The New York Giants are coming off their second Super Bowl win in the last five years. The core of their young team is almost exactly the same. Eli Manning has only gotten better every year since his first Super Bowl MVP in 2008. The other New York team, the Jets, are coming off a disappointing 8-8 year. Their biggest off season pick up was a back up quarterback who may spend more time on the back page of the New York Post then in the endzone. Despite all this, the Jets will have a better record then the Giants come years end.

Two years ago the Jets were one of the most feared defensive teams in the league finishing 3rd best in points allowed. Last year, despite not losing much in terms of players, they fell to 13th. Rex Ryan is back to calling the defense this year and that should help regain their 2010 form.

The real reason behind this prediction is the schedule of the two New York teams. The Giants have (arguably) the hardest schedule in the NFL while the Jets sport one of the easiest. The Giants get to play just five teams that finished under .500 last year, while also playing seven games against teams that made the playoffs. On the other hand, the Jets get to play eight games against teams below .500 and just five games against playoff teams. The Jets finished just one game behind the Giants last year and the two team’s schedules should be enough for the Jets to gain at least one if not two games.

When the New York Giants‘ star wide-receiver Hakeem Nicks fractured his right foot in drills during the team’s second Organized Team Activities, it was safe to say that most Giant fans were very concerned. The media shockingly over-hyped this injury and acted as if it was a season-ending injury. Questions arose such as ‘What will Eli Manning do without the team’s 2011 leading receiver?’ or ‘How will this injury negatively impact their other star receiver Victor Cruz?’. What the media and many fans did not take into account is that this injury will only sideline Nicks for about 12 weeks. Since the injury took place in late May, Nicks should be returning at the end of August. Although Nicks will be missing a handful of workouts and training camp, he may be available for at least one preseason game. Even if Nicks were to miss some regular season games, Giants’ offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride has dealt with injuries to star players before. Gilbride will incorporate other facets of the offense such as utilizing running backs Ahmad Bradshaw and rookie David Wilson and allowing for young wide-receivers to step up and fill in for Nicks. The absence of Nicks enables other young Giants’ receivers to get more reps in and develop a better chemistry with quarterback Eli Manning. Unlike the other receivers, Nicks can afford to miss some time due to his enhanced knowledge of the playbook. He is an excellent route runner and an established force that requires much attention and troubles many opponents. Due to Manning and Nicks’ remarkable chemistry on the field over the past three seasons, they should take little to no time getting back to the way things were and give the Giants a chance at another Super Bowl run. As the Giants have shown in previous years, it is not important how you start the season, just how you finish it.

A Super Bowl victory may leave a team on top of the world for a few months, but every team, whether they have ice on their fingers or not, must always look to the future in a league where injuries reign supreme as a big part of the game. Anyone can go down at any minute, and the next man up must produce or the team will suffer at that position. The Giants persevered through many significant injuries this season, and won the Super Bowl with several star players on the sidelines. Terrell Thomas and Jonathan Goff both missed the entire season, and the defense suffered because of it until the end of the year.

As great as it was to see the guys behind them on the depth chart step up and produce, one can’t expect this trend to continue year in and year out. So what are the Giants biggest draft needs? Let’s explore.

Jake Ballard, Bear Pascoe, and Travis Beckum got the job done when it mattered most, but are any of these guys the tight end of the future for the Giants? Probably not. Eli Manning already has a slew of young receivers to catch his passes, but if he had a big, athletic tight end taking the pressure off of these guys, the offense would be virtually unstoppable. The Giants could take a tight end with their first pick in the 2012 draft, and have been linked to Dwayne Allen, a tight end from Clemson who has been characterized as extremely athletic and fairly close to NFL ready.

The Giants have several other needs that they must address in the draft, most notably a linebacker and help for the offensive line. There is no doubt that they will miss out on Matt Kalil and Riley Reiff, the two best linemen in the draft, but GM Jerry Reese will almost certainly find hidden talent somewhere in the 2012 class, as he has become known to do.

Winning the Super Bowl automatically gives the Giants the 32nd overall pick, so they will miss out on some of the top talent this year, but at the same time, a few good draft choices will almost certainly bolster an already solid core. With regards to the linebacking situation, the Giants will look to bring back Chase Blackburn and Jonathan Goff, who was sidelined for all of 2011 after tearing his right ACL before the start of the regular season. Goff was projected to have a break out year at middle linebacker.

At the end of the day, winning the Super Bowl will cost the Giants an opportunity to draft some elite talent this year, but with an already championship caliber core, GM Jerry Reese will be able to analyze more carefully the lesser known players in this year’s draft class.

A recent conversation between Mario Manningham and the Vindicator, a news source based in Ohio, revealed that the Giants’ Super Bowl hero is likely on his way out in New York.

He told the newspaper that there is a 75% chance that he will leave. He has been linked to the Buccaneers, who are desperate for a talented receiver to complement their talented but still young quarterback, Josh Freeman. Former Giants quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan recently signed a deal to become the Bucs’ offensive coordinator, so the move would make sense.

GM Jerry Reese has said over and over again that he wants to keep Manningham, but has said so in a way that seems like he is expendable when it is all said and done. And with the amount of other moves that the Giants need to make before the start of the 2012-2013 season, a new contract for a third receiver doesn’t seem to be a top priority.

Osi Umenyiora and Brandon Jacobs both need extensions on their contracts, as Umenyiora’s presence on the defensive line clearly takes the Giants’ pass rush to an elite level, and Jacobs’ presence in the backfield is an essential complement to Ahmad Bradshaw’s speed. These new deals are unquestionably the ones most important to the Giants.

On top of that, the Giants will also need to find a way to re sign injured CB Terrell Thomas, who was poised for another pro-bowl year before tearing his ACL in the pre-season. Other notable free agents include Aaron Ross, who ended up doing a good job filling in for the injured Thomas down the stretch.

On top of wanting a larger paycheck, Manningham has also said that he would like a bigger role in an offense, and proved he deserves one after his memorable fourth quarter performance in the Super Bowl. Tampa Bay is a perfect fit in this case, as the Bucs’ passing game was one of the worst in the league this past season. His acquisition would certainly help Josh Freeman develop his game and make the Bucs’ offense somewhat more formidable.

In addition, on the Giants’ end, they will need to pay receivers Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz big salaries in the coming years, and will most likely want to save the money for the two explosive young wideouts who proved their worth in this past season. Although Manningham did as well, he was unquestionably the clear cut third option for Eli Manning, and it is because of this that the Giants will most likely let him go. It has been rumored that either Jerrel Jernigan or Ramses Barden would take the place of Manningham as the Giants’ third receiver.

Nothing is set in stone though, as there is still time for negotiation. But all signs seem to say that Super Mario has collected his last coin in New York.

2011’s training camp began with turmoil between Osi Umenyiora and the New York Giants, the team he has played for his entire career.

Entering 2011, Umenyiora had 2 years remaining on his contract, and was not happy about the amount of money the Giants were paying him for his services, and has been looking for a new deal for quite some time. Now that he only has one year left on his contract, the Giants will need to make a decision on the pro-bowl defensive end sooner rather than later.

There is no question that Umenyiora is a key component of the Giants pass rush, but there are several questions surrounding his future with the team. The emergence of Jason Pierre-Paul has made many fans take Umenyiora for granted somewhat, and many feel that letting him go wouldn’t be the end of the world being that Pierre-Paul is in the process of becoming one of the league’s best pass rushers.

However, there is no debate that the combination of Umenyiora, Pierre-Paul, and Justin Tuck give the Giants the best possible defensive front they could have, and the best chance to win consistently. It would behoove the Giants to rework Umenyiora’s contract and sign him to a long term deal following the conclusion of the 2012-2013 campaign, as his presence on the defensive line would keep the Giants pass rush near the top of the NFL for many years to come.

But as we all know, the NFL is a business. Umenyiora will demand a high price to stay in New York, and many feel that Pierre-Paul is good enough to replace the perennial pro-bowler as a full time starter. The Giants could also get a lot in return for Umenyiora should they trade him before the start of the 2012 season, as his stock is very high after his contributions to the team’s magical Super Bowl run.

It is hard to imagine Umenyiora having the same type of success elsewhere, as the Giants’ philosophy has always been defense first, especially on the front line with other dangerous pass rushers such as Tuck and Pierre-Paul, but there is no question that many teams will be lining up to acquire Umenyiora should he become available either in free agency or via trade. And at the end of the day, as teammate Antrel Rolle likes to say, players tend to look out for themselves before the good of the team.

So what will happen with Umenyiora? The answer is unclear as of this moment, but there is no question that GM Jerry Reese will do everything in his power to ensure that Umenyiora will be chasing quarterbacks while wearing a blue uniform for the rest of his career. If the price is right.

So far, 2011-2012 has been the year of the emerging star in New York City both on the gridiron and the hardwood.

Victor Cruz, a Paterson, NJ native and undrafted free agent wide receiver from the University of Massachusetts, put himself on the map in the 2010 pre-season during a game against the New York Jets, when he dazzled the crowd for nearly 200 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns. An injury landed the young receiver on IR for the remainder of the season, and he came into camp in 2011 as the fifth receiver behind Hakeem Nicks, Steve Smith, Mario Manningham, and Domenik Hixon.

Steve Smith departed for the Philadelphia Eagles before the start of spring training after an ugly contract battle with New York, leaving a gaping hole in the Giants receiving core. Hixon began the season promisingly, but suffered a season ending injury in Week 2 against the Rams after making a spectacular one handed touchdown catch. These injuries paved the way for Cruz, who certainly made the most of his opportunity.

In Week 3 against the Eagles, Cruz absolutely torched the Eagles’ prize free agent acquisition, cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, for two touchdowns, and even wrestled one of them right out of the perennial pro-bowlers hands. Cruz became an instant sensation in New York for helping the Giants defeat one of their most bitter rivals, who had given them a lot of trouble in recent matchups. Cruz would go on to rack up over 1,500 yards, a single season record for any Giants receiver, while continuing to drop jaws at Metlife Stadium with unbelievable catches of 99 and 74 yards against the Jets and Cowboys respectively, helping the Giants find a way into the playoffs, and ultimately to their fourth Super Bowl championship.

Jeremy Lin, an undrafted free agent point guard from Harvard University must have seen Cruz play and said, “Hey, if he can do it so can I!” Lin bounced around from team to team last season and the beginning of this one, landing with the Knicks after rookie Iman Shumpert went down with an injury. Being an undrafted free agent, it was obvious that Lin would have to ride the pine unless a dire situation presented itself. It did. And since, the Knicks have lost only one game.

Jeremy Lin entered a must win game against the Nets with the Knicks struggling to move the ball, he finished with 25 points and 7 assists, leading the Knicks to a much needed victory and saving coach Mike D’Antoni’s job. That win made the Knicks 9-15, and they haven’t looked back. With only one bad loss to the lowly Hornets, the Knicks are 8-1 in their last 9 games with Lin getting a healthy number of minutes, and they have done so all without star forward Carmelo Anthony. After defeating the defending champion Dallas Mavericks on Sunday in impressive fashion, it appears as though the Knicks are on the rise, and it is all thanks to Jeremy Lin.

So how did these two former no name athletes make it so big in the largest sports market in the country? The answer is unclear, but both Cruz and Lin have not only silenced critics, but have almost single handedly revolutionized the way teams will scout players moving forward. In other words, teams might look beyond Mel Kiper and Todd McShay’s big board to find talent. More importantly, though, they have helped their teams win, and New York that is all that matters.

There is nothing better than an underdog story, and the city of New York is lucky enough to have been a part of two sensational stories within one year’s time. And the best is yet to come.

The New York Giants capped off a remarkable season with a victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, bringing home the Lombardi trophy for the fourth time in franchise history. However, there are several questions that need to be answered for Big Blue that affect the team’s immediate future.

There are several free agents on the roster, including Super Bowl hero, Mario Manningham, offensive lineman Kareem McKenzie, defensive backs Terrell Thomas, Deon Grant, Aaron Ross, and Derrick Martin, defensive linemen Dave Tollefson and Rocky Bernard, punter Steve Weatherford, linebackers Jonathan Goff and Chase Blackburn, as well as special teams returners Devin Thomas and Will Blackmon. Not to mention Osi Umenyiora is entering the final year in his contract.

So where do the G-Men go from here? This is a question that has been on the mind of GM Jerry Reese for quite some time, but have no fear, Giants fans. The fact that the man has already brought two Super Bowls to the Big Apple in his short tenure clearly proves his status as an elite GM in the NFL today, and will make the right decisions. But what decisions will he make?

In the grand scheme of things, Mario Manningham is expendable. With the emergence of Victor Cruz as a big play threat and the impressive skills of Hakeem Nicks, the Giants simply cannot afford to pay all three of these receivers at the moment, since the rest of the roster is littered with free agents. Although Manningham has said that he wants to stay in New York, it is unrealistic that the Giants will resign him, as they are going to have to pay Nicks and Cruz (the assumed starting Wide Receiver tandem for 2012) within the coming years. Since Manningham would unquestionably be the Giants number 3 receiver, they will probably have to look elsewhere for a more inexpensive option to fill the role, but could very well do so from within the organization, as rookie Jerrell Jernigan showed some speed and elusiveness in his first season as a pro.

As far as the other free agents are concerned, the Giants have several situations that need to be addressed. After missing all of the championship season due to injury, pro bowl cornerback Terrell Thomas and linebacker Jonathan Goff will most likely return with one year contracts to make sure they are back to form, so expect both of these guys to be back in blue in 2012 with little damage to the team’s expenses.

Moving down the line, signing offensive lineman Kareem McKenzie is essential, as the Giants have been getting thin in the trenches over the last two seasons. Although McKenzie is aging, he still provides Eli Manning with good enough protection to earn himself a new deal. Assuming the Giants draft some offensive line help, McKenzie will also be a valuable mentor for young talent.

The rest of the defensive back situation is a little unclear. Deon Grant, like McKenzie, is no youngster, so it is tough to think that the Giants will re-sign him to more than a one or two year deal if at all. Although he picked it up down the stretch, Aaron Ross had an overall disappointing season filling in for the injured Terrell Thomas. Having drafted Prince Amukamara in the first round last year, it is tough to figure Ross will be back with the return of Thomas and the presence of Webster and Amukamara in the defensive backfield.

Tollefson and Bernard are almost locks to be resigned, as the Giants defensive line remained stout with these role players upping their game alongside an already talented front. Weatherford is a guarantee, since he made Giants fans forget all about the “Matt Dodge Debacle” from 2010 and had a fantastic season. Finally, Devin Thomas and Will Blackmon should be back with the team, but their status is uncertain as well with the presence of the young Jernigan as a promising returner. If they are resigned, it wouldn’t cost the Giants too much money.

Overall, although the Giants have many free agents, there is no need to worry. A majority of the group will return, and the losses of a few will be made up for. The Giants will be a legitimate contender to repeat as champions in 2012.

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This Saturday, January 7th, 2012 the Giants will take on the Falcons in the first NFC wildcard matchup. Since 2001 the Giants and Falcons have played six times while splitting the series 3-3. While the Giants have taken the last three from the Falcons. Offensively both teams are similar in yards per game with a slight edge going to the Giants but defensively the Falcons are better in yards allowed per game. I believe the main key to victory for the Giants will be there offensive passing game. Looking at the match up between the Giants receivers and the Falcons defensive backs, the Giants have a huge advantage in exploiting the Falcons. Falcons defensive backs are looking suspect and Eli has the weapons and tools to take them down. Once the open up the field with the passing game, the running game will be there for them to mix it up. Now defensively it is going to be a little struggle for the Giants. The Falcons are very talented offensively with one of the best in the league in Tony Gonzalez. If the Giants can put pressure on Matt Ryan and limit Michael Turner then they will have the game in the bag. The Giants are an underestimated team that had a couple of screw ups during the season but now they are entering the second season where its win or go home and after the last game against the Cowboys, the Giants do not look like they are ready to pack up and end their season.

With Antonio Pierce gone from the Giants and newly acquired Keith Bulluck to take a chance at becoming the starting middle linebacker, only a psychic can predict the future for the starting linebacking core. Last season the Giants had a mix n match time with their linebackers and it seems like its starting over again during the pre-season. Its been said that the coaches have a new set of three linebackers every practice to see which they feel most comfortable with. The Giants are looking for their best three-man lineup at linebacker, which could mean moving Bulluck to outside linebacker as opposed to backing up Goff. The experiment could be an indication of the coaching staff’s confidence that Goff will be the starting middle linebacker. All I have to say is that the season is starting in a few weeks and they need to get situated so players can get accustom to playing with each other. Everyone has their own playing style and tendencies and flipping players screws up the team’s chemistry. The Giants need to settle on their starters and get their defense going.