America's Most Distracted Team Still Wins NFC East

Somehow this loss is all Antonio Pierce's fault. But even though the Giants were pushed around by the revitalized Iggles, they were still NFC East champions at the end of the day. The best highlight from yesterday's 20-14 loss from a Giants perspective was Tom Coughlin's joyous sprint down the sidelines after Kevin Dockery's blocked field goal. Other than that, the major takeaway from the game was this: the Giants lost because they were distracted by the Plaxident. It was obvious, right?

• "At this point it doesn't mean much to me," guard Chris Snee snarled. "We want to win and get in, that was the thing. We didn't play well enough to deserve that title today." [ NYP]

• "Here were the distractions for the Giants Sunday, in no particular order: Donovan McNabb. Brian Westbrook. All the Eagle receivers who made third-down catches in front of soft Giants defensive backs all day long. And that huge Eagles offensive line was a distraction, because it kept the Giants' defense off McNabb in every moment of the game that counted." [ NYDN]

• "It is impossible to know if the pressure affected Pierce’s play Sunday, but he took two unfortunate penalties during the second quarter and was victimized on Philadelphia’s pivotal touchdown, a short pass behind him to Brian Westbrook." [ NYT]

• "NFC East Champs. Not bad for a franchise that has never won more than 8 games following a Super Bowl appearance. Enjoy it, click the "Fan Shop" link on the left, buy a "NFC East Champs T-shirt", and relax guys. There isn't one fan in football who wouldn't trade positions with us." [ Big Blue View]

PHOTO: Anthony J. Causi, NYP