The Man Behind the NFC's Best

A lot has been said about the mediocrity abundant in the NFC this season. The favorites -- the Cowboys, the Vikings, the Super Bowl champion New Orleans saints -- have all floundered.

flickr.com

The Dallas Cowboys recently ousted their head coach after nine weeks, the first time they had ever fired a coach mid-season in their history. After being favored as a Super Bowl contender, the team is off to just a 1-7 start. Their offensive woes are almost as glaring as their defensive struggles. They can't score and they can't stop anybody -- that sounds like a winning formula.

Then there was the Minnesota Vikings. With Brett Favre back for another rendezvous, the team looked forward to another explosive offensive to go along with their always dominant defensive attack. But after a series of sext messages, broken shoulders, chins, ankles, hips, a Randy Moss trade, a Randy Moss release and a campaign to fire the head coach, the 2010 version of the Purple People Eaters are looking up at their arch nemesis the Green Bay Packers and Da Bears in the NFC North.

And finally there was America's sweethearts. After capturing the attention of fans across the country with their Cinderella story, the New Orleans lost games to the Atlanta Falcons, the Arizona Cardinals and the Cleveland Browns? So much for the Super Bowl hangover; losing to the Colt McCoy-led Browns is more like a blackout.

But it was a traditional NFC superpower that reemerged in 2010, led by their traditionally tenacious defense to bring them top to the top of the conference. You know who I'm talking about...G-G-G-G-G-Men!

The New York Football Giants have risen to the top of NFC, led by their defensive prowess. No, they did not sign any superstars in the offseason. They didn't drive a phenom in the draft to start right away. What they did was find an underrated defensive mind to put together the pieces of the puzzle left behind by Tom Coughlin's defensive coordinator in 2009, Bill Sheridan.

Perry Fewell was hired in January to take over the Giants defense after a pathetic campaign last season. Fewell was a candidate for the Buffalo Bills head coaching gig after leading the team to a 3-4 finish after serving as the interim manager following the firing of Dick Jauron.

nj.com

As a head coach for seven weeks, Fewell lifted a talent-lacking Bills team to wins over Miami, Kansas and Indianapolis, who was really sporting their second team. However, in their four losses, they faced off against a resurgent Titans squad led by Vince Young and 2,000-yard rusher Chris Johnson, and two playoff teams in the Jets and Patriots, losing by a combined 13 points.

Fewell's defensive strategy dates back to being a defensive back coach with the Chicago Bears in 2004 and 2005 and piloting the defense in Buffalo for four seasons. But after the Bills went in another direction and opted to hire Chan Gailey to replace him as head coach, the G-Men saw a diamond in the rough, and quickly they snatched him up.

Coughlin and Fewell had a history from their time together in Jacksonville, so he must have had confidence his disciple could clean up the mess that was the 2009 Giants defense.

A rash of injuries plagued the team that season: Defensive lineman Chris Canty was signed from the Cowboys after totaling 10 sacks in four seasons in Dallas. Linebacker Michael Boley was signed from the Falcons after a 330-tackle, six-sack, five-interception stint. First-round draft pick safety Kenny Phillips dealt with a knee injury, while defensive quarterback Antonio Pierce was sidelined with a bulging disk in his neck.

Meanwhile, the Giants were forced to move cornerback Aaron Ross into multiple positions in the secondary, while former standout Osi Umenyiora was close to being released due to a lack of production. Justin Tuck, who emerged in 2007 with 10 sacks and two forced fumbles, and who improved in 2008, played through a torn labrum in his shoulder last year as well.

With a healthy unit and a new leader, the G-Men defense now sports the best defense in all the NFL, allowing just over 250 yards per game. New York gives up less than 14 first downs per game and allows its opponents to convert on third down 29 percent of the time. They rank number one in forced fumbles with 16, and are tied for fifth in sacks (24) and tied for ninth in interceptions (9). The team has allowed just four scores on the ground and one rush over 40 yards, as their rushing defense is second only to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

So before we point to $60 million dollar man Eli Manning the reason for the Giants turnaround, let's not look to what the Giants have prided themselves on for the better part of their history. And while health is a main factor, it is important to recognize the man pulling all the strings behind the curtain.