Super Bowl 2012: 10 Lessons the NFC East Can Learn from the Giants

When the New York Giants entered the playoffs as the lone NFC East representative, they had a 9-7 record, and proved they still had much to learn. 

After winning the Super Bowl, these same Giants now have some valuable experience and lessons to offer.

While the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins all have questions of their own, they should look no further than their divisional rivals to figure themselves out.

Here are 10 things the NFC East can learn from the Giants...free of charge.

It Takes Two to Dance, but It Takes Three to Salsa

The Giants have Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham.

The Eagles have DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Jason Avant.

The Cowboys have Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and Laurent Robinson.

The Redskins have…Jabar Gaffney?

Something doesn’t seem right.

As the value of quarterbacks continues to rise, so should the value of wide receivers.

In a division that is abundant in receiving talent, the Redskins are coming up on the short end.

Without players that can catch the ball, it doesn’t matter who you have throwing it to them.

While Redskins receivers totaled 14 touchdown catches as a group this season, Nicks and Cruz  combined for 16 for the Giants—a number that doesn’t include five more postseason scores.

Six Washington receivers combined for 529 yards after the catch.  In comparison, Cruz had 595 by himself.

The fact that it is the wide receivers that are making plays after getting their hands on the ball is often overlooked.  What the Redskins shouldn’t overlook is their need for these types of players.

How to Use Two Running Backs

Teammates Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs split the carries for New York last season.

Bradshaw carried the ball 171 times for 659 yards and nine touchdowns, while Jacobs had 152 rushes for 571 yards and seven touchdowns.

Since both were given significant playing time, head coach Tom Coughlin was able to keep both running backs healthy for their playoff run.

The Cowboys have two quality running backs in Felix Jones and DeMarco Murray.  However, both have suffered from season-ending injuries in their young careers.

For the Cowboys to have a successful rushing attack in 2012, head coach Jason Garrett should emulate what Coughlin did with the Giants and distribute the carries evenly.

In order to keep the wear-and-tear to a minimum, Garrett should look for more ways to get his backs along the edges and towards the sidelines.  Doing this should increase the chances of Jones and Murray finishing the season healthy and would allow Dallas to field an energized rushing attack throughout the duration of an entire game.

If You Believe in Your System, Stick with It

Just like every other team, the Giants faced scrutiny and adversity at various points in their season.  The difference, however, was that New York responded in ways that other teams in the NFC East could not.

After a Week 9 victory over the New England Patriots, the Giants were 6-2 and in command of the NFC East.  Instead of wrapping up the division, they lost four consecutive games before winning three of their last four to earn a playoff spot.

Throughout those difficult times, however, Tom Coughlin never strayed from his system.  Even when the offensive line struggled, the Giants ran in short-yardage situations.  On defense, they still brought pressure with four linemen. 

It is this kind of discipline that resonates into confidence. 

The Eagles were in a similar position at the start of the last offseason when Andy Reid promoted long-time offensive line coach, Juan Castillo, to defensive coordinator, and hired Jim Washburn as the new defensive line coach.

The Eagles ended the 2011 season with 50 sacks and 32 sacks allowed.  Castillo coached a top-10 defense in terms of points allowed (20.5 per game) and yards allowed per game (324.9), and on paper, the changes looked good.  However, their 8-8 record drew concerns about job security amongst the coaching staff.

After starting the season with four losses in their first five games, Philly did manage to win their last four contests to close the season and give hope for the direction in which they’re headed.

You Need a Quarterback That You Can Trust

Out of their 13 total victories, Eli Manning led fourth-quarter comebacks in more than half of them (seven)—including the NFC Championship game and the Super Bowl.

Manning began Super Bowl XLVI completing his first nine attempts as the Giants opened up a 9-0 lead over the Patriots and finished the game by leading his team on an 88-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter that gave his team a 21-17 lead and eventual victory.

During the regular season, Manning threw an NFL-record 15 touchdown passes during the final period.

For a team like the Redskins to be competitive in a division that features guys like Tony Romo, Michael Vick and the aforementioned Eli Manning at quarterback, Washington needs to address this position either via free agency or the draft.

Great Quarterback Play Can Mask Average Offensive Line Play

While we’re on the subject of great quarterback play, let’s shift our attention to those that make it possible: the offensive line.

Part of the reason why Bradshaw and Jacobs both averaged less than 4.0 yards a carry is due to the offensive line.

In their Week 11 loss to Philadelphia, the Giants offensive line was absolutely atrocious.  Aside from allowing three sacks of Eli Manning, the Giants were only able to generate 29 yards rushing on 17 carries, good for an average of just 1.7 yards per carry.

Although that loss has since been forgotten and didn’t involve them directly, the Dallas Cowboys should still learn from it.

Tony Romo has all the necessary weapons to lead Dallas to a deep playoff run, but he also has to cope with an inexperienced group of offensive linemen.

Before this season started, Dallas featured a line that had played in total of six games and a mere 109 snaps of experience combined. 

After a season of learning and grooming by 'the big uglies," Romo should be better prepared as a play-caller heading into 2012.

Get Your Best Players on the Field

Before the season began, the Giants lost starting linebacker Jonathan Goff to injury and were forced to move Mathias Kiwanuka to the strong side starting position.

Kiwanuka performed admirably in his new position, finishing the season with 84 tackles, three-and-a-half sacks, one interception and one forced fumble.

As a converted defensive lineman, Kiwanuka was playing out of position for the majority of his snaps, yet he still found ways to make significant contributions.

The Eagles, however, struggled mightily at the linebacker position and rotated between a group that included Casey Matthews, Brian Rolle, Jamar Chaney, Akeem Jordan, Keenan Clayton and Moise Fokou.

With defensive linemen combining for 46 of the Eagles’ 50 sacks, Juan Castillo should look to employ a move similar to the one made by the Giants and Kiwanuka. 

Not only is Philadelphia loaded with front-four talent, but Brandon Graham and Antonio Dixon are set to return from injury.  It might be wise to incorporate some packages that allow their best players to find the field at the same time.

You Don't Need an Elite Tight End to Win the Division

The NFC East features some serious depth at the tight end position.

With big-time names like Jason Witten and Chris Cooley mixed in with up-and-comers like Brent Celek and Fred Davis, the main man in New York hardly received any attention.

After the Giants lost Kevin Boss to the Oakland Raiders in free agency, the remaining options were Travis Beckum, Ben Patrick, Bear Pascoe, Jake Ballard and Christian Hopkins—not exactly a "who's who" of tight ends.

Ballard ended up winning the starting spot and finished the season as the team's third-best receiver with 38 receptions, 604 yards and four touchdowns.

He was often relegated to blocking duties in order to account for poor offensive line play, but Ballard brought an attitude and toughness that was reminiscent of Jeremy Shockey.

After leaving the Super Bowl due to injury, Ballard was replaced by Pascoe—who caught all four passes thrown his way and finished the game as the Giants' third-leading receiver.

While it's impossible to roster elite players at every position, New York shows the league how to get by with what it's got.

How Andy Reid Can Buy Some Time off the Hot Seat

Andy Reid and Tom Coughlin have to be two of the most scrutinized coaches the NFL has ever seen.  It seems like year after year, at least one of the two are on the hot seat.

Next season will prove to be no different—as Reid should carry that burden until he wins a Super Bowl or gets canned. 

With the exception of Bill Belichick, I cannot think of anyone who gets as much input on roster and personnel decisions as Reid.

While the schedule for next season is still unset, the Eagles will be facing some daunting teams.

They will host the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and Detroit Lions.

Not only did four of those five teams make the playoffs, they also had a combined record of 47-33.

As for the road portion of the non-division schedule, the Eagles will travel to New Orleans, Cleveland, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh and Arizona.

While no one is clairvoyant, it wouldn’t be difficult to see Philadelphia losing in seven of these games.

If Reid wants to buy himself some time off the burner, he better emulate Tom Coughlin and hope his team can match the Giants’ 6-2 start.

A Good Punter Can Mask Offensive Deficiencies

It’s unrealistic to expect the offense to score every time they get their hands on the ball. 

Heck, it’s unrealistic to expect them to score on even half of their drives.

So who do you trust in the battle for field position when it’s not the quarterback?

The obvious answer is the punter.

While the punter is a position that lacks glorification, Giants fans will forever appreciate one of the unsung heroes of Super Bowl XLVI: punter Steve Weatherford. 

Weatherford set a Super Bowl record with his three punts that landed inside New England’s own 10-yard line.

The Dallas Cowboys have an exceptionally talented punter in Mat McBriar, who has one of the strongest legs in the NFL and was voted to the Pro Bowl.  Out of his 58 punts last season, 21 of them landed inside their opponent’s 20-yard line.

With a true game-changer at their disposal, Romo and the Cowboys should take a lesson from Eli and the Giants and remember that ball security should  be their top priority on offense.

Never Sell Yourself Short

A lot of things get said throughout an NFL season.

Whether Chris Canty predicts the final score of the Super Bowl on Twitter, or Antrel Rolle responds to Vernon Davis' challenge, or Eli Manning calls himself "Top 10, Top 5" of the quarterback class, the Giants never seemed to be lacking in the confidence department.

As professional athletes, football players carry themselves with a certain swagger that translates onto the field through their play.

When Eli Manning gave his self-assessment during the offseason, many scoffed at the quarterback who had thrown 25 interceptions the previous season.

Regardless of whether or not Manning truly believed what he said, all NFL teams should pay attention to this example and learn how to let their play on the field support any message they want to convey off of it.