FanHouse HowtheGiantsAlmostDidIt

"How the Giants (Almost) Did It" is a series that will detail the Giants near defeat of the New England Patriots in week 17 of the regular season. Its purpose is to prove that the outcome of Super Bowl XLII is not a foregone conclusion and that the New York Giants have a legitimate chance at the biggest upset in NFL history.

When the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens played the New England Patriots in weeks 12 and 13, their plan of attack was simple: pressure Tom Brady. And although neither team was able to walk away with a win, they laid the foundation on how to beat the Patriots.

By the time week 17 rolled around, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and the New York Giants knew exactly what they had to do. If they were going to defeat New England, they were going to have to get on Brady's face. And from the opening play on forward, they did exactly that.

Although the Giants only registered a single sack, they were putting pressure on Brady on nearly every play. Unfortunately for New York, the King of Foxboro seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. And while Spagnuolo and company executed well and stuck to their gameplan, it was still no match for the resilient Patriots.

That said, forcing to make Brady move his feet and make quick decisions was one reason the Giants almost did it -- despite what the box score says.

Previously on FanHouse:
How the Giants (Almost) Did It: Part II
How the Giants (Almost) Did It: Part I

"How the Giants (Almost) Did It" is a series that will detail the Giants near defeat of the New England Patriots in week 17 of the regular season. Its purpose is to prove that the outcome of Super Bowl XLII is not a foregone conclusion and that the New York Giants have a legitimate chance at the biggest upset in NFL history.

The 2007 NFL season wasn't very kind to New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning. Although his teammates repeatedly defended him, the media attacked him at every opportunity. And unfortunately, after an awful performance in week 12 against the Minnesota Vikings, it seemed like the fans had finally given up on him as well.

But then came week 17 and the New England Patriots.

Despite heavy pressure from both the media and fans, Tom Coughlin decided to play to win, and that meant putting Eli out there in the most pressure packed situation of his young career. But in typical Eli fashion, he let it roll right off his back, while focusing on the task at hand. And with all of American watching, he not only performed better than he had all season, he had one of the greatest game of his career.

Although the Giants came up on the losing end, Manning made some very impressive throws and nearly led the team to the improbable. When all was said and done, he had completed 68.8% of his passes and had tossed four touchdowns -- two more than Tom Brady.

Although no one knew it at the time, Manning had finally turned a corner. And because of his valiant effort, the Giants "almost did it."

Previously on FanHouse:
How the Giants (Almost) Did It: Part I

"How the Giants (Almost) Did It" is a series that will detail the Giants near defeat of the New England Patriots in week 17 of the regular season. Its purpose is to prove that the outcome of Super Bowl XLII is not a foregone conclusion and that the New York Giants have a legitimate chance at the biggest upset in NFL history.

It seems almost fitting that the New York Giants and New England Patriots will meet in Super Bowl XLII. After all, these are the same two teams that met in the final week of the preseason and ended the regular season with a battle for the ages. And while the Patriots got the better of the Giants each time, New York certainly gave them a run for their money.

But how did the Giants, a team that was struggling prior to that game, push the Patriots to the brink of defeat?

It began with the one and only thing that had the Patriots concerned before the game: the offensive line.

"I think collectively this may be the best offensive line we have gone up against. They work well as a unit, and especially when they lock on to guys. I don't see a lot of guys shedding them and making tackles. They are great one-on-one blockers," Teddy Bruschi said a day before the game.