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  • January 21, 2008 03:31 PM ET

SIFS R4 (Consolation) - Biggest Surprise in NFL this year.

DJTG_2010 (85-27-3) vs You want to play a game? (891-263-54)
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I am going to have to go with the team standing opposite the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl: the New York Giants.

Nobody expected them to be here. Digging back into my vault, I had them finishing 5-11 this year. Coughlin was going to be out of his job at midseason after an 0-2 start.

And who thought Eli Manning would be starting in the Super Bowl THIS year? I didn't, and you didn't either. The Giants were written off as a team this year with plenty of talent, but not nearly enough chemistry or discipline to get by during the season. The Giants were just there during the season, and everyone was just waiting for their collapse that never came.

So what do they do? Make it in to the playoffs after almost beating New England. Win on the road against Tampa Bay. Win on the road against Dallas. Win on the road against Green Bay on the frozen tundra.

Wouldn't you say this is surprising?


The Giants have made the playoffs the last two years and they won the NFC East two years ago. They have a VERY solid defense and they do have a great bit of talent all over the place- most people (including me) thought the weak link was the coach - put Cowher or Parcells on this team and most would have them as the top tier of favorites in the NFC.

My Pick the Packers

Not counting the playoffs- where a one and done setup LEADS to upsets and stunning runs (pittsburgh last ring and New Englands first ring anyone) The Packers were THE shocking team of the NFC this year.

Hit the wayback machine and go back to training camp for a bit- Favre pops out and says this is the most talented team he has played for. Instantly PTI, ATH and the radio pundits go insane- Whaa? Has he been hit too often? Is he going senile? I even heard one guy say that the only person who agreed with him was Ali (distasteful - but it stuck in my mind)

Quick name me 5 players they have that at the BEGINNING of the season you would have said were All-Pros or Hawaii ?

Favre - as always
Hawk - personal fav there

and some might say Woodson

anyone else?

Tied for second best record in the NFL?


The Packers finished 8-8 last year, a tiebreaker out of the playoffs, while the Giants squeaked in. The Packers also finished the year on a four-game winning streak giving them a great springboard into this year. The Giants however finished last year losing 7 of their last 9 including the playoffs, 9 of their last 11 if you count the first two games of this year as well. Everyone counted them out..

Eli was thought to be on his way out. Coughlin was definitely gone by midseason. But no. The Giants finished with double digit wins. Sports Illustrated predicted them to finish 6-10. The Giants were a team ripe with talent waiting to be dismantled.

No one thought they would beat Dallas on the road in the playoffs. Everyone knew that the Packers could handle the Seahawks. But the Giants were supposed to be dismantles by Tony Romo. Even then they weren't supposed to win at Lambeau.

The fact they are more surprising than the Packers is the fact they are in the Super Bowl. The Packers were easily an 8-8, 9-7 team at the beginning of the season. The Giants were a disaster waiting to happen.

Advantage to the New York Football Giants.


Agreed that the win last week was a bit of a shocker- but did you expect that win to be in Green bay?

The Giants have made the playoff the last two years- year before last they won the NFC East over the Cowboys

in Mannings 2 years before this year the offfense has ranked 3 and 11 pretty good for a QB's first two years!

and look at the Players on the D - Osi Umenyiora, Strahan, Antonio Pierce, and Fred Roberts all VERY solid players

But name me the starting Lineup of the Packers - I still state at the start of the season you cannot get plast Hawk and Woodson- and even TODAY you can;t get much farther past-

and on offense Grant may talk like he knew he was going to run for 10000000 yards this year (MAN that head swelled up QUICK- and I'm a ND fan!) But he was 5th on the Giant depth chart! and this is the guy who is going to roll up 200+ in the snow? really?


Green Bay was thought of as a team on the rise coming into this year, while New York was thought of as a team on the downturn. When Strahan didn't come into camp and Tiki was torching the G-men, everyone thought it was only a matter of time before they imploded. Toomer had a reconstructed knee, Plaxico was always criticized, and Eli was a time-bomb waiting to happen.

As for the Packers, everyone had a feeling they could contend in the North with the Bears, and they were young and had limitless potential.

Don't forget about the Packers D, btw - Kampman, Hawk, Barnett, Woodson, Harris. We all knew the D was good. As for the Giants, their durability was continually questioned and their cohesiveness as a unit. The Giants were obviously declining from the division title they won two years ago. They were 8-8 last year and barely made it into the playoffs. As I said before, after the first two games of this year, they had lost 9 of 11 and were essentially left for dead. Bets were being hedged for Coughlins departure. Guess what. All Coughlin has is a bad case of frostnip. And he can easily defrost that in Glendale.

Cause the Giants are in Super Bowl XLII

Surprised?


Green Bay was thought of as a team on the rise coming into this year

-- I cannot dispute this as MOST Qb's if not all have career years at 67 years of age and when you add the 4th string RB of a 9-7 team I mean Well DUH!

while New York was thought of as a team on the downturn

-- playoffs 2 of the last 3 years with a Manning starter. New York was thought of as a team badly coached - big difference there.

had you told ANYONE in the beginning of the year that the Green Bay Packers would have tied for the SECOND best record in the ENTIRE NFL I would have laughed in your face and called everyone not drinking the Favre Kool-Aid to laugh with me

and a good time would have been had by all.

Until they did- I mean the Colts, Chargers, Dallas, Pats, Pitt, Broncos, Saints, Bears etc - all those playoff teams and teams on the rise- and the PACK is tied for the second best record?

You'd have made MAJOR money there- but pick the G-Man to make the playoffs as a wild card

Not long odds there at all.

Comments (12) Add A Comment

January 21, 2008  03:36 PM ET
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Death of Sean Taylor
Adrian Peterson breaking the rush record

January 21, 2008  03:41 PM ET
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Giants more than AD breking rushing record, you could see it happening after the first few games, and especially after Chicago. If you mean really suprising, how abut Eli tying the league lead in interseptons, then not throwing a pick in 3 games on the road in the playoffs.

January 21, 2008  04:29 PM ET
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How about the Packers??

More people thought the Giants would make it to the SB, than the Packers.

January 21, 2008  04:29 PM ET
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And the Packers came pretty close.

January 21, 2008  05:18 PM ET
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Sorry but the Giants being in the Superbowl is not the biggest surprise this year! Sean Taylor???s death, Patriots going UNDEFEATED only the second team ever! Adrian Peterson being such a force as a rookie! The Colts losing to the Beaten up Chargers! So many other thing shocked more people than the Giants making the Superbowl!

January 21, 2008  06:02 PM ET
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Browns nearly making the playoffs was a surprise even for die-hards.

January 21, 2008  09:30 PM ET
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Thought of the browns, and the Broncos and Bucs for that matter but the Packers were at best an 8-8 team to most preseason picks

and I'm not going to go individual vs team

and as much as I'd go AD was a stunner- Randy Moss was the biggest personal shocker-

Feel free to challange me on this.

please.

January 24, 2008  05:28 PM ET
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Packers. Favre practically flipped their record from last year backwards and were in the NFC Championship Game. Green Bey

January 24, 2008  05:28 PM ET
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Good arguments by both. But I was more surprised by the way the Packers finished the season than the Giants. (And they surprised me even further by losing to the Giants last week)

January 24, 2008  05:40 PM ET
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Tony Romo dumping Jessica. Hey, she can't jinx you AFTER THE SEASON. Hit til summertime Tony, at least.

January 24, 2008  05:40 PM ET
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that should read: "Hit IT til summertime, Tony"

 
January 25, 2008  06:07 PM ET
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Good TD David...

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