Who Will Stop The Giants Trip To SuperBowl 43?

There Are Three Capable NFC Teams That Can Beat Big Blue

Passing the ball, running the ball, special teams, and most importantly, defense: all of these aspects need to be executed properly to go deep into the playoffs. However, to win a SuperBowl, a team needs motivation and a bit of luck.
Last year, the New York Giants fired on all cylinders with each of the aforementioned qualities. Can they repeat as champs? Or is there an NFC team that can upend Big Blue? If so, who?
One can make an argument for each team remaining, alluding to the fact that they all are balanced and have the drive to succeed, but as we all know, the NFC Championship can only go to one team.
Leading the defending champion New York Giants is young, talented, and as of late accurate, Eli Manning and possibly the best running back tandem in the game with Jacobs, Ward, and Bradshaw. On the other side of the ball, Big Blue has the fifth strongest defense, despite losing Pro-Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora to a season ending knee injury, and defensive leader Michael Strahan to retirement.
Lastly, with the league’s second best kicker and arguably most accurate punter, in the ageless John Carney (44) and Jeff Feagles (42), it is safe to say New York has a fine special teams squad.
Big Blue’s divisional round opponent is just as solid. Led by the experienced and seasoned veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb, and the strong, talented running back, Brian Westbrook, the Eagles’ potent offense can strike at any time. On defense, two of the best in the league, cornerback Asante Samuel and free safety Brian Dawkins, make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks trying to throw the ball.
Additionally, when a team has a kicker as accurate a David Akers, they are always a threat to score.
While the Giants and Eagles are balanced, so too are the Carolina Panthers. An exiting, talented wide receiver, Steve Smith, receives passes from the strong veteran quarterback Jake Delhomme, a combination that has certainly paid dividends for the offense this year.
With one of the most effective run defenses in the league, the Panthers also possess the tools to shut down an opposing offense. Rounding out the list is John Kasay, a kicker who, along with many on the team, played a major role in the SuperBowl, when the Panthers lost to the Patriots five seasons ago.
Do you see a pattern? Each team has executed on all sides of the football and more. But wait, aren’t I forgetting something?
While the Giants and Eagles have had their struggles at the end of the season, and the Panthers have been blown out a couple times, the Arizona Cardinals are by far the worst playoff team.
Leading the charge is the 37 year old Kurt Warner who is having a rebound year, similar to what the Yankees’ Mike Mussina had this past season. The offense is strong, with excellent receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, but up until their Wildcard match up against the Falcons, the running game was mediocre at best. Now that Edgerrin James is getting the ball, there should be improvement.
Fortunately for the Cards, the offense puts up a lot of points. Unfortunately for the Cards, the defense gives up a lot. Miserable losses such as 56-35 to the Jets, 48-20 to the Eagles, 35-14 to the Vikings, and 47-7 to the Patriots simply look bad.
So how did this nine win team make the playoffs? Simply because the next best team in the NFC West, the 49ers, won seven, and the Seahawks won four, and the Rams won two. It didn’t take much for Arizona to win the West, but it will certainly take a lot more to win it all.
As of right now, it’s difficult to tell who will earn the trip to Tampa. If we learned anything from the Giants miracle playoff run from last year, if a team gets hot, it can go all the way, and you should never count anyone out, including the Cardinals.