2011 NFL Playoffs: a 2007 Story of Hope for New Orleans Saints Fans

Gather 'round Saints fans for a story that may give you hope in these trying times:

It would be a romantic, made-for-Hollywood story to say the 2007 New York Giants knew it all along.

The thing is though, they didn't.

That's what makes their rise from underdogs to champions so much more endearing.

They were a group of doubting Thomases, just like the rest of us everyday Joes, as they prepared to play a New England Patriots team that looked like Sherman marching to Atlanta—an unconquerable force.

"I thought New England had a juggernaut. I really did," former Giants Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo told Reporter Bob McGinn several months after the game. "In my days on earth it was the most prolific offense I had ever seen with the best quarterback ever to play the game, in my opinion.

"Now that didn't mean I didn't think we could win," continued Spagnuolo. "Our guys were confident they could compete...but I thought if we could hold them under 30 we were doing a decent job. That's how much respect I had for them."

It turns out New England never even sniffed 30 that day.

Not even close.

The cheery Belichick's visage never looked more dour, poor bastard.

Some coaches choose to lay down for the regular season finale, but not the Giants' Tom Coughlin.

He went all out against New England that day in late December, only to lose 38-35.

The final score was only important in the respect that the Giants proved to themselves that afternoon that those unbeatable Patriots may be beatable after all.

Giants defensive lineman Justin Tuck had a message for his first-year defensive coordinator after the game.

"Believe it or not, Justin said to me, 'Coach, if we get the chance to play them again, just let us get after them,'" Spagnuolo told McGinn. "I remembered that conversation. There were moments in the [Super Bowl] when I said, 'I'm just going to let the front four take care of this.'"

McGinn wrote in The Ultimate Super Bowl Book, "The Giants defensive line against the Patriots' offensive line turned into a mismatch...with heavy pressure from his front four, Spagnuolo could get away with an abnormally low 26 percent (blitz rate)."

The result of the Giants constant harassment of the immortal Brady:  five sacks, eight knockdowns, five hurries and two batted passes.

The Giants' 17-14 win over the previously unbeaten Patriots is one of the most dramatic upsets in sports history.

They did it as a Wild Card team.

Go figure.

"Obviously, Eli (Manning) had an up and down year, but people still believed in him," Giants' Director of Scouting Marc Ross told McGinn. "Just the way he handled things and his demeanor, his calmness, his poise, not getting pissed off at everybody. If the guy could go through that, you believe he won't be intimidated by any situation.

"I think people underrated severely the players we had," Ross said. "We had a quarterback who had the ability and it came together for him."

An underrated team.

A quarterback with poise and demeanor.

Sound familiar, Saints fans?