NFL Preview: Are the Giants The Best Team in New York?

It seems like every time you turn on ESPN these days, you see Rex Ryan or hear about some report on the Jets. Ryan was able to lead his tough and talented team to the AFC Championship game last year, but are they now just the second best team in the state of New York?

Another year has come and gone, and the Jets were in the news seemingly every day. There was the pursuit of prized corner Nnamdi Asomugha, the release of Braylon Edwards and of course the return of Santonio Holmes before any of that transpired. While they did bring in Plaxico Burress, you have to wonder if the team is actually any better than last year's squad.

Mark Sanchez returns with another year under his belt, but will the added experience translate into an improved offense? They replaced a big target with another one, but this "new toy" hasn't played football since 2008. The defense missed out on creating the best cornerback tandem the league has ever seen, but they do get Antonio Cromartie back. While they are a dynamite pair, the safety position still needs some work. The linebackers and lineman have aged yet another year, and they lost a few key players that they will sorely miss.

The running game should be about the same as it was last year, but I think Tomlinson won't be getting as many touches this season. The offense has always been the problem with this group, and I don't know if it will be improved from 2010. They will continue to lean on the defense to produce wins, which could mean trouble for such a veteran group.

Meanwhile, the Giants are set to start a fresh new season with virtually the same team they had last year. Eli Manning should be out to rebound off of a bad year last year when he threw the most interceptions in the league. Ahmad Bradshaw returns, and will once again pair with Brandon Jacobs in a lethal ground attack.

Eli's receivers are still somewhat in flux, with Steve Smith still out there on the free agency market. Losing him would hurt, but the Giants are very deep at this position. They might not have a star like Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson or Larry Fitzgerald, but all of these receivers are better than average. They did lose tight end Kevin Boss to the Raiders, but it won't be as big of a loss as most people are claiming it will be.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Giants and Osi Uemenyora still don't look like they see eye to eye, but once the season kicks off, I think they will get it worked out. They always seem to have great young linemen that can plug up the holes and get to the quarterback. Justin Tuck is an amazing athlete, and will continue to dominate on that side of the ball.

I don't think there is a team in the league with more young and talented players in the secondary. It seems like every year they find a talented corner or safety in the draft. They will need one of their linebackers to step up and become a solid contributor if they want this defense to be one of the best in the league.

It is safe to say that both of these teams are fairly even, both having their strong and weak areas on the roster. They are both going to finish better than the Bills, so no worries about finishing in last. When it is all said and done, I think Manning's ability to bounce back from a bad 2010 will be the reason why the Giants will be the best team in New York this year.