Spring Break
Point/Counterpoint: Which New York football team is better?
Mike Mauro and Kevin Duffy
Issue date: 9/4/08 Section: Sports
Mike Mauro:
Considering the Giants are the only team in the entire NFL to be the reigning Super Bowl Champions, I think it is safe to say that they are clearly the best team in New York. With Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning more confident and improved, an offensive line returning all of its starters once again, three productive running backs and with a defense that, despite its losses, can still get after the quarterback, the Giants will win the best division in football - the NFC East. They will get back to the playoffs and prove last season was no fluke.
Kevin Duffy
New York's best team in 2008 won't be the defending Super Bowl Champion Giants. Instead, it will be the 4-12 Jets. The addition of Brett Favre is certainly the team's top acquisition, but the additions of offensive linemen Alan Faneca and Damian Woody truly make this the most improved team in the NFL.
Look for the Jets to make the playoffs in the ultra-competitive AFC this season.
Kevin: I don't mean to take anything away from what the Giants accomplished, because it was a special run, but the fact of the matter is they were a fringe playoff team that got very hot at the end of the season. As you said, the Giants play in the toughest division in football. Wins are very hard to come by in the NFC East. The Jets, however, basically have four wins automatically handed to them between the Dolphins and Bills.
Mike: The Bills are no pushover and some could argue they are a better team than the Jets. The Giants got off to a bad start last season losing their first two games then went on to go 14-4 the rest of the way including 11 straight road victories. Any team that can do that is no fluke. They have a solid core of leadership and talent that not even the 18-0 Patriots could match in the Super Bowl when the Giants desecrated their perfect season. New York has all of its key pieces from their playoff run back on offense and despite losing Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora, are fortunate enough to have Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka waiting in the wings. Tuck is set to have an All-Pro breakout year and Kiwanuka showed before his move to linebacker that he is more than capable of getting after the quarterback in the pros. With defensive genius Steve Spagnuolo back at the helm, the Giants will have a Top-five defense this season.
Considering the Giants are the only team in the entire NFL to be the reigning Super Bowl Champions, I think it is safe to say that they are clearly the best team in New York. With Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning more confident and improved, an offensive line returning all of its starters once again, three productive running backs and with a defense that, despite its losses, can still get after the quarterback, the Giants will win the best division in football - the NFC East. They will get back to the playoffs and prove last season was no fluke.
Kevin Duffy
New York's best team in 2008 won't be the defending Super Bowl Champion Giants. Instead, it will be the 4-12 Jets. The addition of Brett Favre is certainly the team's top acquisition, but the additions of offensive linemen Alan Faneca and Damian Woody truly make this the most improved team in the NFL.
Look for the Jets to make the playoffs in the ultra-competitive AFC this season.
Kevin: I don't mean to take anything away from what the Giants accomplished, because it was a special run, but the fact of the matter is they were a fringe playoff team that got very hot at the end of the season. As you said, the Giants play in the toughest division in football. Wins are very hard to come by in the NFC East. The Jets, however, basically have four wins automatically handed to them between the Dolphins and Bills.
Mike: The Bills are no pushover and some could argue they are a better team than the Jets. The Giants got off to a bad start last season losing their first two games then went on to go 14-4 the rest of the way including 11 straight road victories. Any team that can do that is no fluke. They have a solid core of leadership and talent that not even the 18-0 Patriots could match in the Super Bowl when the Giants desecrated their perfect season. New York has all of its key pieces from their playoff run back on offense and despite losing Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora, are fortunate enough to have Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka waiting in the wings. Tuck is set to have an All-Pro breakout year and Kiwanuka showed before his move to linebacker that he is more than capable of getting after the quarterback in the pros. With defensive genius Steve Spagnuolo back at the helm, the Giants will have a Top-five defense this season.
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