Who will win the NFC East? The Giants.

By Andrew Neumann
Collegian Reporter
September 13, 2006

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The New York Giants will win the NFC East simply because they are the best all-around team.

Eli Manning, entering his third year, has shown signs of being a star in this league for years to come. He will only improve this year as his supporting cast has been kept intact.

The most important player of that supporting cast is Tiki Barber, one of the best halfbacks in the league, and easily the best player at any position in the NFC East. Barber was an MVP candidate last year and has defied the modern perception that halfbacks decline in their 30s.

The Giants’ receiving corps of Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer and Jeremy Shockey produced the NFL’s third ranked offense last year.

The offensive line, a weakness for the Giants for so many years, is now a strength, and all of the starters return as well. With all of last year’s pieces in place, plus the addition of rookie Sinorice Moss, the Giants’ offense should remain a top five unit again this year.

Defensively, the Giants create match-up problems for a multitude of reasons.

Future Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and Pro Bowler Osi Umenyiora combined for 26 sacks last year. Many teams simply cannot devote enough blocking attention to both players at the same time. They have added rookie Mathias Kiwanuka to the defensive end rotation as well, giving the Giants the best defensive end collection in the NFL.

On the linebacker front, Antonio Pierce is once again healthy, and LaVar Arrington was brought in from the Redskins to add even more pass rushing ability. The secondary has been revamped, with Sam Madison and Will Demps being signed to fix a unit that was often times outplayed last year.

Most of all, the Giants simply have too much talent to not win the division. They were 8-1 at home last year, which gives them an incredible advantage. Although they do play the NFL’s toughest schedule, great teams are able to play whoever they have to in order to win.

This is a young team, with the exception of Tiki Barber and Michael Strahan, who are both in their 30s. Both players have been to a Super Bowl, but do not have a ring. They each have stated that they think this is the year that they can fulfill that goal.

Whether they do it or not remains to be seen, but they will take an important first step on the quest for gold by winning the NFC East.

neumanna1@lasalle.edu