretty closely. (BTW, they're 4--2 now and I expect Eli to lose interest and kick into his mid-season slumber any day now.)
The Giants were, however, 7--2 in December and January, not 3--2 as you stipulate, winning their last six in a row. So, I have no idea what you're saying there.
How "moral victories" got into this, I'll never know and it kind of makes me realize that, in fact, I actually have no idea what the objective of your entire response is, other than to rack up post 31,100 and something or the other. Congrats on that...I guess.
My point was and remains simple.
Winning enough games to make the playoffs and playing your best football in January and February is a reasonable and internally logical aspiration for a team that wants to have a shot at winning the Super Bowl.
Sure, it would be better to go into the playoffs 13--3, finishing the season 8--0 after a loss to, well, the Giants, as did the Pats last year or, better yet, 15--1, as did the Packers...but it's whether you're playing your best football of the year once you get there that is more important.