If you look in the dictionary for the phrase “moral victory,” you will find the box score from Saturday’s 33-30 Giants loss to the Steelers. Although Big Blue’s seventh straight defeat ended any hope of sneaking into a playoff spot in the mediocre NFC, the Giants nearly beat one of the NFL’s top teams and finally got a strong performance from quarterback Eli Manning.

The easiest conclusion to draw is that Saturday was a fluke. But the game nonetheless offered encouraging signs for the 2005 Giants.

Manning, who struggled mightily in his first six NFL games, established career highs in yards, touchdowns, and passer rating. The rookie reached new levels of poise and self-assurance, and finally looked the equal of his Steelers counterpart, Ben Roethlisberger.

An important part of Manning’s comfort level came from a playbook that had been trimmed down to the plays with which he felt the most secure. It is a strategy familiar to coaches on the other sideline: When the Steelers put their rookie quarterback into the starting lineup, they simplified the playbook to make it easier for Roethlisberger to make reads and find his receivers. Since then, they’ve gradually opened up the playbook as he got used to the NFL. The Giants must now have the same patience with Manning.

The Giants also gave Manning two things Roethlisberger has benefited from for most of the season: a good running game and good pass protection. The beleaguered Giants offensive line offered one of its strongest performances of the season, but part of the improved protection in fact came from the quarterback himself. Manning’s ability to recognize blitzes was reminiscent of his big brother. So were his motions changing plays before the snap, shifting Tiki Barber over to block extra pass rushers and finding the spaces in the zone coverage left behind by blitzers.

The Giants can also take from Saturday’s game an appreciation for the long pass. The go-ahead touchdown at the end of the third quarter was set up by a 49-yard pass to David Tyree. It was a reminder both of how Manning can throw the deep ball better than Kurt Warner, and of how the Giants miss their best long threat, receiver Tim Carter, lost for the season after four games.

Yet there is good reason for Giants fans to temper their enthusiasm. The Giants got lucky by facing a Steelers team that was hampered by injuries and thin on special teams. Furthermore, consistent weaknesses from the entire season suddenly, and for no discernible reason, became strengths on Saturday.

The best example is red zone performance. The Giants had the worst red zone defense in the league through 14 weeks, and the third-worst red zone offense. Pittsburgh’s red zone offense was in the top five, their red zone defense in the top 10.

Saturday’s game was close because the two teams suddenly switched their status. Pittsburgh made it into the red zone six times but managed only two touchdowns. New York scored three TDs in four trips. Changes in strategy may be partially responsible, but it is unlikely that the Giants’ sudden awakening of hidden red zone abilities will stick.

The best thing the Giants can take away from Saturday’s game is confidence. The worst thing they can do is slip into complacency, believing that the breaks that went their way will go their way in the future. The Giants have taken a step along the path to the 2005 playoffs, but the path itself is no shorter than it was a week ago.

Mr. Schatz is the editor in chief of FootballOutsiders.com.