Reason for Giant leap is Eli-mentary

THERE is one, and only one word for the 4-0 Giants today:

ELIte.

They are ELIte because they are a T-E-A-M in every sense of the word, because they have established Giants Stadium as a House of Pain with both sides of the ball inflicting punishment - Bully Boy Brandon Jacobs (15-136, two TDs) spearheading a three-headed running back monster behind arguably the best offensive line (254 rushing yards, one sack) in the league, and the Justin Tuck-Antonio Pierce defense trying relentlessly to make everyone forget about the loss of Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora.

But they are ELIte mostly because they have a quarterback reaching high for elite status.

When your quarterback exhibits this kind of command on a day when he is forced to play without Plaxico Burress (suspension), and efficiently and effortlessly spreads the ball around to the likes of Domenik Hixon and Sinorice Moss, Giants fans are reminded that you can't spell elite without an E, an L and an I.

ELIte Manning, ELIte team.

"I think we're a better team than the team that finished the year last year," Barry Cofield said after Giants 44, Seahawks 6.

The naysayers who thought last year's Super Bowl championship a fluke better think again.

"I know where my hardware sits," Pierce said. "We don't donate jewelry. You gotta earn it. It's in my safe. It's staying there."

There is a swagger and a defiant chip to this Giant team that refuses to go away. Ex-Cowboy Julius Jones got Big Blue's attention when he made the comment that the way to beat an NFC East team was to be hit it in the mouth.

"Hey, who wanted it more?" Pierce wanted to know afterward.

Of course, it's easier to play defense when your offense has the ball for 36:28, when it's 27-6 by halftime, when your franchise quarterback is playing with unbridled confidence. "It might be a bad thing; sometimes we don't seal the deal on situations," Tuck said. "We know Eli's gonna pick us up."