I don’t know how frequently I have looked over and over at “NFL pre-season predictions” and then compared to who are the Super Bowl favorites for the season. Repeatedly the Giants are never seen as a top three contender.

And this is after winning yet another Super Bowl just last season. Why is this? Why are the Giants never seen as a pre-season selection to win the championship? The Giants have been more than okay over the last 5 years, going 8-1 in the playoffs in that span, including 2 NFL Championships, out of 3 playoff appearances. As well as their regular season record over the same 5 year time span is at 49-31(61%).

They have a head coach who seemingly is always on the hot seat, six games into the season every year, and continues to hold his job. With a 74-54 record in 8 seasons with the team that looks intent on scaring him every year that he is getting canned. They have a truly “Elite” quarterback in Eli Manning, who no one gives nearly enough credit to…ever.

Is it possible it’s because of the division they play in, the NFC East? Maybe. There are always the prevalent teams that people gravitate towards every year at any rate, mainly the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. They have enormous fan bases as well, but the Giants just don’t get the reverence like the other teams. We hear “the Eagles have everything it takes to win it; the Cowboys are a move or two away from dominating.” What about the team that has been quietly racking up Super Bowl rings over the last 5 seasons?

Nothing. Maybe because they don’t carry the flash and approach like the others in their division even. They don’t have the exciting and athletic Michael Vick, the Star on their helmet, or Jerry Jones smiling in their owner’s box. Instead they have innocent and lethargic looking Eli behind center, and craggy looking Tom Coughlin on the sidelines. They don’t talk about dynasties; they don’t characteristically have guys in trouble on or off the field. They just play the game.

Then we have the sexy teams in the complex NFC in general. The Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, even the new and improved Bears and the (“this is the year”)Falcons I think are more apt to get more thought as a more likely candidate for the Bowl this year.

But in the end, the Giants have amassed as a great power in the NFL, regardless of the doubters. Coughlin is an excellent coach, Eli is first-rate, he’s thrown for 4000 or more yards in the last 3 seasons, as well as thrown for 27+ TDs. They have had a highly ranked running game 5 out of the last 7 seasons. And although Victor Cruz unexpectedly came on the scene and became an entertaining guy to watch with his salsa TD celebration, their WRs in general don’t grab much looks from people as being considered excellent. And they have some very good wide outs. Cruz was 3rd in the league, overall in 2011 with 1,536 YDs, and 9 TDs, and Hakeem Nicks was brilliant with 1,192 YDs and was top 20 in receptions over 20 yards in 2011. Not too shabby.

We continue doubting and the Giants keep winning. Their 2012 schedule looks very tough, ranked #1 overall, especially with rough games at San Fran, at Cincinnati, and at Baltimore, and a wicked stretch during December. But at the end of it all, we’ll see where they are.

Probably better than we think.
 

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