New York Giants

The New York Giants used a six-game first-half winning streak last season to go 10-6 and nab a wild-card berth. But with just one win over a playoff team, and facing the prospect of having to navigate through the postseason entirely on the road, few “experts” gave the Giants much of a chance to do any damage. But once in a while, destiny takes a hand, and in New York's case last year, she gave them a great shove.

The G-Men won at Tampa, at Dallas (despite getting outgained by over 100 yards) and in the deep freeze at Lambeau Field to win the NFC. Then New York, as a nearly two-touchdown underdog, rallied to upset undefeated New England in the Super Bowl, keeping the Patriots from carving out their own place in NFL history.

The Giants ranked just 16^th in total offense last year, but in their first season without RB Tiki Barber, ranked 4^th in rushing at 134 YPG. And the defense ranked 7^th overall, 8^th vs. the run at 98 YPG and 1^st in sacks with 53. New York also ranked 6^th in average time-of-possession at +2:42 and 11^th in total yardage at +26 YPG, on its way to going 10-6 vs. the NFL betting lines during the regular season. And including the playoffs, they covered the football spreads in eight of their last nine games.

QB Eli Manning posted a modest 23/20 TD/INT ratio last season, but proved himself a big-game performer during last year's championship run, hitting 61% of his throws and compiling a 6/1 TD/INT ratio during the postseason. And after giving up 80 points the first two weeks of the season, the defense improved as the year wore on, and held the high-powered Patriots to 275 total yards in the Super Bowl.

Over the offseason New York lost three defensive starters, including DE Michael Strahan, but they added S Sammy Knight and LB Dennis Clark through free agency, and went to that side of the ball with their first two picks in the draft. Coach Tom Coughlin was nearly fired after the 2006 season. Now he and his hard-line approach have been vindicated.

New York caught lightning in a bottle last season, and that can be very hard to do two years in a row. But the G-Men are still plenty good enough to compete in the East this year, and may find themselves with the chance to defend their conference crown.