6 Players Most Responsible for New York Giants' Dynasty Success
By (Featured Columnist) on February 6, 2012
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A football dynasty is something that doesn't come around very often.
There have been only a few we can name to date: Pittsburgh, Dallas, San Francisco and New England. The New York Giants now have two Super Bowl wins within four years and four Lombardi Trophies in the last 25 years.
There are six players purely responsible for the New York Giants' rebirth of dominating football.
The debate starts now...do the Giants have the building blocks of a dynasty with these players acting as the cornerstones.
So many returning players.
So many returning coaches.
The Dynasty unfolds...they can do it all over again!
Tom Coughlin's .727 winning % is clearly a road to something. Free Agency makes it hard for any team to dominate for a lengthy period of time; however, the Giants do have important players locked up and a coaching staff that comes back at full strength.
The NY Giants are 8 and 3 in the playoffs under Coughlin.
Guard: Chris Snee
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In 2004, the New York Giants drafted offensive guard Chris Snee in the second round from Boston College, and since that day he has been an anchor for the offensive line and for the entire team.
You can't win in today's "offensive" NFL without a great quarterback. A great quarterback isn't great without an athletic, tough and dedicated offensive line.
At Boston College he displayed amazing durability, as he started every game at guard for the Boston College Eagles for two straight seasons in 2002 and 2003. That work ethic and preparation has translated well to the pro game, as Chris Snee has become a three-time Pro Bowler, two time Super Bowl winner and cornerstone in this upcoming NY Giants dynasty.
This Pro Bowl player came into the NFL as Tom Coughlin's son-in-law...so you can bet that Chris Snee worked twice as hard as anyone in that locker room to make sure he was not treated any different than those other 52 guys on the roster.
Since 2004 Chris Snee has been instrumental in blocking for three different 1,000 yard rushers and is clearly Big Blue's best offensive lineman.
His showed his dedication to the franchise when he opted to resign with the Giants back in 2008. His new contract locked him into Big Blue until 2014.
As the Giants' O-line has aged, Chris Snee has become one of the more experienced teachers on the team and will need to tutor the likes of Will Beatty and Mitch Petrus.
The two Super Bowl wins would not have not been obtained without guard Chris Snee, and with his work ethic and dedication to the franchise, there could be more trophies in the near future.
Cornerback: Corey Webster
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Corey "C-Web" Webster has been an integral part of this NY Giants football team for seven years.
For the past 25 years, the Giants' biggest weakness on the defensive side of the ball has always been defensive backs. For years they struggled to find a player that could just get it done.
In 2005, the Giants drafted a quiet assassin in defensive back Corey Webster in the second round from LSU. In seven years, Webster has only missed 11 games and has covered the No. 1 receiver on almost every opponent the Giants have faced.
Mr. Consistent is signed through 2014 and has become a great player for this franchise. He shows up and works hard at his craft. Over the last four years he has averaged over 50 tackles. In 2011, he led the team in interceptions with six.
What makes Corey Webster such a vital part of this team and this dynasty is his constant production week in and week out. Never do the Giants' brass nor the fan base worry about the receivers who will be flanking the right side of the field.
No. 23 is a breath of fresh air and his demeanor keeps the DBs calm and loose.
In 2005, when Corey Webster was still on the draft board, his former LSU coach Nick Saban, who had just become the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, wanted to draft No. 23. Saban eagerly moved up the board to draft Corey Webster.
The Giants got him first.
The Captain: Justin Tuck
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The team captain, Justin Tuck leads by example on and off the field. Defensively this team is built around him and his skills.
No defensive end in football can do what No. 91 can do.
His versatility is second to none, and it allows the Giants' front four to be as dominating as they are.
You will not find another defensive end in football that can line up in a three-point stance and rush the passer on one down, then slide down inside over the guard and play defensive tackle the next down.
You will not find a defensive end in football that can stand up like an inside linebacker and stuff the lane as well as Justin Tuck, nor will you find a defensive end that plays the run with as much pure passion as he does.
Above it all...he is a true warrior who plays through pain and inspires the locker room. Justin Tuck showed the world again on the biggest stage why he is the captain of the New York Giants, and why this team does not succeed without him.
A clear cut cornerstone of the New York Giants' dynasty.
The 2007 Super Bowl was a coming-out party for Justin Tuck and that NY Giants D-Line.
The 2012 Super Bowl was a tribute to Strahan and the instrumental work he did with Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora. In turn, Jason Pierre-Paul will be taught by some of the best in the game.
Running Back: Ahmad Bradshaw
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Somehow this little back from Marshall keeps on doing it.
Ahmad Bradshaw does not get a ton of national publicity; however, this seventh-round draft pick and one time third-string back has developed into the hardest-working running back in the NFL, as well as one of the toughest.
Bradshaw is a well-rounded back that can receive or run out of the backfield; however, his biggest attribute is the ability to accumulate the tough yards when needed.
As he has gotten older, Bradshaw has developed into a much more patient back. Every year he learns to slow the game down a little bit more, which allows him to expand his game inside and outside the tackles.
In five years, No. 44 has ripped off over 3,200 yards and has had one great season with 1,200-plus rushing yards (2010).
Considering that he splits carries with Jacobs and Ware, and that he plays with one of the best passers in the NFL, I would say that Ahmad Bradshaw makes a difference.
When Bradshaw does not play, Eli's offense becomes very one-dimensional and they struggle.
When the Giants lost to San Fran, Philly and New Orleans, it was no coincidence that No. 44 was on the bench with an injury.
The traditional running back gets more obsolete with every year that passes.
However, Ahmad Bradshaw makes long catches along the sideline, stiff arms his way into needed first downs, and when stropped at the line of scrimmage can reverse the run for positive yards on the other side of the field.
It has value.
As you know, Bradshaw puts a lot of pressure on the outside of his feet with his bow-legged style of running. He has had screws inserted in each foot.
Keep him healthy and he still ranks as one of the five key players on this dynasty.
Wide Receiver: Hakeem Nicks
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It is very clear that five years from now, the New York Giants will definitely have two players in uniform that performed as stars in the 2012 Super Bowl.
1. Hakeem Nicks
2. Eli Manning
Hakeem "Big Time" Nicks has been an absolute gift from the football gods.
Back in 2009, the NFL draft was stocked full of wide receivers with impressive stats and sought-after skills. The mock drafts and big boards were full of big-time college wide receivers.
Somehow Jerry Reese knew the guy he wanted, and that guy (Hakeem Nicks) has gone on to become the best receiver in his draft class and the best receiver in NY Giants history.
Hakeem Nicks has been the difference in Eli Manning's offense and his presence is what the offense is built around.
His description: Great route runner, big, soft hands and great after the catch. No. 88 has the ability to go vertical, dig across the middle, or run the quick slant pattern, and has excelled in 2011 with run after the catch.
In April of 2009, there were 34 wide receivers drafted:
- Percy Harvin, Kenny Britt, Michael Crabtree, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Jeremy Maclin Mohamed Massaquoi, Mike Wallace and Johnny Knox to name a few...
Three short years later, Hakeem Nicks has risen to the top of that list by dominating his peers in receptions, yards, touchdowns and yards per catch.
One might say that Nicks' calming presence and big-play ability has done wonders for Eli Manning as well. Eli is now a complete quarterback who ranks amongst the NFL's best, and this tandem is the cornerstone of the New York Giants' dynasty.
During the regular season in his career, Nicks has hauled in 202 passes for 3,034 yards, 24 TDs and an average of over 15 yards per catch.
His 2011 playoff performance was almost record-setting.
His 444 receiving yards is the second-highest total ever recorded (after Larry Fitzgerald) in the NFL postseason.
Nicks's total of 28 receptions this postseason also ranks second.
Quarterback: Eli Manning
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- Two-time Super Bowl Champion—(XLII, XLVI)
- Two-time Super Bowl MVP—(XLII, XLVI)
- Two-time Pro Bowler—(2010, 2011)
- Seven years in a row with over 3,000 yards
- Three years in a row with over 4,000 yards
- 27,579 total career yards
- 185 career touchdowns
- 121 regular season games played without missing a game
What else needs to be said?
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/941084-eli-manning-time-to-tell-the-critics-to-backoff
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