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[TJ]

And they should...

Giants' triumph adds to Dallas Cowboys' pain

The New York Giants are Super Bowl champions and, for that, the Dallas Cowboys can only be kicking themselves.

On the one hand, the Cowboys go into the 2008 season knowing that they will play the Super Bowl winners twice. And knowing they beat them twice during the 2007 regular season has to instill confidence

On the other hand, it has become even more obvious just what the Cowboys let slip through their fingers three weeks ago.

No, they weren't just playing for the right to get to the Super Bowl and get kicked around by the invincible Patriots.

New England wasn't unbeatable after all. The Giants did a thorough job of proving that Sunday night.

But the Cowboys have to think: "The Giants? Why not us?"

Who had a better chance to beat New York, based on how the playoff games unfolded, than the Cowboys?

New York out-gained Tampa Bay by six yards, the Patriots by 64 and the Green Bay Packers by 116.

The Cowboys out-gained the Giants by 106 yards.

New York did a masterful job of controlling the clock for most of the playoffs. The Giants held the ball one more minute than the Patriots, seven more minutes than Tampa Bay and 18 more than Green Bay.

The Cowboys had the ball for 13 more minutes than the Giants.

We all know the Cowboys didn't accomplish much with a couple of those long, clock-eating drives, and I'm not saying they deserved to win. They didn't.

But it was right there for them, and we realize only in hindsight that a record sixth Super Bowl victory was a possibility. That's something we didn't think for the first two months of the season when the Patriots were winning all their games by landslide margins.

And the difficulty now comes in assessing what lies ahead.

Who's your favorite to win the NFC East in 2008? The Cowboys because they won 13 games? Or the Giants because they won four playoff games, all away from Giants Stadium, and are Super Bowl champs?

The Giants will have to be laughing when they see 13 Cowboys in Honolulu for the Pro Bowl.

New York's Super Bowl team will be represented by defensive end Osi Umenyiora. That's it.

But in the Super Bowl, defensive linemen Michael Strahan and Justin Tuck, linebacker Antonio Pierce and cornerback Corey Webster all played like Pro Bowlers.

So did Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, whose boyish grin in the wake of Sunday's great achievement was so refreshing to see. A year ago when his brother, Peyton, won it all, you almost had a sense of relief for him that the quest to win the big game whether at the University of Tennessee or with the Colts was finally over.

With Eli, this magical playoff run came almost out of nowhere, but he was up to the task.

Again, the Cowboys have the Pro Bowler at quarterback, and I don't think there are too many Dallas fans ready to trade Tony for Eli (but I bet there are a few).

Manning's confidence won't be as shaky next year, and the support of his teammates is as strong, if not stronger, than what Romo receives from the rest of the Cowboys.

In other words, the time frame that you have to win a Super Bowl as a good team is always a short one. Now however long that time frame is for Dallas it's one year shorter than it was when they went to the playoffs a year ago.

Now the Giants are blocking the door to another Super Bowl. The Packers are still in the way. Other NFC teams will upgrade in the off-season, and there always is at least one surprise team (Minnesota?) that takes a big leap forward.

The Giants deserve congratulations for their effort that brought down a great Patriots team.

None of us know if the Cowboys could have done that. All we know now is that it was right there for some NFC team to do.

A team the Cowboys beat twice pulled it off. The confidence that comes from being Super Bowl champions now belongs to a team in Dallas' division.

[n1gbpackfan]

But the Cowboys have to think: "The Giants? Why not us?"

I know as a Packers fan, I was thinkin - that could have been the Packers. The Giants did a hell of job as a wild card team - to go into Dallas and Green Bay, to make it to the Super Bowl.. Congrats again to the Giants.. well deserved.

[DawkinsINT]

It's the pain that all players live with when they are trying to sleep after losing in the playoffs. They toss and turn about what could have been, while the Giants players fall soundly to sleep with a smile on their face.

[Saintsfan1972]

would of....should of...could of......the story of a saints fan

[DoubleC]

It certainly would have been a totally different game. Brady may not have been harassed by the cowboys D the way he was by the G-men.

But you never know... better luck next year (I hope not ).

[Sweets]

I agree, just because the Boys beat the Super Bowl Champs twice doesn't mean they would have been able to beat the Pats. Romo couldn't get out of his own way on the last game of their season...

[smeagle]

Originally Posted by DawkinsINT

It's the pain that all players live with when they are trying to sleep after losing in the playoffs. They toss and turn about what could have been, .

the eagles have mastered this art.

[RonMexico7]

The 'Boys and the Pack would have gotten their ass beat in the SB. They don't have the defensive front that N.Y. does.

[Inclulbus]

Originally Posted by TJ

Again, the Cowboys have the Pro Bowler at quarterback, and I don't think there are too many Dallas fans ready to trade Tony for Eli (but I bet there are a few).

Manning's confidence won't be as shaky next year, and the support of his teammates is as strong, if not stronger, than what Romo receives from the rest of the Cowboys.

i disagree with this, big time. Not about Eli's confidence, and the support of his team mates, but everyone in the locker room for Dallas, has had Romo's back from halftime at Carolina, in the 2006 season. Not taking anything away from the Giants, or Eli.. they're the super bowl champs, and they deserve every bit of it. They won it by playing their hardest. Just I don't feel Romo is to blame, I Don't feel Romo lost us the game vs the Giants. And I feel Romo is a entirely better QB then Eli is, I Also feel there are two different Eli's.. the one with Shockey on the Field, and the one without SHockey. The one without SHockey is a complete QB. Also, Not taken anything from the Giants last drive.. Eli threw 2 passes straight to Pats that drive, just glad neither got picked.