When the Giants started the 2009 season 5-0, it was easy for fans to get excited about the prospects of not only a return trip to the playoffs but a potential Super Bowl run. But the success in the early part of the season quickly withered and the Giants finished the season by going 3-8 over the final 11 games, causing them to miss out on the playoffs and leave fans and analysts shaking their heads. For a team that has quickly developed a reputation as schizophrenic, it’s imperative for the Giants to get back to playing the type of physical football that made them successful in recent years. In a tough division once in again in 2010, weak teams will be easily exposed.

Starting in 2007, the Giants started to gain a reputation as a bruising team that was simply pushing other offensive and defensive fronts all over the field. This eventually led to a stunning Super Bowl victory that year over the undefeated New England Patriots, who would have gone down easily as the greatest team in the history of the game if they hadn’t lost to the Giants. But by getting after the quarterback and controlling the ball with their powerful and skilled offensive line, the Giants seemed to have found the same key to success that made the Pittsburgh Steelers a consistent contender in recent years. Suddenly Eli Manning was no longer living in the shadows of his brother Peyton and head coach Tom Coughlin went from on the hot seat to one of the best coaches in the league.

The Giants also were far from a one-year wonder as they took down the NFC East in 2008 with a 12-4 record, though they did have a disappointing first-round loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Still, the Giants came out on fire in 2009 and many were touting them as the top team in the entire league after week five of the regular season. But that’s when the wheels started to fall off. Suddenly, the Giants’ fierce pass-rush wasn’t getting consistent pressure and powerful running back Brandon Jacobs started losing his typically bruising authority when toting the rock. Their early success against some of the weaker teams in the league suddenly looked like fools gold and the Giants finished the season by going just 2-6 against playoff teams.

With such inconsistent play, it’s hard to figure out which team will show up in 2010. Considering the nature of the league, Brand Levitra however, this core group of players likely won’t have much more time to prove that they can be a Super Bowl contender. One bright spot that has emerged, of course, is quarterback Eli Manning, who has been quietly improving from season to season. Though he isn’t usually talked of as one of the top quarterbacks in the league, Manning posted the highest QB rating (93.1) of his career in 2009 despite a group of inexperienced wide receivers.

Led by Manning, the passing game continued to flourish throughout much of 2009 even when the Giants suffered a series of tough losses. Wideouts Hakeem Nicks and Steve Smith both had big seasons, with Smith really standing out by grabbing 107 receptions for 1,220 yards. Third option Mario Manningham also proved more than capable in the slot and gives the Giants a very well-rounded core group of wideouts that certainly sells lots of New York Giants tickets.

But no matter how well the passing game has flourished, the Giants will have a hard time competing in the NFC East against talented teams like the Eagles and Cowboys without being able to get their running game back to where it was in 2007 and 2008. Defensive end Osi Umenyiora also regressed last season after a Pro Bowl 2008 campaign in which he was among the leaders in the league in sacks. On the other side of the d-line, Justin Tuck also had issues getting after the quarterback last season and the tandem of Umenyiora went from 25.5 combined sacks in 2008 to just 13 in 2009.

Still, the Giants are in a great position for a comeback season if they can get some pressure on the quarterback and Jacobs regains his aggressive style of downhill running. Within the division, the Cowboys could be a juggernaut but the Eagles and Redskins both changed quarterbacks, which should favor the Giants. Considering how wide open the rest of the conference appears to be, there should be big expectations surrounding the G-men in 2010.

Author Bio: This article was sponsored by StubHub, one of the finest places in the entire world wide web to get New York Giants tickets, concert tickets, theatre tickets, special events tickets, or almost any kind of sports tickets out there.

Category: Recreation and Leisure/Sports/Baseball
Keywords: New York Giants, sports, tickets, football, NFL