new york giants 13-6

Holy crap, it's been a ridiculously wild ride. For a team that seemed to be going nowhere fast, a Super Bowl bid is not bad at all. The defense has been so reliable in tough situations and the front 7 as a whole are so reliable. Osi Umenyiora was nothing short of incredible the entire season and Michael Strahan picked up where he couldn't finish last year. Antonio Pierce hasn't had the Pro Bowl season he had last year, but his leadership and play calling is what anchors the defense.

Eli...Eli, what are you doing to me? I was a big critic of Eli. Who wasn't? A Manning who can't play football? How can that be? Well, he proved a lot of people wrong this season. The last few weeks have been just astounding. The way he handled the Patriots and then the Bucs, Cowboys, and Packers...mind-blowing. For once, Giant fans have something to be excited about.

So, here are my grades for the New York Giants 2007-2008 season:

Offense, B-
Eli Manning didn't really turn it on until late in the season and it was almost too late. He wasn't very consistent until the playoffs came around either. His 73.9 QB rating is less than impressive (a QB rating that was less than Joey Harrington and barely above Vince Young), especially when coupled with his 23 touchdowns and 20 interceptions; not to mention only completing 56% of his passes. His play in the playoffs, however, has slightly salvaged him.

The running game is ranked fourth (4) in the NFL and has definitely looked like it. Almost like the Greek monster Hydra, the Giants running game was anchored by at least four guys: Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, Ahmad Bradshaw, and Reuben Droughns. Droughns led the team in rushing touchdowns despite only carrying the ball 85 times (he was vital in the red zone). For a good portion of the season, the two headed monster was Jacobs and Ward. They would cut up defenses and make them look absolutely horrible, as they rushed for a combined 1611 yards, 7 touchdowns carrying the ball 327 times. Bradshaw is the prototypical possession back. He's fantastic on short yardage situations and hasn't failed to produce in the playoffs.

The receivers were not as important this season when compared to the play of the running backs. Plaxico Burress put up exceptional numbers but didn't use his height to his advantage as most fans would have hoped. His 12 touchdown grabs were a huge help, but it would have been nice to see him rack up more yardage. Amani Toomer was a great possession receiver this season, converting on 3rd downs and have a great season as a blocker. Jeremy Shockey was as consistent as always (except for nabbing only 3 touchdowns) but was nonexistent in the playoffs as he is not able to play due to a broken leg (which received surgery last week). Kevin Boss has stepped up nicely to fill in the void.

The offensive line was solid this season. The interior blocking (Rich Seubert/Shaun O'Hara/Chris Snee) was excellent and both Kareem McKenzie and David Diehl showed a noticeable presence on the outside. Madison Hedgecock, the full back, did not have any carries this season but definitely helped Eli Manning get more time for his throws. The offensive line was noticeably more restrained this season, as the team only committed 77 penalties which is good for sixth (6) best in the league (better than New England, Dallas, Green Bay, and San Diego).

Defense, B
Statistically the defense was average in most categories, but if you watched every game you know that this is not true.

The defensive linemen were all effective this season. Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora are a perfect tag team on the ends with a combined 109 tackles, 22 sacks, and 6 forced fumbles; while the tandem up the middle of Barry Cofield and Fred Robbins were very consistent racking up a combined 76 tackles and 6.5 sacks.

The linebackers are my personal favorite part of this team. They give 100% night in and night out and it shows in the outcome of the games. Led by defensive captain Antonio Pierce, the starting linebackers (Antonio Pierce, Reggie Torbor, Kavika Mitchell) combined for a total of 218 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 3 forced fumbles. They're the nucleus of the defense and the players that all fans look forward to while watching the games.

The cornerbacks were the most unheralded part of this year's team. The corners (Sam Madison, Kevin Dockery, Aaron Ross, R.W. McQuarters) combined for a total of 171 tackles, 7 interceptions, and 2.5 sacks. While Sam Madison was the statistical leader of the corner backs, one can make an argument that Aaron Ross was the most pivotal member of that group. The rookie out of Texas was an emotional leader on the field and played fantastically when he was called upon.

The safeties (James Butler, Gibril Wilson, Michael Johnson) were just as good as the corners, grabbing a total of 178 tackles and 5 interceptions. The key to their success was the leadership of Gibril Wilson who had yet another consistent season with 78 solo tackles (92 total) and 4 interceptions.

Special Teams, B+
The punting game was as stellar as always. Led by special teams captain Jeff Feagles, a surefire Hall of Famer, the punting team has downed 25 balls inside the 20 yard line and were one of only ten teams to block a punt. They returned 43 punts for 319 yards, but only averaged 7 yards per punt return.

The kicking game was less than impressive but not horrible. Lawrence Tynes seemed pretty awful, only converting 23 of his 27 kicks, but in reality did not hurt the team. He has stepped it up in the playoffs, converting 4 out of 6 kicks attempted including a 48 yard game winner to clinch the Giants' Super Bowl bid.

Key Special Teamers: Jeff Feagles, Chase Blackburn, Ahmad Bradshaw, R.W. McQuarters, Zack DeOssie

Coaching, A
Tom Coughlin is a class act in the NFL and a great coach to boot. It annoyed me that so many people called for his head in the beginning of the season when the Giants weren't doing so great but now want to praise him for his brilliance. He was the right man for this job all along and he proved it this season now that the Giants are in the Super Bowl.

Offensive Coordinator Kevin Gilbride, last year's Quarterbacks coach, was a good play caller this season. He and Eli really figured out the kinks of the offense this year. He deserves a lot of credit for Manning's play over the past few weeks.

Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was this year's Coaching MVP for the New York Giants. The G-Men nicked him from the Eagles where he was a fantastic Defensive Coordinator previous to this season. Good thing we have the enemy on our side now because it made all the difference. Spagnuolo's defense piled up close to 700 tackles and led the NFL with 53 sacks. They also held their own on the rush defense, giving up under 100 yards per game, while also letting only 83 first downs get by. It's this style of gritty defense the Giants hope will carry them in the Super Bowl against the league's best team, the New England Patriots.

Overall, B+
This season was filled with excitement. It was the type of year where you actually wanted to watch games. You weren't embarrassed for them. When you watched the game, you cheered. I'm really hoping for a wonderful Super Bowl. Let's face it, the so called "experts" have no clue what they are talking about because if they did the Giants would have been at home watching the NFC title game from their couches. Too many people put the Giants out, but with 10 straight road wins (an NFL record), it's hard to believe they won't put up a fight against the Patriots. This should be a good one.