NFL Playoffs: Are the New York Giants the Favorites to Win Super Bowl?

This NFL season has been as exciting as any. This weekend the two teams that many felt would win the Super Bowl were eliminated and the Giants are responsible for one of those eliminations.

The Giants defeated the Packer 37-20. The Packers were the best team in the NFL this season as they were one win away from being a perfect 16-0.

Now that the "G-Men" have eliminated the top team are they the favorites to win the Super Bowl?

The Giants made the Atlanta Falcons look like a high school team, when they beat them 24-2 in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. The Falcons averaged 25.1 points per game this season, yet the Giants held them to only 2 points.

The Packers led the league in points per game during the regular season and averaged 405.1 offensive yards per game, behind arguably the best quarterback in football. The Giants held the Packers to 20 points and held Aaron Rodgers to just 264 passing yards.

Meanwhile, Eli Manning looked like the best quarterback in the league and has been doing a good job of supporting his claim that he is an elite quarterback. With the Saints and Packers now eliminated from the NFL playoffs, which team can defeat the Giants?

They will face the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game. The Giants and Niners faced each other in week 10, with the 49ers winning 27-20. These Giants are a different team now. They are playing defense as well as any team in the league right now, and they are driving the ball down the field with ease.

San Francisco is a team that relies on its defense and running game. Their quarterback, despite his good performance against the Saints, is mediocre. The Giants can put pressure on him to have him make mistakes. That will cause the 49ers to be more of a one-dimensional team as they will have to rely on their running game.

Offensively the Giants are a pass heavy team, but have a good running game when both Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs are healthy. The 49ers had the best defense against the run during the regular season, but their defense against the pass was ranked 16th.

The 49ers defense allowed Drew Brees to pass for over 400 yards and 4 touchdowns. They also gave up 18 points to the Saints in the fourth quarter, which is when Eli Manning is at his best. The Giants should be able to move the ball through the air against the 49ers and stop their one-dimensional offense.

If the Giants beat San Francisco, they will face either the New England Patriots or the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl.

The Baltimore Ravens are similar to San Fran because they are a defensive powerhouse with a solid running game and a mediocre quarterback. Joe Flacco has never made the jump into a top quarterback in the league, especially not in the playoffs.

As for the Patriots, who I fully expect to be back in the Super Bowl this season, that match-up is the one the Giants should want most. The Giants would have the mental edge in the game, as they defeated the Patriots both in the 2007 Super Bowl and this season in week 9.

The Giants put pressure on the quarterback because of their stacked defensive line. Their defensive line features Osi Umenyiora, Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck. To defeat the Patriots, the Giants will have to put pressure on Tom Brady and not let him get comfortable. The Giants have been able to do that against their opponents, including the Patriots, this season.

New England's defense gave up the second most passing yards per game during the regular season. With the Giants' passing game clicking on all cylinders right now, they should not have any problem moving the ball against the Patriots' defense.

The Giants still need to take it game by game, but after knocking off the top team in the NFL and with the way they match up against the remaining teams in the playoffs, they could very will be looked at as the favorites to win the Super Bowl.