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2012 NFL Playoffs: How Did The New York Giants Get Here?

By Ed Valentine
Head coach Tom Coughlin gets gatorade dumped on him after defeating the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on January 1, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
Head coach Tom Coughlin gets gatorade dumped on him after defeating the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on January 1, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
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Head coach Tom Coughlin says the NFC East champion New York Giants (9-7) are "battle-tested" as they head into Sunday's NFC Wild-Card Game against the 10-6 Atlanta Falcons. Game time is 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

Coughlin is certainly right about that. The Giants faced elimination in each of their final two regular-season games, needing victories over a pair of bitter rivals to advance to the playoffs. First, the Giants knocked off the crosstown New York Jets, 29-14, then defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 31-14, to win the NFC East and advance to the playoffs.

"We have been in playoff games, we have been in playoff games for the last three weeks. We are battle tested in a lot of ways because we have played some really outstanding football teams all down through the second half of the season," Coughlin said. "There are 12 teams in the playoffs and 20 teams go home, it is a single-elimination tournament and if you win, you go on. If you lose, you go home."

See Big Blue View for complete Giants discussion and analysis

The Giants began the season 6-2 and looked like one of the teams to beat in the NFC. Then, facing a brutal schedule and the demons of end-of-the-season collapses the past two seasons, the Giants lost five of six to fall into a perilous position. The victories over the Jets and Cowboys, however, righted the ship.

As far as individual accomplishments quarterback Eli Manning passed for a franchise record 4,933 yards this season and was voted to the Pro Bowl. Victor Cruz set a franchise record with 1,536 receiving yards. Jason Pierre-Paul will go to the Pro Bowl following a season in which he record 16.5 sacks.

Passing

Passing Rushing Sacks
G Rating Comp Att Pct Yds Y/G Y/A TD INT Rush Yds Y/G Avg TD Sack YdsL
Eli Manning 16 92.9 359 589 61 4933 308.3 8.4 29 16 35 15 .900 .400 1 28 199

Rushing

Rushing Receiving
G Rush Yds Y/G Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Y/G Avg Lng TD
Ahmad Bradshaw 12 171 659 54.9 3.9 37 9 34 267 22.3 7.9 26 2
Victor Cruz 16 1 3 .200 3 3 0 82 1536 96 18.7 99 9
Brandon Jacobs 14 152 571 40.8 3.8 28 7 15 128 9.1 8.5 40 1
Eli Manning 16 35 15 .900 .400 12 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Da'Rel Scott 7 5 16 2.3 3.2 8 0 2 13 1.9 6.5 9 0
D.J. Ware 15 46 163 10.9 3.5 17 0 27 170 11.3 6.3 22 0

Receiving

Receiving
G Rec Yds Y/G AVG Lng TD
Jake Ballard 14 38 604 43.1 15.9 41 4
Ramses Barden 6 9 94 15.7 10.4 26 0
Travis Beckum 7 5 93 13.3 18.6 67 1
Ahmad Bradshaw 12 34 267 22.3 7.9 26 2
Michael Clayton 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
Victor Cruz 16 82 1536 96 18.7 99 9
Domenik Hixon 2 4 50 25 12.5 22 1
Brandon Jacobs 14 15 128 9.1 8.5 40 1
Jerrel Jernigan 6 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mario Manningham 11 39 523 47.5 13.4 47 4
Hakeem Nicks 15 76 1192 79.5 15.7 68 7
Bear Pascoe 10 12 136 13.6 11.3 22 0
Da'Rel Scott 7 2 13 1.9 6.5 9 0
Devin Thomas 13 3 37 2.8 12.3 14 0
D.J. Ware 15 27 170 11.3 6.3 22 0

Returns

Kickoff Returns Punt Returns
G KR YDS AVG Lng TD PR Yds Avg Lng TD
Will Blackmon 4 2 43 21.5 32 0 6 25 4.2 16 0
Victor Cruz 16 0 0 0 0 0 3 12 4 11 0
Domenik Hixon 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 31 10.3 18 0
Henry Hynoski 9 1 15 15 15 0 0 0 0 0 0
Jerrel Jernigan 6 8 186 23.3 31 0 0 0 0 0 0
Antrel Rolle 16 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 2 3 0
Aaron Ross 16 0 0 0 0 0 14 99 7.1 18 0
Da'Rel Scott 7 14 341 24.4 38 0 0 0 0 0 0
Devin Thomas 13 25 607 24.3 40 0 0 0 0 0 0
D.J. Ware 15 2 17 8.5 17 0 0 0 0 0 0

Punting

Punting
G Punts Yds AVG Lng In20 TB
Steve Weatherford 16 82 3745 45.7 62 25 6

Kicking

Field Goals PAT
G 0-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ FGM FGA PCT XPM XPA PCT pts
Lawrence Tynes 16 0 - 0 12 - 12 3 - 4 3 - 5 1 - 3 19 24 80.0% 43 43 100.0% 100

Defense

Sacks Interceptions Tackles
G Sacks YdsL Int Yds IntTD Solo Ast Total
Prince Amukamara 5 0 0 1 0 0 12 2 14
Will Beatty 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Rocky Bernard 13 0 0 0 0 0 15 15 30
Chase Blackburn 5 0 0 1 9 0 15 6 21
Will Blackmon 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2
Michael Boley 14 1 6 0 0 0 72 19 91
Kevin Boothe 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Chris Canty 16 4 20 0 0 0 31 16 47
Michael Coe 6 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 4
Zak DeOssie 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
David Diehl 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Deon Grant 16 1 10 1 0 0 41 17 58
Mark Herzlich 6 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 6
Greg Jones 12 0 0 0 0 0 22 3 25
Linval Joseph 15 2 15 0 0 0 34 15 49
Jimmy Kennedy 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 4
Mathias Kiwanuka 16 3.5 28 1 9 0 61 20 81
Derrick Martin 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kareem McKenzie 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Spencer Paysinger 8 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 5
Kenny Phillips 15 0 0 4 50 0 59 23 82
Jason Pierre-Paul 16 16.5 112 0 0 0 66 21 87
Antrel Rolle 16 0 0 2 -1 0 82 14 96
Aaron Ross 16 0 0 4 19 0 45 14 59
Tyler Sash 12 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 4
Chris Snee 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Dave Tollefson 13 5 32 0 0 0 11 8 19
Justin Trattou 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Justin Tryon 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Justin Tuck 11 5 40 0 0 0 27 10 37
Osi Umenyiora 9 9 64 0 0 0 16 9 25
Corey Webster 15 0 0 6 71 0 43 8 51
Jacquian Williams 15 1 8 0 0 0 49 12 61
Brian Williams 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1


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