By Alex Lewin - InReeseWeTrust.com 12/10/09
Best Team: 2007
This is an easy choice. The Giants were 10-5 heading into the much anticipated New England game at home against the 15-0 Pats. Most people did not know what to think of this team, they had some ugly losses (twice to Dallas, Green Bay, Minnesota, and Washington) while they had some unimpressive wins (Detroit, Philly, Chicago, Miami) and looked like a team headed for a first round loss in the playoffs. It all changed on that night, a night where the Giants almost picked off the undefeated Pats, holding a 28-17 lead late in the third quarter. The Giants ended up losing that game, but gained all the momentum from staying that close with New England. We all know what happened next. They dominated the Bucs, beat the despised 13-3 and #1 seeded Cowboys, went into historic Lambeau Field and beat Favre and the Packers in overtime IN -24 DEGREES IF YOU FACTOR IN THE WINDCHILL (of course this was Favre's last game with Green Bay) and went on to beat the 18-0 Pats in Super Bowl 42. Probably the most historic season in Giants history, not just this decade.
Worst Team: 2003
The 2003 Giants were a team that had all the hype going into the year, but any true Giants fan knew this team was headed for trouble. After the second worst playoff collapse in NFL history (38-14 middle of the third quarter to lose 39-38 to the 49ers) the Giants were not over that loss heading into the '03 season. I don’t care what anyone says, I know they were not over it, and they needed to clean house, which they did one year later. You know how I know that? Because the Giants had two DEMORALIZING losses in the first six weeks of the season. The first was to the Cowboys on Monday Night Football. The Giants trailed 23-7 in the third and 29-14 in the 4th, came ALL THE WAY BACK and went ahead 32-29 with seconds left, only for Matt Bryant to kick the ensuing kickoff out of bounds. Quincy Carter completed a 30 yards pass, and Billy Cundiff tied the game with a 52 yard field goal. The Cowboys won in overtime. The second game was against the Eagles who were struggling mightily. The Giants had a 10-7 lead and were milking the game. The Eagles could not move the ball to save their lives. McNabb has 64 yards passing, the Eagles with 9 first downs and 134 total yards of offense. Jeff Feagles punted the ball to Brian Westbrook, and Westbrook took the ball 84 yards to the house. Just like that, the Giants lost.
The Giants then won two games in a row and improved to 4-4, the ladder when coming against the Jets in Overtime (a game my friend and I at the time Josh predicted would be a tie) ended up in a Giants victory only after Brett Conway hit a 29 yard field goal with a minute left in the game. After that, the Giants fell apart, losing 8 games in a row to end the year (plus the 2004 opener to make it 9) which saw the bachelor Jesse Palmer start at the end of the year and lose every single game. This also started the streak: the last Giants game I did not attend or watch live was the last game of the year, a 37-24 lose to the eventual NFC Champion Carolina Panthers. This year also saw the last of the Jim Fassel era and the infamous Joe Horn cell phone game.
Best Regular Season Game: Giants-Patriots 2007
15-0 Pats, one win away from historic 16-0, a sight nobody has ever seen before. The only team in their way was an up and down New York Giants team that stood at 10-5. From the kickoff you knew this was not your average regular season game. You knew this was a game on the 2nd play when Eli ran a play action to Plaxico Burress over the middle for 40 something yards. The crowd was so in shock and went so nuts that you just had a feeling something special was going to happen. This also happens to be the best crowd of any regular season Giants game I have ever been to, and I have been to roughly 60 games at Giants Stadium. We all know what happened, but still that night NFL history was made, and a little over a month later, the Giants got their revenge, and more NFL history was made.
Best Playoff Game (Non Super Bowl): 2000 NFC Championship Game
Yes, the 2007 NFC Championship game was great, a historic win, but this was the first time the Giants went to the Super Bowl in 10 years, and was the first home NFC Title game since 1986 against the Redskins. The Giants absolutely pummeled the Vikings, winning 41-0. Kerry Collins had the game of his life, passing for almost 400 yards 5 touchdowns and 1 pick. It was one of the most shocking games and really turned around the career of Kerry Collins.
Best Super Bowl: 2007 Giants-Pats
Well, there is only two to choose from and I don’t think we are choosing the 34-7 debacle against the Ravens in Super Bowl 35. As we all know, the Pats were 18-0 the Giants were on a miracle run at 13-6 and seemed to believe they could win. The game was close and then all of a sudden in the 4th quarter the Giants went ahead 10-7 on a touchdown to David Tyree on a post route beating Asante Samuel. The Pats then went down the field, killing the clock, and scored with 2:32 left in the game on a touchdown to Randy Moss. The rest is history. The most memorable play in Super Bowl history (I would argue top 5 of any sporting event of all-time) when Eli Manning shed two tackles and threw a bomb to David Tyree who made the catch on his helmet for 32 yards. This culminated in a touchdown to Plaxico Burress and the Giants won the Super Bowl 17-14 beating the 18-0 Pats.
Best Crowd: 2000 NFC Championship vs Vikings
As you know, I have been to more Giants game than one can imagine. Any big game in the last 13 some odd years I have been at. I am ruling out the Super Bowl because it was not at Giants Stadium, though that of course was by far the most electric crowd I have ever seen. You can argue the 2008 game against the Panthers, maybe the 2000 Playoff game vs the Eagles. But in my mind, the NFC Championship game against the Vikings was the best. On the third play Kerry Collins connects on a touchdown to Ike Hilliard and the place goes nuts. I got coffee spilled on me after that play and did not fully soak that play in. On the ensuing kickoff the Vikings fumbled and the Giants got it back. The next play was a touchdown to Greg Comella. The Vikings finally got the ball for the first time down 14-0. Game over. I swear I thought the stadium was coming down once Kerry Collins made an AMAZING fake and threw a perfect 8 yard lob in the back of the end zone to Joe Jurevicious to make it 24-0 in the 2nd quarter. The Giants were finally going to the Super Bowl.
Best Player: Michael Strahan
Despite Peter King's omission on the all-decade team (something so mind boggling I won’t even go any further) Strahan was the best end I had personally ever seen, and I would put him top 4 or 5 best defensive ends of all-time. Yes, he was the leader of a defense that routinely collapsed in big spots (which changed in 2007) but Michael Strahan as an individual was flat out dominating. In the decade (2000-2007) Strahan had 89 sacks, 390 tackles. He stopped the run as well as any end in the NFL and rushed the passer like Deacon Jones. His 2001 campaign (Favre lay down or not) with 22.5 sacks for the NFL record was one of the single most dominating seasons for a defensive player. As I said, he wasn’t Simeon Rice who just rushed the QB, he dominated the run so much that you could not even run to his side. Strahan is my favorite Giant of all-time and every game I miss him a bit more, and realize how great he was.
Worst Player: Trey Junkin
Mention Junkin's name to any Giants fan and they will cringe. He was signed for one game and he botched two snaps including the potential game winner against the 49ers in that epic 2002 playoff loss.
Best Pick/ Trade: Eli Manning 2004
I might catch some heat for this and I know Eli has struggled at times (ok a lot of times) but there is no denying the Eli Manning is a franchise QB. He plays hurt, never complains, and never misses a start. Not to mention since he became a full time starter in 2005 he has made the playoffs every single year, including leading the Giants on one of the most improbable rides in NFL History which ended in Eli throwing a game winning Touchdown with 39 seconds left to Plaxico Burress to win the Super Bowl against the undefeated Pats. He won that Super Bowl and won the MVP award in that game as well. O yea, the only two Quarterbacks to throw two 4th quarter touchdowns in a Super Bowl: Joe Montana and Eli Manning.
Worst Pick: Ron Dayne 2000 12th Pick
He was a Heisman Trophy winner at Wisconsin and most Giants fans thought he would be the bulldog back to compliment Tiki Barber, a Jerome Bettis if you will. During his two years he was actually good. In 2000 he rushed for 770 yards and five TD's, respectable numbers, and helped the Giants to the Super Bowl. The next year he bested his Yards per carry, rushed for 690 yards and 7 TD's, again not bad. However, injuries and lack of work ethic derailed Dayne's career and by 2005 he was out of a Giants uniform. He is since out of the league, last playing for the Texans in 2007, a career year for Dayne.
Best Rivalry: Giants-Eagles
This Rivalry really hit its peak during this decade. The teams met 22 times (one more meeting this Sunday night) which includes three playoff meetings. The Giants won the 2000 Playoff battle, but the Eagles won in 2006 and 2008. The Giants are 10-12 including the three playoff meetings this decade, and the matchup include some memorable games. The Brian Westbrook in 2001, the Ron Dixon play in 2001, where he almost scored on a 80 yard hook and ladder play when he was knocked out at the one. Still, it is the best hook and ladder play I have ever seen run in the NFL. In 2002 the last game of the regular season the Giants won in overtime to clinch a playoff berth. 2004 came T.O and his antics. 2005 provided an overtime game at Philly which ended the Eagles season. 2006 had the memorable Eli lead comeback. Down 24-7 in the 4th quarter the Giants rallied back tied the game, and won 30-24 in overtime. 2007 brought the Osi 6 sack game.
There you have it, the New York Giants the last decade, a decade that will be remembered in Giants lore forever.
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