I am still in shock 3 days later. Not only did I experience my first ever championship with my favorite sports team, I did so at the expense of the universally hated Pats. As we at SUS try to make sense of it all I will attempt to explain how many of the playoffs most valuable players on the offensive side of the ball transformed their games throughout what is now a championship season. This photo appears courtesy of Newsday.
They are who we thought they were!! Plaxico Buress, Amani Toomer
The Giant's top two wide receivers played all year at a consistently high level. Plaxico had a phenomenal and gutsy season amassing over 1ooo yards and 12 touchdowns while playing through a chronic ankle injury. Fittingly, Plax ended his 2008 campaign by catching the championship clinching touchdown by faking Ellis Hobbs out of his gourd. Amani Toomer, expectantly, made huge catches on 3rd down all season long and continued to be one of the league’s finest #2 wide receivers. His playoff brilliance surprised some, but not this Amani loyalist. As I have said previously in my prior articles; he may not be a great player but he is a great Giant, we love you Amani.
I thought you'd be good but not this good- Steve Smith, Brandon Jacobs, Offensive Line.
I have been a Jacob's fan ever since his first 3rd and short carry in 2005. I always thought he had potential to be a 1000 yard back over a full season. However, I didn't expect him to amass 1000 over a season in which he only played in 10 games. His bruising style did cost him 6 games to injury but his production and consistency in the 10 games he did play was surprising to even his staunchest supporters. I will always remember his first run in the NFC title game when he simply ran over a Packer linebacker and without saying it protested, "this is our game tonight son."
Steve Smith was a great pick in the 2nd round of 2007 draft for the Giants. He offered them a nice third receiver who has great hands and a wealth of big game experience. However, injuries kept him out of action for most of the season's first 11 games. When he did play at the end of the regular season, he was entirely underwhelming. He was victimized by the dropsies and the fumbles. However, the post season marked the beginning of a possibly fine career as a receiver for the Superbowl XLII champions. He has shown veteran savvy in the big spot (his horrid misplay on an intercepted pass from Eli in the Bowl not withstanding) and some of the softest hands on the club. He had several huge first down catches against Green bay in the NFC championship game and a gigantic first down conversion on third and 11 in the games waning moments to put the Giants on the doorstep of glory. I look forward to many excellent years for you in the Meadowlands.
I knew going in that our offensive line would be a fairly solid group. While we were losing Luke Petigout we still retained Center Shaun O’Hara and Guards Kareem McKenzie and Chris Snee. They opened up gaping holes for much of the previous 2 season for Tiki and Brandon but were overshadowed by Tiki's star status. This year with less fanfare surrounding the Giant's running back position, the offensive line got to take center stage. Whether it was Brandon, Derrick Ward (remember him?) or Amhad Bradshaw (more on him soon), the line did a tremendous job creating holes for whoever was waiting for Eli to hand off the ball. In addition, they did a phenomenal job of pass blocking all season and in the playoffs allowing Eli to emerge as a start quarterback by season's end.
Wow, did not see that coming- Eli Manning, Amhad Bradshaw, David Tyree.
Why is it that the Giants are amazing at picking late round running backs but suck at picking 1st round running backs? The same team that brought you some horrific busts like Ron Dayne and Tyrone Wheatley has also brought you Tiki Barber, Brandon Jacobs and now Amhad Bradshaw. Bradshaw started out as a third string running back that barely got a sniff of the action. It is amazing, looking back, that he had to watch the trudging and plodding Reubeun Droughns consistently get stuffed on third and shorts. Nevertheless, Bradshaw finally got his chance when Derrick Ward, who played well in his own right this season, suffered a season ending injury against the Bears in Week 14. Bradshaw's big moment came on an impressive, National Football League season high, 88 yard touchdown run in the snow in Buffalo to clinch the Giants a spot in the 2008 playoffs. In the playoffs, he had an impressive 8.3 yards per carry and routinely got tough yards up the middle despite being dwarfed by his backfield mate Jacobs. He looks like he might be a star running back for New York or elsewhere for years to come.
David Tyree has been a phenomenal special teams player his entire Giant's career. However, I did not know he was even capable of making the best catch in Superbowl history. He also caught a touchdown earlier in the game to give New York a 10-7 lead. His incredible leaping catch over "Roidney" Harrison will forever warm the hearts of Giants fans everywhere. How he was able to use his own helmet as an extra set of hands to hold on to the ball, only G-d and David Tyree himself know. Congrats to a local kid done good.
Ahhhhh, here comes an abridged version of a previous post, where I inserted my foot into my mouth and admitted that I was wrong about Eli. Eli was simply awful most of this regular season. He was terribly inconsistent in terms of his accuracy and showed that he could not throw the ball in cold or otherwise inclement weather. Many, myself included, questioned if he could even be an adequate NFL starter let alone a Superbowl MVP. However, with one throw in week 17, it seemed that Eli arrived. On the first play from scrimmage in week 17 vs. the now 18-1 but then 15-0 New England Patriots, Eli threw an absolutely perfect in stride bomb to Plaxico. Eli went on to throw 4 touchdowns in this game including some while on the run and in the face of a complex and constantly changing Bellicheck defense. While I was not sure this performance would in fact propel Eli to winning the Superbowl MVP; I saw for the first time all season the play of a quarterback that actually lived up to his pre-draft hype. I need not elaborate on Eli's stellar post season play. You all saw his gutsy effort in sub-zero Lambeau field. You all saw the finest play ever by a quarterback in the big game, the 3rd and 5 scramble and bomb to Tyree. You all saw Eli hoist the Lombardi Trophy as Tom Brady was left to wonder what could have been. I just wanted to say one more time......... Eli I'm sorry sooooooooo sorrrrrrrry. I can't wait to see how you continue to develop and grow as the quarterback of the now three time Superbowl Champion New York Football Giants.
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