That's exactly what the Giants need right about now, a dose of the skepticism and pessimism that festered last year and produced the remarkably powerful attitude that carried them above and beyond the wildest of expectations.

Even though they are the No. 1 seed in the NFC, well-rested, favored and set to play at home, the Giants are already hearing that this is the matchup they least-wanted, that the arrival Sunday of the rival Eagles is the worst possible scenario to befall the defending Super Bowl champions.

In fact, this might be the best way to awaken a team that for the better part of the month of December were the slumbering Giants.

"If everybody wants that taste that we had at the beginning of February last year, that focus needs to pick up even more because it is a little more intense this year when obviously everybody is pointing at you and putting that bull's-eye on you now that it is January," linebacker Antonio Pierce said yesterday, sounding the alarm without the aid of last year's motivational air horn.

"Being the 2007 Super Bowl champions does not scare anybody, obviously," Pierce added. "For us it is about going out there and getting our swagger back, getting that chip on our shoulder, listening to all these critics and opinion-makers who have their say on what is going to happen or what did happen and go out there and play Football."

What did happen is the Giants (12-4) lost three of their last four regular season games. What did happen is the Eagles (10-6-1), left for dead at 5-5-1, won five of their last six games to get where they are. What did happen is back on Dec. 7, the Eagles became the first and only team to go into Giants Stadium this season and beat the Giants. What will happen is that these fierce NFC East combatants will do battle in an NFC Divisional playoff game that could set the bar high for ferocity, physicality and plain ol' nastiness.

"I think they will be as good as ever this weekend," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "I would expect a knock-down, drag-out NFC East brawl. They will be ready and we'll be ready."

The Eagles, the No. 6 seed in the NFC, tuned up with a 26-14 wild-card victory in Minnesota and, with no rest, will attempt to continue their ascent.

None of this is a surprise to the Giants, who played exceedingly well on Nov. 9 in Philadelphia, yet needed a fourth-and-1 stop of Brian Westbrook to escape with a 36-31 victory.

"To be honest with you, going into the weekend I think a lot of us were kind of already mentally preparing for Philly and that is the way it turned out," center Shaun O'Hara said.

There is no doubt the Giants took their feet off the accelerators after playing 13 consecutive games and admittedly were borderline exhausted down the stretch.

"You heard me say that I thought the bye was good for our team," coach Tom Coughlin said of having last week off. "I don't know that I would necessarily say that every year. In this case, I thought it was."

The Giants practiced only twice last week; mostly, they healed up. Pierce said he thought having the bye week was "critical" for the Giants.

"I won't be sitting here lying to you . . . we faced some very physical and tough opponents who are all in the playoffs and we needed the rest," Pierce said. "It was good to sit back and just get your mind right, get right physically, and then just watch Football."

The time for watching is now over.

"We are going out there like this is the Kentucky Derby," Pierce said. "We have our horse blinders on, and we are going to go out there and get on the first leg of the track."

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ROAD TO THE SUPER BOWL

FEB. 1 TAMPA, FLA. 6 P.M. NBC

AFC

Titans (No. 1 seed); Ravens (No. 6 seed)

Saturday 4:30 p.m. - CBS; WFAN (660 AM); Titans -3; O/U: 34 ?

Steelers (No. 2 seed); Chargers (No. 4 seed)

Sunday 4:45 p.m. - CBS; Line: Steelers - 6; O/U: 38 ?

AFC TITLE GAME - Sunday, Jan. 18, 6:30 p.m. - CBS

NFC

Giants (No. 1 seed); Eagles (No. 6 seed)

Sunday 1 p.m. - Fox; WFAN (660 AM); Giants -4; O/U: 40

Panthers (No. 2 seed); Cardinals (No. 4 seed)

Saturday 8:15 p.m. - Fox; WFAN (660 AM); Panthers -10; O/U: 48 ?

NFC TITLE GAME - Sunday Jan. 18, 3 p.m. - Fox