As we wait for the Giants and Patriots to take the field in Indianapolis, we're going to be running down the 10 biggest reasons why the Giants are headed to Super Bowl 42. Coming in at No. 5 is the return of Justin Tuck.
Jason Pierre-Paul proved that he can do a lot this season.
Week after week, JPP would attack defenses without much support from his teammates and he was even able to get them a win in a game in Dallas that saw the rest of the defense barely even show up on the field. That doesn't happen too often and it is hard to imagine the Giants making it as far as they have if they kept relying on one man for their defensive efforts.
Re-enter Justin Tuck. Tuck struggled with injuries and low self esteem all season until dueling kicks in the rear end from Antrel Rolle and Tom Coughlin got him to rededicate himself to the team before the Jets game in Week 16.
Tuck battled myriad injuries over the course of the season, leaving him to wonder if he should just go on injured reserve and start getting ready for next year. The Giants had to be wondering the same thing every time they watched him get blown off the ball by an opposing lineman or give futile chase to a ballcarrier.
It was an odd situation for the Giants because Tuck's status as a veteran leader meant that he was usually the guy who gave speeches or prodded on teammates instead of the player who was obviously lost at sea.
That's when Rolle, who usually uses his mouth for inanity, stepped in and challenged Tuck (and other injured Giants, but really Tuck) to stop skipping practice and fight through their pain, and it is when Coughlin sat down Tuck to tell him pretty much the same thing in a less confrontational way.
Tuck credited Coughlin's approach with lighting the fire under him, but it couldn't have felt too good to hear Rolle step into his leadership role specifically to call Tuck out.
Either way, the Tuck that emerged over the last five games was the one the Giants thought they would be getting all season long.
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He's back to beating blockers, hitting quarterbacks and holding the edge against the run, three things that have been a big reason why the team's defense is back to scaring opponents instead of scaring Giants fans.
Trying to stop Tuck and JPP is like picking your poison and it is little surprise that Tuck's return to form has led to Osi Umenyiora's strong comeback since Umenyiora's whole game is based on taking advantage of blockers focused on his teammates.
One domino falls into place and then, suddenly, the whole defense follows suit. Tuck was the domino that the Giants defense needed because the pass rush covers up all the flaws in the secondary by forcing quarterbacks into uncomfortable situations that don't allow them to simply pick apart overmatched defensive backs.
It's worrisome for the future that Tuck has now spent the better part of two seasons fighting off nagging injuries that take so much out of his game, but it would be a lot more worrisome if he didn't show that there's still a reserve inside him that won't allow aches and pains to stop him from making plays.
Tapping that reserve did more than rescue Tuck from injured reserve; it rescued the Giants season.
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City. You can follow him on Twitter and he is also a contributor to Pro Football Talk.
