Like the saying goes, "To be the best, you must beat the best."
Case in point for the NFC East. The New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, and Philadelphia Eagles are all a part of the NFC East, and each team has a winning record. Regarded as the toughest division in football, and quite possibly all of sports, this division is intimidating and feared. The teams combined are 16-5 against non-division opponents, while they also combined for 6 losses within the division. They've lost more games in the division than against anyone else which only speaks volumes of how good this division really is.
Growing up in Northern New Jersey I am a die-hard Giants fan, have been for life and will for the rest of it. So appropriately starting the first part of 4 upcoming blogs in regards to the best division in all of football, leading the pack is the defending Super Bowl Champions NY Giants. The Giants are 8-1 for the season and looks even sharper than they did in the post season last year. With the retirement of future Hall of Fame Defensive End Michael Strahan and the season ending injury suffered by Defensive End Osi Umenyiora, the team's only pro-bowler last year, it's amazing that the Giants rank 3rd in the NFL in overall defense. How do they do it? Well, even with the deteriorated defensive line, players like Justin Tuck and Fred Robbins are playing exceptional football and are getting constant pressure on the opposing team's QB. With the pressure coming from the D-Line it makes the jobs of cornerbacks like Corey Webster and Aaron Ross much easier, giving opposing QBs and WRs less time to develop plays and force passes which allows the corners to make plays in short amounts of time. Getting to the quarterback is key to an efficient defense and it all starts there for the Giants D.
But the best defense is a great offense and that's where Eli Manning and the Giants running game come into play. Enough has been said of Manning and his superb, mistake-free football, making big plays when needed, trusting his WRs, and picking apart defenses. But give credit to Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, and Ahmad Bradshaw a.k.a. "Earth, Wind, & Fire." This trio leads the NFL in rushing yards per game (168.9 yds/pg) and is the heart and soul of this offense. The aforementioned "Earth, Wind, & Fire" nickname given to the trio by teammates is very fitting for their individual styles of running. Jacobs represents Earth, being a big landmass that will truck opposing defenders into the dirt. Ward represents Wind, with his bending and twisting jukes and spins, sweeping right by tacklers. Bradshaw represents Fire, having that explosiveness right through the hole, knowing that on any given play he can break loose for a long one. The key to their success is the great relationship and respect each have for each other and the breaks they give each other during game time.
With all this talent, someone has to manage it and that's where Head Coach Tom Coughlin and his staff come in. Just years ago, it was the NY media and fans that were trying to run him out of town, disappointed with his team's performance in the playoffs. All it took was a few years of adjusting and getting his system fully installed to make this team so great. The team always had the talent, it just needed to be focused into the right direction and that is where they are right now. Coughlin, known for his disciplinary style, has more or less become into "player's coach" whom the team really believes in. Alongside Caughlin is Offensive Coordinator Kevin Gilbride and Defensive Coordinator Steve Spanaola. Gilbride, the former QB coach, was promoted to coordinator this season because of his great relationship with Eli Manning. That relationship has blossomed into beautiful play and tallies in the win column. Spagnaola, a former defensive coach on the division rival Philadelphia Eagles, learned a few things from his mentor Jim Johnson: pressure the quarterback. That is exactly what he's done, implementing confusing blitz schemes for opposing offenses to read and leaving the QB on his bottom most the time. It is the combination of all these players, coaches, philosophies, and relationships that make this team the best in in the NFC being 8-1. There is still plenty more football to play and the Giants look to be a promising team in the upcoming weeks and look to make lots of noise in the playoffs and will have a big bullseye on their backs.
Blogs on the rest of the NFC East will follow.
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