For overachieving Giants, winning ugly is good enough

Ken Goldfield/Ken Goldfield The Giants hardly play like a first-place team and yet they currently lead the NFC East.They are not dominating, and they definitely aren't pretty. But the Giants are winning.

And on Monday, that was all that mattered to a team that's scrapped and clawed its way into first place in the NFC East. The 4-3 Giants didn't care that they needed a fourth-quarter kick return to overcome an undermanned Cowboys squad on Sunday. In spite of their many flaws, they've won four of five.

And at long last, they have an identity, said coach Tom Coughlin, as a gritty lunchpail crew that compensates for its many issues with relentless effort.

"We play hard," Coughlin said. "It's not…