NFL: The Top 30 teams of the modern era

1. 2007 N.Y. Giants

The Giants appeared to be in over their heads as the 2007 postseason began. While they made it to the playoffs as a Wild-Card team, they finished second in the NFC East to the Dallas Cowboys and they had to play all their postseason games on the road.

The Giants had lacked consistency most of the season, but they found their gam in the playoffs as they defeated the Tampa Bay Bucs, Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers. The victory over Green Bay was especially impressive, since the Packers had an explosive offense with quarterback Brett Favre pulling the trigger. The Giants managed to beat Green Bay 23-20 in overtime at frigid Lambeau Field. It appeared that head coach Tom Coughlin was about to suffer from frostbite, but placekicker Lawrence Tynes put him out of his misery when he connected on the game-winning 47-yard field goal.

The Giants had the unenviable task of taking on the undefeated Patriots in the Super Bowl. The Giants’ nasty defense had pressured New England quarterback Tom Brady throughout the game, but the Patriots held a 14-10 lead late in the fourth quarter. That’s when Giants quarterback Eli Manning escaped a heavy Patriot pass rush, faded back and launched a pass in the direction of wideout David Tyree that the receiver caught against his helmet.

That play set up the Super Bowl-winning TD pass from Manning to Plaxico Burress, and gave the Giants one of the greatest postseason runs in NFL history.

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