The New York...Patriots?

Born in Maryland and raised near Manhattan, there was one rule in my house on Sundays (and now also Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays during the alleged college “study break”): Don’t be a Giants fan.

By default, I became a Jets fan at a very young age. Even though I would watch every Giants game, I preferred the Jets because it angered my father less. This also meant that, by default, I hated the New England Patriots (the Jets' biggest rival).

There was one game when I loved the Patriots and that was at Super Bowl XXXVI, when they chose to be introduced as a team.  In very similar fashion, there was really only one game that had me loving the New York Giants, and that was Super Bowl XLII. They were the underdog of all underdogs, and completely outplayed an “offensive juggernaut.”

I always thought it was interesting that the Giants took out the Patriots to win their first ring this millennium in a very similar fashion to the way that the Patriots took out the Rams to win their first ring this millennium.

Now, after the suspension of Plaxico Burress, I am beginning to realize why I am really becoming fascinated by the New York Giants. Through some cosmic intervention, the Giants are a near carbon copy of the Patriot Dynasty.

It begins with a coach...

Long before Bill Belichick was a “genius” he was a thoroughly unproven coach who literally had one foot out of the door already in New England.  Tom Coughlin could understand that feeling, as a number of Giants fans thought that he was just a place-holder for Bill Cowher.  Coughlin was dismissed as too stern and serious and his players were beginning to turn on him for it. Then an interesting thing happened. Tom Coughlin lost his most serious running threat in Tiki Barber. 

Even after an 0-2 start, however, Barber was quickly forgotten thanks to the standout performances of young runners Ahmad Bradshaw and Derrick Ward. People may remember the 0-2 start and injury to Drew Bledsoe that paved the way for some guy named Tom Brady, whom I’m sure you’ve never heard of.  Also noteworthy, Brady’s first Super Bowl season was statistically his worst season ever. Same goes for Eli Manning.

This would explain the out of control play of both of these defenses, who had to compensate for an offense that, at absolute best, would be unpredictable week in and week out. This is where the similarities get really interesting.

2001 marked the first year of a new defense for the Patriots under first year defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, who virtually overnight turned the Patriots' defense into one of the best that season.

2007 marked the first year of a new defense for the Giants under first year defensive coordinator Steve Spagnola, who virtually overnight turned the Giants' defense into one of the best that season.

Both teams knew they had to compensate for a skittish offense, and did so by unleashing their lineman and linebackers until the opposition wanted to cry.

And now the final piece of the puzzle has fallen into place.

Team-before-individual has officially been solidified by the Giants, who suspended Plaxico Burress today for two weeks. And if you think it is a big deal, I urge you to think about who the wide receivers were on the 2002 Patriots team that shocked the world...not too different from this Giants cast.

David Tyree, Domenik Hixon, and Steve Smith all fit into the 2002 Patriots category: No Pro Bowlers here, just guys that get the job done. That mantra is the same for the current Giants and '01 Patriots running games.  Antowain Smith and Kevin Faulk - six years = Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw.

The parts (all except one) are replaceable. The coaches are intense, the players are confident but not cocky, and the cities are two of the biggest in the country.  Who said that red, white, and blue were all these two gridiron greats had in common?