Complete hypothetical: Would you trade 2011 for 2008?

The win at Gillette in 2011 was probably one of my favorite regular season Giants games. I can still see that Ballard catch vividly in my head. Eli made some big time throws that day.

coattails to the title in 2008 as a game manager?

Nice thought.

I'm still going with the underdog 2011 team with Eli going ape-shit on the league that year. That year ended perfectly.

for the simple reason that the NFC championship game would have been at home.

winning back to back titles is a big deal in the NFL. We'd be holding that 2008 team in high regard like the '86 team.

Repeat champs? Fantastic. For me, though, the real appeal would be a second ring for Seubert, O'Hara, Toomer, Smith, Boss, Pierce, Robbins, Cofield, Feagles, Alford and others who deserved it.

It would also mean a second ring for Burress. I assume this hypothetical scenario includes him not shooting himself, in which case I wouldn't begrudge him the second ring either.

Yet the Giants were the "balanced" team between having a good offense and good defense in comparison to every team they played. They were 9-7, but also had to play New England, New Orleans, Green Bay in the regular season. Fuck it, Giants beat out Atlanta and Green Bay by double digits.

In a second. That team was dominant for a long stretch, those are my favorite seasons.

In comment 12038540 Big Blue Blogger said:

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Repeat champs? Fantastic. For me, though, the real appeal would be a second ring for Seubert, O'Hara, Toomer, Smith, Boss, Pierce, Robbins, Cofield, Feagles, Alford and others who deserved it.

How exactly do those guys deserve a second more than Nicks, Cruz, JPP, Ballard, Manningham, Weatherford, Canty, and Rolle deserved a first, given what they all contributed to that run?

I suppose you could just like that other group better and found more enjoyment in their play/success, but "deserve" doesn't really work, I don't think.

Back to back is a huge deal. I'm still not completely over that loss.

I will NEVER forgive that asshole.

In comment 12038557 Riggies said:

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In comment 12038540 Big Blue Blogger said: Quote: Repeat champs? Fantastic. For me, though, the real appeal would be a second ring for Seubert, O'Hara, Toomer, Smith, Boss, Pierce, Robbins, Cofield, Feagles, Alford and others who deserved it. How exactly do those guys deserve a second more than Nicks, Cruz, JPP, Ballard, Manningham, Weatherford, Canty, and Rolle deserved a first, given what they all contributed to that run? I suppose you could just like that other group better and found more enjoyment in their play/success, but "deserve" doesn't really work, I don't think.

Agreement

winning it all with or without Plaxico. The d-line was shot.

Imagine Osi doesn't tear his meniscus. Even better, imagine he does tear his meniscus, and Strahan comes out of retirement to replace him and win a second ring.

In comment 12038569 MookGiants said:

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winning it all with or without Plaxico. The d-line was shot.

Read the title. Hypothetical.

Eli strapped a mediocre 2011 team onto his back and carried it. The 2008 squad was a complete football team, built from the lines out, until the wheels came off in December. And I love Richie Seubert.

BTW, a successful title defense in SB43 would also have been an extra bonus for the Tiki-haters.

What does it matter? The equation still equals 4 Super Bowls

The 2008 team was so fucking dominant in a true Giant way. Dominant defense, dominant running game and OL, etc. I loved that team and would trade 2011 for a title in '08. I think back to back titles and a dominant team like that would stand the test of time much more than the 2011 team.

from guys like Cruz, Nicks, Rolle, Mario, KP, Deon Grant, Canty, Prince, etc. One of the best parts of winning it is seeing guys get that first ring and complete a lifelong goal. I'm ok with the way it worked out. That playoff run was fucking awesome.

We wouldn't have the NFC Champ in San Fran. Eli cemented himself as my favorite athlete of all time that day so I'd hate to give that up.

Good thread btw.

In comment 12038579 Route 9 in LEH said:

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In comment 12038569 MookGiants said: Quote: winning it all with or without Plaxico. The d-line was shot. Read the title. Hypothetical.

I meant to quote Go Terps post in mine and didn't. I was responding to him never forgiving Plaxico.

In comment 12038520 arcarsenal said:

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The win at Gillette in 2011 was probably one of my favorite regular season Giants games. I can still see that Ballard catch vividly in my head. Eli made some big time throws that day.

Exactly. Another classic. What had the Pats won in a row in Foxboro? 23 games?

Too many classic games in 2011.

Imagine a Jet fan reading this thread. It's like listening to Derek Jeter debate between Minka Kelly and Jessica Alba while you're looking at your hideous fat wife.

In comment 12038601 Danny Kanell said:

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Imagine a Jet fan reading this thread. It's like listening to Derek Jeter debate between Minka Kelly and Jessica Alba while you're looking at your hideous fat wife.

lol

and decided I like screwing up the Patriots twice more than back-to-back.

But only slightly.

In comment 12038601 Danny Kanell said:

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Imagine a Jet fan reading this thread. It's like listening to Derek Jeter debate between Minka Kelly and Jessica Alba while you're looking at your hideous fat wife.

Hahaha

WHY DOES PERRY SIT BACK IN COVERAGE
WHY IS PERRY NEVER BLITZ
WHY PERRY THIS
WHY PERRY THAT



Perry blitz-zero'd on that play, and we were one backyard float pass away from losing.

WHY PERRY
WHY

because if the Giants pulled it off they would get respect as a mini-dynasty at the very least. That was also easily the best regular season team of the Coughlin era that just smoked the entire league for 11 weeks

Also, the Giants have never repeated

great question.

8:50

that's why I took 2013 and 2014 for next year's title run.




Shhhh, not a word.

I think the 2011 run made up for 2008 and the media shit show that Plax made it. It is just as impressive that they won a home playoff against Atlanta in dominant fashion, went into Green Bay again and thumped a high quality team with a Superbowl winning QB, basically won the NFC championship in San Fran as an underdog for the second time with Eli playing his ass off......unreal game! Then beating Tom and Bill in the big game with Manning to Manningham.........might be one of the greatest passes in the history of the Super Bowl.

Losing in 2008 sucked, especially to the Eagles in the playoffs but the 2011 run legitimized Eli Manning as an all time Giant.

wife went into labor about an hour after Ahmad Bradshaw's TD - likely the most exciting 48 hour period I'll ever experience

Easily.

Repeat and take one away from Ben. Let Brady win in 11.

I would have been fine missing the Super bowl in 07 too if we went on to dominate and win and beat Ben after a great 2008 regular season and then win again in 2011

In comment 12038715 ImThatGuy said:

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wife went into labor about an hour after Ahmad Bradshaw's TD - likely the most exciting 48 hour period I'll ever experience

That's really cool

In comment 12038753 Mr. Nickels said:

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Easily. Repeat and take one away from Ben. Let Brady win in 11. I would have been fine missing the Super bowl in 07 too if we went on to dominate and win and beat Ben after a great 2008 regular season and then win again in 2011

Put down the bottle. 2007 will never in a million years be topped. Beating an 18-0 team can't be topped.

I agree that 2008 was the best giants team ive seen in the past 25 years

SB 42 and the trek to get there can honestly never be topped.

1986 SB win; 1990 SB win
Mostly desolation and sadness for over 15 years.
2007 SB win; 2011 SB win; 2015?
The years of Odell's prime.

2 games were played against the Packers AND the refs. The refs were instructed to ensure a Packers victory. The refs pulled it off in the regular season game, THE worst reffed NFL game I've ever watched.

Then the Giants were fired up facing the Packers in the divisional round and knew the refs had the same plan in store for them. Giants responded like crazy and beat the shit out of the Packers AND the refs. The refs clearly tried but were unable to cheat-calls often enough to give the Packers the game.

I LOVED that game.

victory would be great, but in 2011, the Giants were the only NFC east team to make it into the playoffs so that was funny because all the rivals were done with. I don't think that I'd trade 2011 for 2008 because I did like seeing Cruz, Nicks (at he time) , and JPP earn their rings and wouldn't want to take it away from them, hypothetically, being that I can trade years back and forth. But no...not at all. I went to the Falcons game and that game and the ECF game 6 Rangers vs Montreal was one of my favorite games ever.

was trash. And the Eagles benefited from no Plaxico and didn't even belong on the field that day. They just played the Giants at the right day and time and minus Burres, the offense looked like shit right from the start. The first interception Eli Manning threw from the back of the endzone had to be one of the worst throws I've ever seen in person.

- Osi Umenyiora

In comment 12038601 Danny Kanell said:

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Imagine a Jet fan reading this thread. It's like listening to Derek Jeter debate between Minka Kelly and Jessica Alba while you're looking at your hideous fat wife.

LMFAO...DK you're on fire between this and pawning radar the other day..

The main reason is that I experienced 2011 with my kids who were too young in 2007.

I understand the pull of back to back championships...It would have certainly cemented The 2007-2008 team as one of the greatest ever.

But 2011 cemented the legacy of Eli and TC. The SF game will be looked back as one of Eli's signature games. He got the shit kicked out of him....Those images of him pulling turf from his helmet are among my favorite memories of Eli.

Can you imagine the hand wringing around here if we where 7 years removed from a SB?

Beating the Jets on Cristmas eve is one of my favorite wins,it took Rex and co. out of the playoffs and sent us into an all or nothing game against Dallas.The Dallas game was classic as well,the biggest game in the new stadium.How sweet that was beating Romo,Jerry Jones etc...sending them home and giving us our first playoff game in the new building.Now Atlanta,the stadium was rocking that day and we shut them down.On to 15-1 Green Bay,what a game the Giants played,perfect,took them apart.Championship game in Frisco,one of the toughest games we ever played.The Giants and Niners have a long playoff history and this would be the second time we take a championship game from them in thier house that they thought they coundn't lose.Priceless.
Super Bowl XLVI Rematch with N.E.,the strange similarity to four years ago.We get out in front then fall behind and its not looking good,but we fight back and have another one of the greatest plays in SB history,and pull off the win.
Eli MVP again.
So again,No I would not trade this one for anything

own building with the nose-picker-in-chief getting ready to celebrate.

The run in 2011 was great, but if they had finished off 2008, not only would they have repeated, but they would have beaten Philly in the playoffs AND the Steelers (for the 2nd time that season) in the Super Bowl.

Going 14-4 against that schedule to back up the win over the 18-0 Patriots in 2007 would have put the Giants in a different class.

All things being equal, we'd be sucking for 6 straight years, and, in one perspective, would be no different the Patriots with their early SBs and a drought since '05.

Was one of the best seasons ever played by a QB in the NFL. It's a shame most people (even Giants fans) don't realize it.

In comment 12038936 Victor in CT said:

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own building with the nose-picker-in-chief getting ready to celebrate.

Well luckily for you, 2007 isn't being discussed in this scenario.