Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin have taken more than their share of slings and arrows from the fans and media alike. It seems as though every year Coughlin has been on the hot seat and questions about Manning's ability fill the Gotham airwaves.
What a difference a year makes.
As Super Sunday approaches once more, Manning says he's not worried about his legacy.
"You don't think about that as a player," Manning said. "You concentrate on the opponent and trying to get ready for them.
With a win against the vaunted New England Patriots, Coughlin and Manning would take their place in history as one of the best duos in NFL history. In the Super Bowl era, they would become only the 10th such combination to win multiple championships (excluding Phil Simms/Bill Parcells).
Consider this; out of the 18 men who currently make up that group, 14 are either Hall of Fame members or future locks (Brady and Belichick). If Tom Coughlin gets his second Lombardi Trophy, he deserves a bust in Canton. Considering his work in Jacksonville that precluded all of his success in New York, he would be a very strong candidate.
Manning would also be making major strides towards that accolade. Only one quarterback who started and won multiple Super Bowls isn't in the Hall of Fame (Jim Plunkett). With Manning's recent regular season success, he might get the nod over someone like Plunkett who had a journeyman career until finishing up in Oakland/ Los Angeles.
Again though, Manning is just looking towards tonight.
"You try to keep your mind focused on the job and what style of football it's going to take to win this game. If you get concerned with other things, it takes your focus off what your job has to be. That's the mind-set of the players and the coaches - just trying to get ready to play your best football."