A New York Giants Super Bowl Run Would Be More Miraculous Than 2007

The New York Giants know all about feeling lousy following Thanksgiving weekend. In 2007, the sense of despair rang throughout the Meadowlands before everyone even digested their Thanksgiving meals.

The Giants had just lost their second game in three weeks to fall to 7-4. But this was no ordinary loss.

A shockingly horrible Eli Manning stole the show while distributing the ball to the men in purple, tossing four passes into the gut of Minnesota Vikings. Even more alarming were that three interceptions culminated into 21 points without the offense having to take the field.

In a roller-coaster career, this was one of Manning’s low points. The defense looked pedestrian throughout the game too, allowing Sidney Rice to set the tone on a long touchdown catch on the second play from scrimmage.

With little previous success to fall back on, the Giants appeared to be in shambles.

However, instead of folding, they rallied around their beleaguered quarterback and oft-criticized head coach to complete the greatest Super Bowl run in recent memory.

So with more talent across the board on offense, similar names on defense, and being merely one game off the 2007 pace, shouldn’t the Giants take solace in the fact history works in their favor?

The truth is, no. Even though in 2007 many people echoed the same sentiments, this team does not appear capable to muster a Super Bowl run.

First the competition has to be identified. I mentioned earlier in the year that even if the Giants string together enough wins to have a chance to finish off their season with a chance to play in Miami, their road would be a disadvantageous one.

Instead of an old Buccaneers team in the first round, they would travel to Dallas, Philly, or Arizona. Then their next two games would likely be against Minnesota and New Orleans, who could combine for 30 total wins this season.

The Giants defense is bad enough, but bringing this unit to pass-happy teams that play in passing paradises would create an even larger uphill battle.

Sure, many in 2007 didn’t believe that the defense could muster up the four game run that unit did. But it is reasonable to say that there is unequivocally no chance they will be able to hold teams below 21 points every game in January as in 2007.

The 2007 defense had talent, but it laid dormant for most of the regular season. The Giants biggest key to their post-season success was that the defensive line took its game to the next level. Can the 2009 line do that? It’s unlikely. Sure, the names are there. But Justin Tuck is banged, up and Osi Umenyiora’s pass rush tendencies aren’t getting him to the quarterback or allowing him to stop the run.

The most disturbing aspect regarding this unit is their inefficiency up the middle all the way through the secondary. Rocky Bernard has been a bust the size of his belly, and Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield are clearly not the same players following off-season surgery. The pre-season loss of Jay Alford has proven to be a killer, because these three simply are not capable of helping out their defense.

No, I’m not forgetting Chris Canty. Although it would be excusable if I did. He’s primarily started plays at defensive end when his number is called, but he has been virtually invisible since his return.

What do you call a middle linebacker that is labeled around the league as a solid backup? An average starter. That’s what Chase Blackburn is. It’s hard to get better in terms of second-string middle linebackers, but now that he will be finishing the season, his presence likely won’t strike fear into defenses.

Here’s another question: What do you call a safety that is labeled around the league as a bad backup? C.C. Brown. He got benched, but the fact he started for so long ahead of Aaron Rouse probably means that Rouse isn’t exactly Ronnie Lott out there.

Michael Johnson has been pathetic too, as he is incredibly prone to being fooled by the quarterback’s eyes. How many times has he gotten to a receiver a good second after the ball has gotten there? Too many.

Okay, so if the defense isn’t getting the job done, what about the offense? It’s true, on paper this unit has more overall talent than the 2007 bunch that consisted of an erratic quarterback, a number one receiver with a bum ankle, and a fifth-round rookie replacing an annual Pro Bowl tight end.

However, the current offensive line neutralizes any of the 2009 Giants’ offensive talent advantages. A major reason Brandon Jacobs has been unable to get into a rhythm is that his line is not clearing holes as they’ve done since the Tiki Barber era.

Frankly, this running game’s hopes lie on Danny Ware. When Jacobs is in, defenses prepare for him to go inside. And when he's gone outside, the blocking around the edge has been pitiful all year, and Jacobs has been stopping his feet too much. With the current personnel, Jacobs offers very little to this squad right now. It’s not necessarily his fault, but that’s the situation.

Ware is at least capable of popping one every now and then, but he can run between the tackles. Bradshaw’s game is predicated off his ability to cut, and right now he has two bum ankles.

New heroes are going to have to emerge for the Giants. And the guys that are actually effective will have to raise their level of play further. A two-game winning streak alleviates much of the pain accumulated the last month and could straighten out this currently sinking Giants ship.