New York Giants DE Justin Tuck wears a green wristband that reads Brick Strong during every game. Have you noticed it before? Ever wondered its significance?

The wristband was given to Justin by a young man named Evan Sullivano who suffered from leukemia. ESPN's Rachel Nichols reported this story and I wanted to share it with my readers in case you missed it.

Athletes usually make headlines with negative stories, most of their good deeds and moments go unnoticed, as good stories lack sensationalism. Unfortunately Evan Sullivano has passed on due to his illness but before leaving this earth he left a lasting impression on many people including his friend Justin Tuck.

His mother Debbie Sullivano remembers her sons football playing days and his desire to one day play in the NFL. He was known for his toughness on the field and was nicknamed "The Brick" by teammates. Sadly, this tough young man began a battle for his life at the age of 13 when he was diagnosed with leukemia. The Sullivano family faced even more tragedy when Evan's dad passed away from a heart attack.

Justin Tuck heard his story and was told he was Evan's favorite player. The Giants DE visited him and that initial visit turned into a friendship between the two.  This wasn't just a one time PR hospital visit for JT, it turned into a special bond. They communicated with one another via emails, texts and even visits until the very end.

On February 5th 2012, Justin Tuck and the New York Giants take on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, Tuck will be going on to the field not only with his teammates but also with Evan Sullivano and that bright green wristband.

Watch the ESPN video and full story by going to Justin Tuck Brick Strong.

Every super hero has a weakness and for Tom Brady the New York Giants are  his equivalent of Superman's Kryptonite.

The GMEN present a serious problem for the Patriots and Tom Terrific. Without a doubt they are the most complete team New England has faced in the playoffs. Throw away regular season stats where an injured Giants team suffered through a very tough season. When the playoffs began New York had most of their starters back and were clicking on both offense and defense.

Here are the unique issues New England will face in Super Bowl XLVI (46).

Tom Brady Vs The New York Giants Defense

Big Blue has an above average defense led by a ferocious front 4, the best in the NFL. They can bring serious pressure with players like Jason Pierre-Paul, Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck. Not to mention packages and blitz' which allow other players like Mathias Kiwanuka and Michael Boley to get their shots in on opposing quarterbacks.

New York's defense can wear an opposing offense out. It isn't a coincidence that the Giants were always a better second half team this season. Adjustments by coaches of course contributed to the teams better play in the second half of games but the Defensive Line was also a contributing factor. They can rotate players in and out of that D-Line and maintain a steady and fresh pass rush. Players like Chris Canty and Dave Tollefson are key factors and sometimes go unnoticed due to the bigger names within that group.

One more factor to consider is the play of the Patriots QB when facing good pass rushing teams. I wrote an article earlier this week titled "Tom Brady is A Soft Cry Baby". Tom Terrific becomes very hesitant when he feels pressure and will make mistakes. He does not like to get hit! That being said, no QB likes to get hit but every QB reacts to a hit differently. Eli Manning shrugs it off, gets up, doesn't complain and moves on to the next play. Tom Brady on the other hand feels entitled, he will complain and openly ask and even persuade referees to throw flags if opposing players come close to hitting him. He does not take hits well and becomes very jittery in the pocket after he takes a couple of hard shots. Just look at the AFC Championship game where he had a horrendous performance against the Ravens.

Eli Manning and NY Giants Offense vs Tom Brady

Another aspect to consider here is Eli Manning and the NY Giants offense. When Tom Brady faces defensive teams he usually does not have to worry about being outscored. Most defensive teams the Patriots faced in the 2011 season did not have the fire power to keep up with The Golden Boy and his TE's.

New York on the other hand has one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL. All three of their wide receivers are a TD waiting to happen. Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham can take a short reception the length of the field for a score. The GMEN's TE's are not in the class of the Patriots tight ends but Jake Ballard, Travis Beckum and Bear Pascoe are all capable of making game changing catches.

The running game is not too shabby either with Ahmad Bradshaw relatively healthy and Brandon Jacobs running better than at the start of the season.

The Keys to Victory for Super Bowl XLVI (46)

PRESSURE! New York has to maintain constant pressure on Tom Brady or else he will go off. There is no doubt the man is talented despite being a soft cupcake.

Disrupting TE Rob Gronkowski at the line of scrimmage will also be important. The Giants success over Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers can be attributed to the disruption of the timing from QB to receivers. They will have to do the same against not only Gronk but also Aaron Hernandez and WR Wes Welker.

If the Giants are capable of pressuring and disrupting the Patriots timing, I guarantee Tom Brady will get frustrated. When he gets frustrated he does not maintain his composure and will make and force bad throws which the GMEN can capitalize on. I believe the New York Giants are up for the challenge and will once again prove to be Tom Brady's Kryptonite and win Super Bowl XLVI (46)!

Awesome video compilation of New York Giants 2011-2012 highlights. A great way to remember this incredible season right before the Giants play the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI February 5th.

There were too many great plays to put into just one video but this particular compilation combines some of the best moments with a great song and it was superbly edited.

I'm confident Big Blue will be adding more explosive moments to this clip after next Sunday. Just one more win to make this season one for the ages. Enjoy this New York Giants video compilation in HD.

Featuring the song "We Run This Town" by Jay Z and Rihanna. Also featuring many players including Victor Cruz, Jason Pierre-Paul, Ahmad Bradshaw, Hakeem Nicks, Jake Ballard, Eli Manning just to name a few. GO GMEN! Make sure to follow on twitter @GiantsKickoff.

The "Tuck Rule" and Tom Brady will be for ever linked but the New England Patriots QB wants no part of the Justin Tuck Rules which are coming on February 5, 2012!

Is it possible that the 9-7 New York Giants are the most dangerous team in the playoffs?

It may sound funny to some but the team has been playing much better and ended their regular season on a high note. Their tough schedule and all the adversity they faced during the season with injuries has made them stronger and tougher to beat.

Something else to consider is how they played the top teams in the NFC. The Green Bay Packers needed a last minute drive by Aaron Rodgers to secure a win. The game with the San Francisco 49ers also came down to the last possession. Both were extremely tight games which could have gone either way. The only team which blew the New York Giants out of the water was the New Orleans Saints and that is the only team that really worries me.

With that being said, New York is a better team than it was when they faced Drew Brees and the Saints. That game was filled with mistakes by the GMEN which made a comeback impossible. Victor Cruz, Jake Ballard and Danny Ware all dropped key passes, including an easy TD by Jake. The running game was a mess without Bradshaw, Jacobs was not rushing north south like he is now and Scott was ineffective even fumbling the football. Osi Umenyiora hurt his ankle during this game and didn't play the second half. They had additional injuries to key players before the game started. In other words everything that could go wrong went wrong for the GMEN in that game.

The 2011 New York Giants Playoff Team is Dangerous

This current Giants team has a healthy Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck. Those two players combined with Jason Pierre-Paul make the GMEN the most dominant defensive line in football. Other key players are back or coming back from injuries making New York a more complete team. Even the offensive line is playing much better, Baas who has been injured most of the season had himself a very good game against the Dallas Cowboys week 17.

Offensively the New York Giants can keep up with any team, their deficiencies were mostly on the defensive side. The last two games of the season they held both the Cowboys and Jets to 14 points. Impressive when you take into account how explosive Tony Romo and the Dallas offense can be.

The New England Patriots are considered the best team in the AFC, a team the Giants already beat. In 2007 Big Blue had a moral victory going into the playoffs after almost defeating the Patriots. They came up short but a few weeks later beat them in the Super Bowl. This current 2011 Giants team doesn't have quite that good a defense but they certainly do have a better and more explosive offense led by Eli Manning and his core of young wide receivers.

The playoffs are here, every team has a record of 0-0. It doesn't matter if Green Bay blew every team out, remember the Patriots? They were unbeatable in 2007, they broke offensive records and Brady even laughed when Plaxico Burress predicted the Giants would win 23-17. The GMEN went on to win Super_Bowl_XLII by the score of 17-14! I guarantee you no one wants to face the Giants right now especially the Atlanta Falcons, the Giants are hot, healthy and have momentum! The New York Giants are the most dangerous team in the playoffs,  I wouldn't be surprised if there is a Super Bowl rematch against the New England Patriots this season.

The dust has settled and the NY Giants are the NFC East Champions with a 31-14 victory over the Dallas Cowboys week 17.

A strong performance by New York who led the entire contest and played probably their most complete game of this up and down 2011 NFL season.

The GMEN showed up and played well on both sides of the field. Cowboys QB Tony Romo was under pressure for most of the game getting sacked 6 times. On offense the Eli Manning to Victor Cruz connection was in sync once again, they have become an unstoppable force.

Eli Manning ended his  record breaking day with 346 yards, 3 touchdowns on 24 of 33 passes. Some of his throws were magnificent, moving inside the pocket and buying time while scanning the field and making pin point throws. Eli has grown into a top 5 QB with confidence and has become a leader on the field. Eli becomes the all time 4th quarter TD king for a season with 15 touchdown passes surpassing Johnny Unitas and brother Peyton Manning.

Victor Cruz who already owns the Giants all time receiving yards record added to his totals. He caught 6 passes for 178 yards and a TD. Those totals included another electrifying score, a 74 yard touchdown reception where he caught an Eli Manning pass and outran defenders to the end zone.

The NFC East Champions - NY Giants Defense

New York's defense has picked it up a notch or two. Their glaring weakness has been the lack of run defense but in recent weeks they have been improving. They allowed only 49 rushing yards to the Cowboys week 17 and no rushing touchdowns. The longest run Dallas could muster was an 11 yard rush by Sammy Morris.

As mentioned above they recorded 6 sacks, 2 of them by Osi Umenyiora who returned from injury. Justin Tuck looked much better getting a sack, he has been battling injuries all season long but seems to be a lot healthier now. Jason Pierre-Paul played another great game, he also recorded another sack bringing his season total to 16.5 sacks. Even the outspoken Antrel Rolle made a contribution Sunday with an interception.

The Giants defense is starting to come together and play solid as a unit. Just a a few weeks ago against these same Cowboys the defense looked completely and utterly confused on the field. Perry Fewell has taken deserved criticism but he should also receive some praise if New York comes together and plays consistently on the defensive side within this playoff run.

New York Giants Playoff Run

The New York Giants will face the Atlanta Falcons next week at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. A home playoff game is one of the rewards and or perks of winning the division. The Falcons are a solid team but the GMEN have definitely faced and kept up or beat tougher teams this season.

Big Blue defeated the New England Patriots and took both the 49ers and the Packers to the brink of defeat in very competitive games which were decided in the final possessions. I am not saying this will be a certain win or an easy victory for New York over the Falcons but it isn't a game which should scare fans.

Nothing is more important now than getting a win next week. With that being said beating the Dallas Cowboys 31-14 is very satisfying especially when we can say the NY Giants are NFC East Champions, so savor the moment before thinking about next weeks game!

The anticipated week 16 game between the NY Giants vs the Jets leaves the GMEN as kings of New York with a 29-14 win!

A position which they truly have always had no matter how much it hurts Jets fans. NYC is a big blue town with some green specs sprinkled in. No matter how much of a big mouth Rex Ryan has he cannot change the fact the Jets will always be the little brother in the big apple.

Ryan can talk all he wants but he doesn't have to take the field, his players do. It wasn't a pretty game but a win is win especially in a playoff race.

The New York Giants control their own destiny. A win against the Dallas Cowboys next week gives them the division and a pass to the playoffs.  The Jets on the other hand have a tougher road ahead of them, they will need to win next week and hope that several things go their way in order to get some tie breaking scenarios.

Standouts for the New York Giants vs the Jets

The defense as a team stepped up big! Jason Pierre-Paul was his consistent self with 2 sacks but other players really played well. Justin Tuck was awesome, he had one sack. The secondary played better than in weeks past and deserve some credit for showing up and giving a good effort. The Giants as a team recorded 5 sacks 2 interceptions and a safety. They also recovered 2 fumbles which were over turned, one on a very iffy reversal by the referees.

Victor Cruz had a monster game. He tied an NFL record with a 99 yard TD on a run after the catch where he juked and even leaped over a Jets player. Cruz also surpassed Amani Toomer as the Giants single season leader for receiving yards. In week 16 Victor caught 3 passes for 164 yards and the TD.

Eli Manning played a solid game, he threw for 225 yards on 9 of 27, he threw for 1 TD and 1 INT. The interception was clearly not his fault. Hakeem Nicks who has had a couple of horrible weeks could not handle a perfectly thrown pass and deflected the ball to a Jets player. Nicks had 3 or 4 drops in this game and really was not a standout. Eli Manning's stats once again were hurt by dropped passes and Kevin Gilbride's conservative play calling.

The tandem of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs came up huge in the second half. Ahmad ran for 54 yards and 2 TD's one of the TD's was electrifying as he ran over Brodney Poole of the Jets and knocked him out before scoring. Jacobs has been running much better in recent weeks, finally hitting holes and going north and south where he is more effective. Jacobs ran for 42 yards on 7 carries. These stats may not seem significant but most of the yardage was gained in critical times during the second half. Gilbride once again was a bit run happy for most of the game only rushing the ball consistently at the end.

Sloppy Game by Both Teams

The NY Jets and Giants both played a lot of sloppy football but when it counted the GMEN came up big. Mark Sanchez was a total mess for the Jets. Even on his TD run he looked mighty awkward searching for blockers even though there was no one in front of him but the end zone. He was flustered by the Giants pass rush and made several mistakes including the safety which all but sealed the win for Big Blue.

A huge win for Big Blue and New Yorkers in general! Rex Ryan's act is running thin not only for NFL fans but also within the Jets fan base. He talked a lot of trash before this game and once again he came up short, he puts way too much pressure on his team to cash checks his mouth writes. The Giants are kings of New York like usual over the Jets!

Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo better gear up and add some extra padding for the upcoming week 14 game against the NY Giants.

The Giants are coming off what can only be described as a mugging by referees week 13 when they played the Green Bay Packers. They will be an angry bunch who will be looking to dish out some punishment, something Romo knows all to well when facing Big Blue.

Last season in week 7 Giants LB Michael Boley put a hit on Tony Romo which broke his collarbone (left clavicle). The Dallas Cowboys season went down along with their quarterback. After 3 straight weeks of bad defensive line play the GMEN "D" line played hard against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers despite not having Osi Umenyoira. The final score was 38-35 which usually is indicative of a poor effort but that wasn't the case for the defensive line. There is no reason to believe that this week will be any different.

After being embarrassed against the New Orleans Saints week 12 defensive coordinator Perry Fewell promised fans would see a much better effort from the defense, that they would be more aggressive and the Giants did just that week 13. The outcome wasn't ideal but the effort was encouraging. New York is a banged up team especially on the defensive side where they find themselves plugin in rookies and recently signed veterans to help out. Despite these issues they showed up, pressured Rodgers and gave an effort fans could be proud of when you take into account the team they are currently fielding. No disrespect to players on the field now but several of them have not had enough time to play with the current team and some new additions are just trying to learn the playbook. The effort was commendable! With the season on the line and first place within reach with a win against the Cowboys you can expect another good effort.

Justin Tuck looked much better this past week which can only help other players such as JPP. Chase Blackburn made an instant contribution against the Packers with an INT and good overall play. Tony Romo's nemesis Michael Boley is likely to play as well. Jason Pierre-Paul has been the most consistent pass rusher on the Giants team, this kid has really come into his own in 2011 and Tony Romo should see plenty of him in the backfield. It is still unclear if Osi Umenyiora will suit up against Dallas, the Giants have been unable to field a complete defensive team all season long. It seems as if at least 2-3 key players are out every week. This week you can add safety Kenny Phillips to the list who sprained his MCL week 13, but the Giants are counting on rookie Tyler Sash to step up.

If New York plays as they did against the Packers they will defeat the Cowboys and take first place and put serious pressure on Jerry Jones' squad. The Dallas QB loves to run around and try to make things happen. Sometimes it works out, other times he makes costly mistakes. Just beware Mr. Tony Romo Michael Boley and a pissed off New York Giants team is lurking and waiting for an opportunity to put a beating on you!

New York Giants Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell's defense is suddenly missing in action. To be more specific the Giants pass rush has gone missing!

The once ferocious pass rush which led the NFL in sacks for most of the season has been tamed, silenced and dominated by opponents. This disappearing act can be traced back to week 9 against the New England Patriots where New York played solid defense for 3 quarters and then in the 4th QT stopped pressuring Tom Brady. Since that game they are no where to be found!

New York currently ranks 6th overall in the NFL with 31 sacks but in the last 3 weeks they have only been able to record 3 sacks. Against the 49ers 2 , versus the Eagles only 1  and this past week against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints the Giants failed to get any sacks and rarely pressured the QB. The only consistent player on the defensive line for the GMEN has been Jason Pierre-Paul who currently has 10.5 sacks for the season and is tied for 3rd overall in the NFL.

Perry Fewell's Defense Looks Dazed and Confused

As stated on my recap of the week 13 game, ESPN commentator and former head coach Jon Gruden kept pointing out how confused the Giants looked on defense. They were not getting set fast enough and looked completely unprepared on many plays. This can only be attributed to a lack of preparation by the coaching staff which of course would include Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell. On offense the Saints were substituting 2-4 players almost every play with efficiency and the Giants seemed confused by this yet this is exactly what New Orleans does every week.

It has to be noted that New York has suffered a slew of injuries but every player out on that field is  a professional and it isn't like the Giants are playing with 11 rookies on defense. There was one moment where they only had 10 defensive players on the field and were bailed out by an offensive penalty.

New York Giants Defense Has Serious Issues

New York currently ranks 24th defending the run giving up a whopping 4.8 yards per carry. They are even worst defending the pass ranking 26th overall. In week 12 the Giants allowed 205 yards rushing and QB Drew Brees threw for 363 yards and 4 TD's. It was a beat down the likes I have not seen in a long time.

Once again injuries have contributed to the issues and Perry Fewell is not the only person who should be criticized. Several factors have hurt the GMEN. Justin Tuck has had an injury plagued season and does not look like himself anymore. It may be time for the Giants to consider sitting Tuck down who is playing hurt but is unable to give 100%. It's a valiant effort by Justin to try and play through his injuries but is he hurting the team more than helping at this time? The loss of Terrell Thomas for the season was huge and a recent injury to LB Michael Boley did not help matters.

Osi Umenyiora may have one foot out the door at this time, he has contract issues which have been publicized and even though he played well after coming back from injury he really has dropped off the last few weeks.

One of the biggest issues as mentioned at the beginning of this article is the lack of a pass rush. Opposing quarterbacks seem to have all day to throw the ball, going from option to option until they find an open receiver. The Giants secondary isn't that strong to begin with and allowing QB's to comfortably sit in the pocket isn't helping.

Perry Fewell does not adjust very well and frankly the defense seems uninspired under him. New York's defense has not been the same since former defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo left, he brought a tenacity and attitude which Fewell has not been able to match. Spags had defensive schemes which drove opposing teams crazy. He wasn't scared to blitz and was an aggressive coordinator unlike Fewell who is more conservative and loves to attack with only his front 4 even if they aren't being effective.

The NY Giants have a tough road ahead if they want to make the playoffs. Next week they face the best team in the NFL the Green Bay Packers. If Perry Fewell's defense does not bring a pass rush to pressure Aaron Rodgers the game could be over in the first quarter along with the 2011 season.