Falcons vs. Giants: Why New York Is Primed for Another Playoff Run

In 2007 the New York Giants were playing their best football at the start of the playoffs. That year they won the Super Bowl, knocking off the seemingly invincible New England Patriots to claim the crown.

This year, the Giants started 6-2 before dropping four straight. But they rallied down the stretch winning three of their last four games, including a 31-14 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night to give them the NFC East crown.

This weekend the Giants host the 10-6 Atlanta Falcons who have yet to win a postseason game with quarterback Matt Ryan at the helm. It won't be a fun atmosphere on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, as the Falcons will face a New York team that is rolling in front of its home crowd.

Giants quarterback Eli Manning set an NFL record with 15 fourth-quarter touchdown passes and his fourth-quarter passer rating was 110.0, which ranked second in the NFL. He also led the G-Men to five wins when they trailed in the fourth quarter this season.

Manning has found a dangerous target in receiver Victor Cruz, who finished third in the NFL with 1,536 receiving yards. Cruz's rise has been staggering, since virtually no one saw it coming.

The key for the Giants will be their pass rush against the Falcons. Pro Bowler Jason Pierre-Paul has been fantastic this season with 16.5 sacks, while Osi Umenyiora has returned from ankle and knee issues to provide some help. Meanwhile, Justin Tuck has come on strong after battling his own injuries this year, and as a team New York has 11 sacks in the past two games.

If the Giants can get by the Falcons on Sunday they will be on a heck of a run, and with how their passing offense and defensive line have been playing they will certainly be a threat to anyone they play.

New York has been through a lot this season, and somehow the Giants have managed to get this far despite injuries, setbacks and shocking losses. Surviving those kinds of problems can serve to make a team much stronger at this point in the season. Right now Tom Coughlin's team looks very dangerous.