Will NYG be NFL's most consistent team with win?

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By Ryan Wilson

INDIANAPOLIS -- Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin go back a long way. Both worked on Bill Parcells' staff with the Giants in the 1980s, and they remain two men who have great admiration for one another.

“I respect a lot of things about Tom – his evaluation of talent, the way he attacks teams, his consistency, his discipline, his team’s toughness, their resiliency," Belichick said.

Coughlin, several blocks away at the Giants' press conference, was just as complimentary. “He’s always been an exceptional defensive coach trained by the best, by Parcells," he said of Belichick. "He’s also become an outstanding offensive coach and Tom Brady has helped him to really diversify and get into areas offensively that only lead to the particular strengths of the individuals involved, and he’s done a very good job of that."

Now, two decades later, Belchick and Coughlin have four Super Bowl titles between them. Three of those Lombardi Trophies belong to New England but that happened during a four-year span from 2001-2004.

In the seven seasons since, the Patriots have made six playoff appearances, but returned to the Super Bowl just once, in 2007, where they lost to the Giants in one of the biggest upsets in NFL history. From 2001-2011, New England is 16-5 in the postseason, but since 2006, they're just 6-4. Relatively speaking, 6-4 is a fantastic accomplishment. It's just that we've gone from hailing the Patriots as the next great dynasty four years ago to now wondering if they're even the NFL's best team this century.

In fact, if the Giants win Super Bowl XLVI, you could make a case that they belong in that conversation.

New York hasn't had the Pats' sustained success since 2000, but they played in a Super Bowl following the '00 season (a loss to the Ravens), and since Coughlin was hired in 2004, they've been to the playoffs in five of eight seasons. They're 7-3 over that time with three of those wins coming last month.

Since '07, Coughlin's winning percentage with the Giants is impressive (49-31, 0.613), though less so when compared to Belichick (64-16, 0.800). But regular-season accomplishments mean little if they don't culminate in a championship. No one talks about New England's almost perfect 2007 season except to point out that the Giants beat a thought-to-be unstoppable offense and longer odds to earn the Lombardi Trophy.

Yet no one mentions the Giants in the same breath as the Patriots (and to lesser extents, the Steelers, Saints, Packers and before this season, the Colts) and that includes some Giants players.

"Honestly, for us, that ’07 (Super Bowl) was kind of like us coming together as a football team," defensive end Justin Tuck said this week. "We just said we wanted to kill a dynasty, and that’s what they were. But now, we’ve been here before and we felt as though all that is secondary. We just want to come in here and have our mind focused on playing a great football game, and not really getting caught up in all the hoopla around the game.”

That's exactly what Super Bowl week is -- hoopla around a game -- but the absurdities of Media Day shouldn't obscure what the Giants will have accomplished if they win. Coughlin remains unimpressed, at least for now.

"That’s the furthest thing from my mind is how this enhances my legacy," Coughlin said Tuesday. "That’s nowhere near anything that I am thinking about right now. What I’m concerned with is the concentration of our players, putting ourselves in the best frame of mind that we can possibly be, preparing our team to the best of our ability, and then playing exceptionally well, as best as we possibly can.”

Fair enough, but by Sunday night we could be talking about Coughlin -- who annually (and inexplicably) finds himself on the hot seat -- as the man responsible for bringing the Giants two Super Bowls in five years. Just like Parcells.

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Damnyankee13...nice! Its true nobody mentions the G-man in the same breathe with the pack, pats, steelers, saints, The Giants deserve that respect...lets take it. Take it back. Just like the preview of the 07 super bowl when the boston fans met at a corner block with New York fans Those crowder heads talking about a perfect season like the game was already won. But what did the New Yorkers say. "There is still one more game" 60 mins left for an amazing accomplishment to rise from the depths of the NFC EAST and completely shock the football world. GO Giants!

Will NYG be NFL's most consistent team with win?

mikeandbob23 Since: Feb 24, 2008	Posted on: February 9, 2012 10:38 am Will NYG be NFL's most consistent team with win? technically the giants have 8 championships, if you go back to the start of the new york giants start back in 1920's....and in my opinion the giants have given the league more exciting players then the pats [ Reply to Comment ]
mvallin21 Since: May 8, 2010	Posted on: February 4, 2012 4:30 pm Will NYG be NFL's most consistent team with win? Damnyankee13...nice! Its true nobody mentions the G-man in the same breathe with the pack, pats, steelers, saints, The Giants deserve that respect...lets take it. Take it back. Just like the preview of the 07 super bowl when the boston fans met at a corner block with New York fans Those crowder heads talking about a perfect season like the game was already won. But what did the New Yorkers say. "There is still one more game" 60 mins left for an amazing accomplishment to rise from the depths of the NFC EAST and completely shock the football world. GO Giants! [ Reply to Comment ]
damnyankee13 Since: Dec 15, 2010	Posted on: February 3, 2012 10:18 pm Will NYG be NFL's most consistent team with win? the patriots suck. cheated their way to 2 superbowls and the other was handed to them. They are a nobody, a non entity. The giants will whup them so bad the y will rename themselves the pattycakes. [ Reply to Comment ]
PAThfinder Since: Sep 7, 2006	Posted on: February 3, 2012 2:08 pm Will NYG be NFL's most consistent team with win? The Giants have to be the NFLs most consistent franchise over the last 30 years. A win this weekend and they would join 3 other teams with at least 4 Superbowl wins. They went to the Superbowl in 1986, 1990, 2000, 2007 and 2011. The longest stretch between superbowls is only 10 years. Of the other 3 teams Green Bay went 30 and 12 years between appearances. Dallas hasnt been to a SB since 1995 season and San Fran since 1994. Pittsburgh is the most consistent in the Superbowl era with only a stretch of 16 years between superbowl appearances. First of all, the Patriots went in '85, '96, '01, '03, '04, '07, and '11. That's 7 super bowls in the last 30 years to the Giants 5. The Giants are 3-1, the Patriots are 3-3 and this next one is still, obviously, undecided. Second, what do you mean "of the other 3 teams"? You mention Green Bay, Dallas and San Francisco. Those are "the other three teams" of what? You want to know when the Giants, or the Colts or the Steelers for that matter, are the "team of the decade" or "team of the century" or whatever it is they want to call it? It's when other teams start getting compared to them. Right now nobody's saying "Yeah, those Giants are just as good as the Steelers of the '00s" and talking about the Steelers two super bowls. You know why? Because the Patriots are the team of the '00s. Every time somebody gets close to being the next great thing, they compare them and mention how they're better than the Patriots. If Peyton Manning wins his second super bowl, the Colts will be the real team of the decade, not Brady and the Patriots (remember that) or if Ben Rothlisberger the Steelers will be the real dynasty of the decade, not Brady and the Patriots. (remember that). Now it's the Giants. If Eli wins his second super bowl, the Giants will be the REAL consistent team of the century, not the Patriots. Whatever. When people start saying "If Rothlisberger wins this third super bowl, then the Steelers will be the real dynasty, not the Giants" then that's when you know the Giants are the newest dynasty. It hasn't happened yet. Somebody write a real article when it does. [ Reply to Comment ]
MPA Since: Oct 21, 2007	Posted on: February 3, 2012 2:07 pm Will NYG be NFL's most consistent team with win? Spygate!!!!!! Biggest joke ever.. Get off your sister and read about it. If Arlon Spector spent time in PA looking into Penn State instead of spending tax payers money we would never of heard of it. Spygate is a joke and anyone who knows anything will tell you that. [ Reply to Comment ]
tobias2006 Since: Aug 4, 2009	Posted on: February 2, 2012 9:39 am Will NYG be NFL's most consistent team with win? The only thing consistent about Coughlin is the annual calling for his head by Giant "fans". [ Reply to Comment ]
darrenball1 Since: Nov 30, 2010	Posted on: February 2, 2012 1:44 am Will NYG be NFL's most consistent team with win? Tiki is a bum!!!!!!!!!!!!!After he left he talked badly about the giants and Coughlin. [ Reply to Comment ]
mikeandbob23 Since: Feb 24, 2008	Posted on: February 1, 2012 11:47 pm Will NYG be NFL's most consistent team with win? Tom Coughlin is great becuase he doesnt take crap from these young kids who come in and think they are the team. He installs good morals on and off the field and he is consistent. Its creepy to think that last year the giants had a better record and missed out on the playoffs on one game, and here a year later with a worse record they make it to the superbowl. Not to mention how Tom Coughlin made some players perform better with his presence on the field. tiki barber was one of the better rbs in the later part of the decade. With his job on the line he transcends all the media and does his job and helps coach a team to the superbowl....id take that anyday.. [ Reply to Comment ]
fabefromfort Since: Apr 18, 2009	Posted on: February 1, 2012 4:57 pm Will NYG be NFL's most consistent team with win? Post Spygate : 0 superbowls for Belichik, and counting. [ Reply to Comment ]
fabefromfort Since: Apr 18, 2009	Posted on: February 1, 2012 4:55 pm Will NYG be NFL's most consistent team with win? Post spygate: zero super bowls. [ Reply to Comment ]

The Giants have to be the NFLs most consistent franchise over the last 30 years. A win this weekend and they would join 3 other teams with at least 4 Superbowl wins. They went to the Superbowl in 1986, 1990, 2000, 2007 and 2011. The longest stretch between superbowls is only 10 years.

Of the other 3 teams Green Bay went 30 and 12 years between appearances. Dallas hasnt been to a SB since 1995 season and San Fran since 1994. Pittsburgh is the most consistent in the Superbowl era with only a stretch of 16 years between superbowl appearances.

First of all, the Patriots went in '85, '96, '01, '03, '04, '07, and '11. That's 7 super bowls in the last 30 years to the Giants 5. The Giants are 3-1, the Patriots are 3-3 and this next one is still, obviously, undecided.

Second, what do you mean "of the other 3 teams"? You mention Green Bay, Dallas and San Francisco. Those are "the other three teams" of what?

You want to know when the Giants, or the Colts or the Steelers for that matter, are the "team of the decade" or "team of the century" or whatever it is they want to call it? It's when other teams start getting compared to them. Right now nobody's saying "Yeah, those Giants are just as good as the Steelers of the '00s" and talking about the Steelers two super bowls. You know why? Because the Patriots are the team of the '00s. Every time somebody gets close to being the next great thing, they compare them and mention how they're better than the Patriots. If Peyton Manning wins his second super bowl, the Colts will be the real team of the decade, not Brady and the Patriots (remember that) or if Ben Rothlisberger the Steelers will be the real dynasty of the decade, not Brady and the Patriots. (remember that). Now it's the Giants. If Eli wins his second super bowl, the Giants will be the REAL consistent team of the century, not the Patriots.

Whatever. When people start saying "If Rothlisberger wins this third super bowl, then the Steelers will be the real dynasty, not the Giants" then that's when you know the Giants are the newest dynasty.

It hasn't happened yet. Somebody write a real article when it does.

Will NYG be NFL's most consistent team with win?

Tom Coughlin is great becuase he doesnt take crap from these young kids who come in and think they are the team. He installs good morals on and off the field and he is consistent. Its creepy to think that last year the giants had a better record and missed out on the playoffs on one game, and here a year later with a worse record they make it to the superbowl. Not to mention how Tom Coughlin made some players perform better with his presence on the field. tiki barber was one of the better rbs in the later part of the decade. With his job on the line he transcends all the media and does his job and helps coach a team to the superbowl....id take that anyday..

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