Quote:
Originally Posted by skinsfan69
Good post here. The Giants are better run and Eli played safe football but still.....Eli had his chance and he took advantage of his opportunity. We don't know how Romo would've thrown the ball in -20 degees when NY had to play in GB. It wasn't just Eli's SB game, he played very well in horrible conditions at GB. Let's not forget that.
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I think the Eli should get plenty of credit for playing well during that stretch. The Giants did not win the super bowl in spite of him. His play was a major cog in that run.
Ultimately though, the Giants weren't playing with the best-stacked deck in those playoffs. So while Eli deserves plenty of credit for his string of play, it's still improper to point out he "has a ring" without pointing out that he was considerably lucky to get all the way with that team.
By that I mean, Eli and the Giants weren't knocking on the door of the SB in the two seasons prior to 2007, they had long been a playoff afterthought. Eli had not done anything of note in the playoffs prior to January 2008. So when the Giants got going, and beat down two very talented teams in the Bucs and the Cowboys, they had rightfully earned their shot at a ring. But the Packers and Pats both had plenty of oppertities to deny the Giants the championship.
My point, is in a one and done format, it's not right to hate on those who haven't gone all the way. Teams that lose in the first round might have very well gone 3-1 if the playoffs were a round robin instead of play-off. It's essentially why I believe that teams that consistently get deep into the playoffs but don't ever win are more accomplished than teams like the Giants, who are a playoff afterthought in most years, but happen to win it all just once.
The difference between the Cards and the Giants is James Harrison falling on the Goal Line as opposed to the half yard line, or even Asante Samuels' hands failing him.