RoanokeFan
01-27-2012, 02:21 PM
TOP 10 PLAYERS WHO HELPED THE GIANTS GET HERE (http://www.bigblueview.com/2012/1/27/2752264/super-bowl-2012-top-10-players-who-helped-the-giants-get-there#comments)
"The 2012 Super Bowl between the New York Giants (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/new-york-giants) and
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/new-england-patriots">New England
Patriots</a> creeps a little bit closer every day. I have been thinking a lot
about how the Giants got to this point, and I thought I would put together a
list of the 10 players who I thought had the most to do with getting the Giants
to Indianapolis.<div class="entry-body">
I also asked Mike and Sean for their lists, partially for reference as I put
mine together and partially so you could also see their thoughts on the subject.
Their lists will be underneath mine, which I will give you in reverse order
starting with No. 10.</p>
<p class="extend-divide"><a name="storyjump"></a>http://cdn1.sbnation.com/images/blog/star-divide.v5e9d7f1.jpg</p>
10. Kevin Boothe (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/3290/kevin-boothe)
-- Did you snicker when general manager Jerry Reese talked about the
importance of re-signing Boothe as a free agent? I did. I am not laughing now. I
am also not making any more 'big-butt' jokes. </p>
<span>9. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/131487/jacquian-williams">Jacquian
Williams</a>/<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/34516/devin-thomas">Devin
Thomas</a> -- Without the special teams plays they made against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/san-francisco-49ers">San Francisco
49ers</a> last week the Giants are not still playing. So, they have be on the
list.</span></p>
8. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2207/chase-blackburn">Chase
Blackburn</a> -- No one, including the Giants, thought Blackburn could play
as well as he has since the Giants brought him back when <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/131182/mark-herzlich">Mark
Herzlich</a> broke his ankle. Blackburn's experience, his leadership, and his
ability to get downfield and into passing lanes in coverage, have made a huge
difference in the play of the defense.</p>
7. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2262/osi-umenyiora">Osi
Umenyiora</a>/Justin Tuck (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2260/justin-tuck)
-- I am cheating here, but I have to mention both veteran defensive ends.
Umenyiora has been a difference-maker whenever he has played, with ine sacks and
two forced fumbles in nine regular-season games, and 3.5 sacks and a forced
fumble in the playoffs. </p>
6. Michael Boley (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/1115/michael-boley)
-- Assumed the role of defensive signal-caller this season and had his best
year as a Giant.</p>
5. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2063/steve-weatherford">Steve
Weatherford</a> -- Whatever the reason New York Jets (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/new-york-jets) special
teams coach Mike Westhoff didn't think Weatherford was good enough to punt for
his team that's his problem. Weatherford had the best season of his career and
turned a devastating weakness into a Giants' strength.</p>
4. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/108442/jason-pierre-paul">Jason
Pierre-Paul</a> -- It takes a special player to relegate Osi Umenyiora to
No. 3 on the depth chart. JPP is definitely that. At times this season it looked
like he was playing defense all by himself out there.</p>
3. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/71294/hakeem-nicks">Hakeem
Nicks</a> -- A very good season, and thus far a spectacular playoff
performance. The 'Hail Mary' catch against Green Bay was the highlight, but
while everyone has been talking about Victor Cruz (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/109584/victor-cruz) it
has been Nicks leading the Giants receivers in the postseason. He has 18 catches
for 335 yards (18.6 yards per catch) and four touchdowns in three postseason
games.</p>
2. Victor Cruz -- Is there really much more than can be said about
Cruz? The guy is probably the best story in the NFL this season. How many plays
did he make this season that changed the outcome of games? A lot.</p>
1. Eli Manning (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2235/eli-manning)
-- Classify Eli however you want. Fact is, he is one heckuva quarterback and it
is entirely possible that without him this season the Giants are a lot closer to
the 2-14 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/indianapolis-colts">Indianapolis
Colts</a> than to the Super Bowl. Without Manning the Giants could easily have
been a four- or five-win team.</p>
Honorable Mentions: I left a couple of guys off my list that I need to
give some props to. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/16768/ahmad-bradshaw">Ahmad
Bradshaw's</a> stats aren't great, but the Giants are clearly a different
offensive football team with him than without him. Antrel Rolle (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/1769/antrel-rolle)
did not have a great year, and he talks too much. Calling out some of his
teammates prior to the Jets game for not practicing enough turned out to be a
kick in the teeth that ended up being a defining moment for the Giants.</p>
Mike's List ...</p>
1. Eli Manning
2. Jason Pierre-Paul
3. Victor Cruz
4. Hakeem
Nicks
5. Michael Boley
6. Justin Tuck
7. Ahmad Bradshaw
8. Jacquian
Williams
9. Chase Blackburn
10. Steve Weatherford</p>
It was hard to leave off Ballard, Mario and Corey Webster (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2266/corey-webster),
heck, even Antrel.</p>
Sean's List ...</p>
1. Eli Manning
2. Victor Cruz
3. Hakeem Nicks
4. Jason
Pierre-Paul
5. Corey Webster
6. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/108531/jake-ballard">Jake
Ballard</a>
7. Osi Umenyiora
8. Michael Boley
9. Kevin Boothe
10.
Jacquain Williams/Devin Thomas/Chase Blackburn</p>
I had to throw in those three guys in at #10.
Without them, especially
Williams and Thomas, we don't advance to SB46."</p></div>
"The 2012 Super Bowl between the New York Giants (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/new-york-giants) and
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/new-england-patriots">New England
Patriots</a> creeps a little bit closer every day. I have been thinking a lot
about how the Giants got to this point, and I thought I would put together a
list of the 10 players who I thought had the most to do with getting the Giants
to Indianapolis.<div class="entry-body">
I also asked Mike and Sean for their lists, partially for reference as I put
mine together and partially so you could also see their thoughts on the subject.
Their lists will be underneath mine, which I will give you in reverse order
starting with No. 10.</p>
<p class="extend-divide"><a name="storyjump"></a>http://cdn1.sbnation.com/images/blog/star-divide.v5e9d7f1.jpg</p>
10. Kevin Boothe (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/3290/kevin-boothe)
-- Did you snicker when general manager Jerry Reese talked about the
importance of re-signing Boothe as a free agent? I did. I am not laughing now. I
am also not making any more 'big-butt' jokes. </p>
<span>9. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/131487/jacquian-williams">Jacquian
Williams</a>/<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/34516/devin-thomas">Devin
Thomas</a> -- Without the special teams plays they made against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/san-francisco-49ers">San Francisco
49ers</a> last week the Giants are not still playing. So, they have be on the
list.</span></p>
8. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2207/chase-blackburn">Chase
Blackburn</a> -- No one, including the Giants, thought Blackburn could play
as well as he has since the Giants brought him back when <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/131182/mark-herzlich">Mark
Herzlich</a> broke his ankle. Blackburn's experience, his leadership, and his
ability to get downfield and into passing lanes in coverage, have made a huge
difference in the play of the defense.</p>
7. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2262/osi-umenyiora">Osi
Umenyiora</a>/Justin Tuck (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2260/justin-tuck)
-- I am cheating here, but I have to mention both veteran defensive ends.
Umenyiora has been a difference-maker whenever he has played, with ine sacks and
two forced fumbles in nine regular-season games, and 3.5 sacks and a forced
fumble in the playoffs. </p>
6. Michael Boley (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/1115/michael-boley)
-- Assumed the role of defensive signal-caller this season and had his best
year as a Giant.</p>
5. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2063/steve-weatherford">Steve
Weatherford</a> -- Whatever the reason New York Jets (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/new-york-jets) special
teams coach Mike Westhoff didn't think Weatherford was good enough to punt for
his team that's his problem. Weatherford had the best season of his career and
turned a devastating weakness into a Giants' strength.</p>
4. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/108442/jason-pierre-paul">Jason
Pierre-Paul</a> -- It takes a special player to relegate Osi Umenyiora to
No. 3 on the depth chart. JPP is definitely that. At times this season it looked
like he was playing defense all by himself out there.</p>
3. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/71294/hakeem-nicks">Hakeem
Nicks</a> -- A very good season, and thus far a spectacular playoff
performance. The 'Hail Mary' catch against Green Bay was the highlight, but
while everyone has been talking about Victor Cruz (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/109584/victor-cruz) it
has been Nicks leading the Giants receivers in the postseason. He has 18 catches
for 335 yards (18.6 yards per catch) and four touchdowns in three postseason
games.</p>
2. Victor Cruz -- Is there really much more than can be said about
Cruz? The guy is probably the best story in the NFL this season. How many plays
did he make this season that changed the outcome of games? A lot.</p>
1. Eli Manning (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2235/eli-manning)
-- Classify Eli however you want. Fact is, he is one heckuva quarterback and it
is entirely possible that without him this season the Giants are a lot closer to
the 2-14 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/indianapolis-colts">Indianapolis
Colts</a> than to the Super Bowl. Without Manning the Giants could easily have
been a four- or five-win team.</p>
Honorable Mentions: I left a couple of guys off my list that I need to
give some props to. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/16768/ahmad-bradshaw">Ahmad
Bradshaw's</a> stats aren't great, but the Giants are clearly a different
offensive football team with him than without him. Antrel Rolle (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/1769/antrel-rolle)
did not have a great year, and he talks too much. Calling out some of his
teammates prior to the Jets game for not practicing enough turned out to be a
kick in the teeth that ended up being a defining moment for the Giants.</p>
Mike's List ...</p>
1. Eli Manning
2. Jason Pierre-Paul
3. Victor Cruz
4. Hakeem
Nicks
5. Michael Boley
6. Justin Tuck
7. Ahmad Bradshaw
8. Jacquian
Williams
9. Chase Blackburn
10. Steve Weatherford</p>
It was hard to leave off Ballard, Mario and Corey Webster (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2266/corey-webster),
heck, even Antrel.</p>
Sean's List ...</p>
1. Eli Manning
2. Victor Cruz
3. Hakeem Nicks
4. Jason
Pierre-Paul
5. Corey Webster
6. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/108531/jake-ballard">Jake
Ballard</a>
7. Osi Umenyiora
8. Michael Boley
9. Kevin Boothe
10.
Jacquain Williams/Devin Thomas/Chase Blackburn</p>
I had to throw in those three guys in at #10.
Without them, especially
Williams and Thomas, we don't advance to SB46."</p></div>