I recently penned an article for ESPN.com's NFL Insider section detailing some reasons why the Giants should be considered one of the favorites to win the NFC title. The gist of the piece was that the Giants aren't getting the credit they deserve for being tied for first place in the NFC East and playing extremely well despite dealing with a variety of offensive injuries. This team in many ways is starting to look a lot like the 2007 Giants, a group that used a late-season burst to win a Super Bowl.
One area that didn't get much mention in the article is the Giants' defense. A good way to show just how well this defense is performing is to compare its current ranking in many major categories with the aforementioned 2007 Super Bowl squad.
Check it out:
Passing yards allowed: 2010 Giants ranked second in the league; 2007 Giants ranked 11th.
Passing yards per attempt allowed: 2010 Giants tied for fourth; 2007 Giants tied for 16th.
Interceptions: 2010 Giants tied for 12th; 2007 Giants tied for 20th.
Sacks: 2010 Giants tied for third; 2007 Giants ranked first.
Passer rating allowed: 2010 Giants ranked fifth; 2007 Giants tied for 17th.
Rushing yards allowed: 2010 Giants seventh; 2007 Giants ranked eighth.
Rushing yards per attempt allowed: 2010 Giants tied for ninth; 2007 Giants tied for fourth.
Points per game allowed: 2010 Giants ranked 13th; 2007 Giants ranked 17th.
The 2010 Giants are ahead in all but two categories, and are well ahead in many of them. The 2007 Giants defense saved its best performance for last, but if this year's squad keeps playing at the statistical level they have up to this point, they are just as capable of making a successful playoff run.