A rare place for Giants to be: first

Justin Pugh is in his third NFL season. He's seen a lot and experienced the ups and downs of pro football in that time. Monday, though, was the first time in his career that he woke up as a member of a first-place team.

"That's crazy," he said when he thought about it for a moment. "But I want to keep it that way."

For the young Giants to do just that, they'll have to learn to handle their newfound status as front-runners. Only seven active players in Sunday night's victory over the 49ers were on the team the last time the Giants were atop the NFC East standings in late 2012. Many of the current Giants players have known only losing. Now they will have to adjust to prosperity and the view…