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The defending Super Bowl champions get back to work this weekend, as the New York Giants hold their rookie minicamp in East Rutherford, N.J. Repeating is hard work, though, and there are good reasons why only one team this century has been able to do it.

You lose players. You lose coaches. You become the No. 1 target for teams that have identified you as the biggest obstacle standing in their way of getting what they want. The people who run the Giants, and many of the people who play for the Giants, were in this position four years ago, and they know all about the challenges that face the defending Super Bowl champs.

But this year's Giants are not your ordinary defending champ. They were, speaking strictly in terms of winning percentage, the weakest Super Bowl champion in history. They didn't even secure their playoff spot until the final game of the regular season. With two weeks to go, they were 7-7 and in real danger of finishing under .500.

All of these things are facts, just as much as the title they won. So as they get back to work this spring and summer, the Giants face the seemingly incongruous dual task of maintaining the magic that brought them their title while also improving a 9-7 team.

They have some things going for them, and I'm not just talking about Eli Manning, Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul. The Giants run their franchise as one that's perpetually in transition.

Rather than wait for problems to present themselves, or roster holes to open, the Giants constantly churn the middle and the back end of their roster, developing players in their system so they're ready to step in when need arises. There are running backs and wide receivers on the roster who have been waiting for the opportunity created by the free-agent defections of Brandon Jacobs and Mario Manningham, and those players will get the chance to do what Cruz and Pierre-Paul did last year when presented with similar chances. The Giants never allow themselves to get so thin at any one position that they don't at least have options for replacing those who leave or get hurt or decide to sit out training camp.

That said, this Giants team does have holes to fill and problems to solve. They finished 32nd in the league in rushing offense -- a fact that, while mitigated by the improvements the run game showed in December and January -- didn't sit well with their running backs and their offensive linemen. They will need to get better there, and to do so they'll need Ahmad Bradshaw's feet to stay healthy for the first time in years. Plus, they must find someone to replace the 167 touches and eight touchdowns Jacobs contributed to last season's cause.

They'll need to shuffle the offensive line again. While Kareem McKenzie was not what he used to be, he was the starting right tackle on a team that won the Super Bowl, and they did not replace him. They hope that Will Beatty (a) comes back healthy from his eye injury and (b) plays better than he did at left tackle in the first 10 games of last season.

David Diehl isn't around to slide over and bail him out this time. Diehl's got to play right tackle in place of McKenzie. The Giants have some offensive linemen they like for the long-term, but this looks like another transition year on the line. While they have enough good veterans in place to pull it off, that's a tough tightrope act to try too many years in a row.

They have bodies at linebacker, with Keith Rivers brought in as a good veteran reinforcement and some of last year's promising rookies hopefully ready to take a next step, but they have no clear man for the middle. They have bodies at cornerback, but they have question marks there, too.

Corey Webster was awesome in 2011. Can he repeat that performance? Is Terrell Thomas fully recovered from the preseason knee injury that cost him the whole season? Will Prince Amukamara make more of a contribution?

Don't think for a second that GM Jerry Reese isn't concerned. He used each of his first three draft picks on positions at which he lost a player in free agency -- running back (David Wilson for Jacobs), wide receiver (Rueben Randle for Mario Manningham) and cornerback (Jayron Hosley for Aaron Ross). And he's smart to be concerned, because while these Giants rightfully consider themselves a championship team, they're also a team that won one less regular-season game in 2011 than it won in 2010. Had someone in the NFC East won 10 and the Giants missed the playoffs, their offseason narrative would have been that of a team moving in the wrong direction.

Instead, the Giants have a two-front problem to solve. They have a division and a conference and a league full of teams that saw what they did and now consider Super Bowl glory more attainable than ever. And they have an internal mandate to be better this year than 9-7, because they know first-hand that it's not usually good enough to get you the chance to make a Super Bowl run.

They're capable of doing it, and they'll deservedly enter the season among the favorites to win it all again. They have superstars at quarterback, wide receiver and defensive end, and in this day and age that can carry you a long way. But as far as defending Super Bowl champions go, these Giants have more issues than most -- and more work to do.

Brandon Jacobs is now a 49er, joining Mario Manningham in San Francisco.

So the Giants still have a 6-4, 264-pound hole to fill in the backfield. Ahmad Bradshaw currently has D.J. Ware, Da'Rel Scott and Andre Brown behind him on the depth chart.

The Giants still could add a veteran running back in free agency or via trade or the draft. The name that a ton of fans have been asking about is Carolina's Jonathan Stewart now that Mike Tolbert is a Panther.

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter tweeted on Tuesday that the Panthers are "adamant this week that they're not trading Stewart." And some NFL reporters have speculated that if the Panthers do trade a running back, the sensible trade partner could be the Broncos and former Panthers head coach John Fox.

Stewart, of course, would seem to be a great fit for the Giants, who will probably want a bigger back to fill Jacobs' role. But Stewart's price tag could be too steep for the Giants if he becomes available. How much would a team have to give up if the Panthers were willing to make a deal? And how much would Stewart cost financially to keep later down the road? Remember, the Giants have several young players they will have to take care of eventually, such as Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Jason Pierre-Paul, just to name a few.

Still, Tom Coughlin has said he would like to stick to the same formula he had with Bradshaw and Jacobs when asked about the possibility of Jacobs leaving back in February at the NFL Scouting Combine.

"There's a hallmark that we stick to by position," Coughlin said. "Brandon is very rare, very rare. We would stick to what's been good for the Giants."

My guess is that unless the Giants find a veteran running back on the cheap in free agency, they'll draft a running back. Stewart would be great, but I just wonder how much the Panthers would want if they were to entertain offers. And drafting and developing a running back would be a cheaper option.

Tell us what you want to see the Giants do now that Jacobs is gone.

Let's talk about Super Mario. Not the plumber who is constantly trying to save Peach -- New York Giants WR Mario Manningham, whose potential departure is creating buzz all over ESPNNewYork.com.

From Mario Manningham '75 percent' sure he's leaving:

"geez Giants fans, you can at least thank the dude for saving your tails against NE before kicking him out the door. I like Mario. But he is someone who doesn't realize he is a #2. He could be the best #2 in the NFL with a different attitude. Considering I am a Lions fan, and our #2 is Nate Burelson, you have to acknowledge Manningham is far better than that. He will help some young team though, good luck brother."
- Andy1178

Ed.'s note -- I have him behind Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks. If he will take less money then it makes sense to keep him, but I sense he will not be in Blue in August.

"He'll end up like Deion Branch...go some place else and underachieve then beg to come back. I can't knock him for trying to cash in especially since nothing in the NFL is guaranteed. Someone will over pay and lose their job for signing him."
- ANieves82

Ed.'s note -- Now is his chance to get paid. I don’t think most fans will knock him for taking the money to play for someone else.

"Someone will overpay, he'll disappoint. Same old story as many who have came before him."
- robkaos7

Ed.'s note -- That depends on what is expected of him: don’t expect him to gain over 1,000 yards nor catch 10 TDs (he hasn’t done either yet). He’s only 25 and has some years ahead of him but he's not a No. 1.

From the corresponding Giants blog post:

"Realistically Manningham was suppose to be the #2 WR. It's just that Cruz went above and beyond last year and became their leading receiver. If they cut ties with [Brandon] Jacobs and let Kareem McKenzie go, they can sign Manningham as a # 2 and make Cruz earn that big contract in 2013 as a slot receiver."
- klabkebash

Ed.'s note -- It simply comes down to whether he is worth the money.

From Facebook:

"Manningham has made more than just "one catch" this year,but I get what everyone is saying. Someone will pay Mario for his playoff performance. Osi is a must at the right price."
- Da'Sean Smalls

Ed.'s note -- Right. Osi Umenyiora is worth the money he is asking for, and Manningham isn’t.

Want to remember all the good times with Manningham? Check out our free wallpaper and vote on the Hot Button.

It appears the Giants are looking for Jerrel Jernigan to step up this coming season, especially if Mario Manningham departs in free agency.

On Friday, Tom Coughlin mentioned Jernigan as one of the young players that could potentially step up with opportunity this coming season.

And on Saturday, GM Jerry Reese said the team has expectations for last year’s third-round pick.

“I think we have some good players we still want to come along,” Reese said when asked what the team may do if Manningham leaves. “To name a couple –- we drafted Jernigan in the third round. So we expect him to make the jump. Ramses Barden, who we drafted a couple years ago, had some injury issues, we expect him to contribute as well. Obviously, we’ll continue to look if we can’t bring Mario back.”

Jernigan largely played on special teams and did not have a catch during his rookie season. If Manningham signs elsewhere, the Giants will need a third wide receiver and Barden and Jernigan may battle it out in camp for that spot.

The Giants also need Jernigan to step up as a returner. The special teams needs a spark in the kick return and punt return areas.

A TIGHT SITUATION: Reese was asked about the Giants’ need at tight end after Jake Ballard and Travis Beckum both underwent ACL surgeries on Tuesday.

“Right now, we only have a couple of tight ends that are healthy so that’s definitely a concern for us,” the general manager said. “We have the two guys who had ACL surgeries. We have Bear Pascoe who’s healthy and we have a young practice squad kid that we like, Christian Hopkins. That’s a concern for us.”

“We’ll address it somehow, with the draft or free agency, but we’ll definitely look to address that,” Reese added. “And hopefully those guys [Ballard and Beckum] will be back at some point with the ACLs.”

Both tight ends could start the season on the PUP list.

GIANT CAP: The Giants will have some maneuvering to do to gain cap flexibility.

The Giants are $9 million over the cap at the moment according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter. So Reese and his staff could be restructuring some contracts in the near future.

“You have to do what you have to do to get the players you need on your roster,” he said. “Sometimes you have to renegotiate some contracts and if we have to do that, we’re not afraid to do it. Right now, it looks like the cap is going to be flat. We’re not sure what the total is going to be. If we have to do it, we’re capable of doing it.”

Brandon Jacobs has a $500,000 roster bonus due next month so the Giants will have to make a decision on that in the next few weeks. Osi Umenyiora also is looking for a new contract and Reese said the team is open to the idea of an extension.

The Giants have 21 unrestricted free agents, two restricted free agents and one exclusive rights free agent. Manningham, cornerback Terrell Thomas, middle linebacker Jonathan Goff and punter Steve Weatherford are among the unrestricted free agents.

“We have some work to do in respect to the cap,” Reese said.

After saying he wants to return and is open to restructuring his contract recently, Brandon Jacobs is confident he will remain a New York Giant.

"Well, I have spoken to my agent and I do expect to be fully back with the New York Giants next season," Jacobs said on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday. "These guys in the front office, they've been doing this for years. They know what they gotta do. I want to be back. But they actually know what has to be done if they want me back."

The Giants have a decision to make with Jacobs. He is due a $500,000 roster bonus in March and is scheduled to make $4.4 million this season.

Jacobs restructured his contract last summer to help the Giants re-sign Ahmad Bradshaw. And he said last week that he would be open to restructuring his deal again as long as it is fair.

The Giants are $9 million over the cap at the moment according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter. So the Giants will have some choices ahead, especially with more than 20 unrestricted free agents.

But Jacobs sounds as if he will get his wish of returning to defend the Giants' title. At what price, though, remains to be seen.

"If they don't want me back then that's another story in itself, then nothing has to be done," he said. "But I got a feeling that they do. So, you know, things get worked out. I definitely plan on being [with] Big Blue for the 2012 season."

I recently gave my report card for the Giants 2011 season position-by-position. But because there was only so much space to discuss each position, I wanted to go more in-depth on each position and spin it forward to next season.

Today we look at the running backs. Tomorrow: Wide receivers.

RUNNING BACKS
Grade: C

The Giants’ running game finished last in the NFL in rushing during the regular season but did show signs of coming on at the end of the season. Individually, Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs combined for a total of just two 100-yards rushing games this season. The two did combine for 16 rushing touchdowns in the regular season.

Bradshaw missed four games with a fractured foot and played through the final nine games on it. He has acknowledged that he will never feel 100-percent pain-free but he should at least be healthier by next season although he has had ankle and foot injuries throughout his career.

Jacobs remains a question mark since the Giants have to decide whether to pay a $500,000 roster bonus in March. Jacobs did say he’d be open to restructuring his contract for a second straight year if it’s fair.

If the Giants opt to go in a different direction, they have D.J. Ware, Da’Rel Scott and Andre Brown on the roster. Ware averaged 3.5 yards a carry but didn’t get many carries. He was used more as a receiver out of the backfield although those screen plays to Ware never seemed to go for big gains.

Scott has blazing speed (remember his fake-punt touchdown run in the preseason against New England?) and hopefully he’ll get a few more opportunities to show his potential this preseason.

Brown -- who famously gave us “I Got a Ring” -- has shown some potential during the preseason and his knee appears to be healthy.

Even with Scott and Brown on the roster, I still wouldn't mind seeing the Giants draft a running back in the latter rounds, especially if Jacobs does not return.

Henry Hynoski got better as his rookie season went on at fullback and should only continue to improve. TE Bear Pascoe also can play FB but he’ll likely be needed more at tight end with so many injuries to the position. Pascoe will be a restricted free agent but the team is expected to bring him back considering how many roles he can play on offense.

The blame for the Giants’ running woes lies with everyone involved in the running game. That means the offensive line must get better at run-blocking. Short-yardage situations often remained a problem. Too many times, Bradshaw and Jacobs would just run into their own blockers with no holes there. We’ll get into the offensive line more when its report card analysis comes up. But with a full offseason of workouts and a full training camp, the Giants should be able to improve somewhat on last year’s running game.

Tell us what your assessment is of the running backs below.

This didn't feel like a Tuesday at MetLife Stadium.

"Beautiful crowd, no questions about it," Giants running back Brandon Jacobs said about the fans who gathered at MetLife Stadium for the team's pep rally Tuesday. "It felt like a Sunday here."

The Giants estimated that 40,000 to 45,000 fans packed the venue to welcome home the Super Bowl champions after their ride up the Canyon of Heroes. Several speeches were made, rap group Naughty by Nature performed and players took time to interact with fans.

"We just had an incredible experience going through the Canyon of Heroes," Giants co-owner John Mara told the crowd. "But I have to tell ya, and I said this four years ago, when you pull into this place and see all you fans out there, you realize one thing: There's no place like home."

The crowd worked itself up before the pep rally, as Naughty by Nature entertained it with a brief concert, and the Giants' players showed up around 3:30 p.m. to a loud ovation. A video showcasing the Giants' season was shown on the big screens, with the players reacting as they saw some of the top moments.

Mara, co-owner Steve Tisch, head coach Tom Coughlin, defensive end Justin Tuck and Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning all took time to address the crowd and thank fans for supporting them throughout the year and showing up on a rather chilly day.

"We started the season out with a theme," Coughlin said. "The theme was finish. This is an incredible finish to an amazing season."

Tuck, who had two sacks in the Super Bowl, elicited one of the biggest reactions from the crowd. The defensive end referenced Giants Stadium before bringing up the new name of facility, MetLife Stadium. He then fired back at the Jets and their head coach Rex Ryan, who has said his team owns New York City and is big brother in town.

"It's MetLife Stadium. But the one thing you can be sure of, of whose house it is," Tuck said about the stadium.

As the players filed off the stage, some left quickly while others took time to give the fans a show. Jacobs ran around the stadium with the Lombardi trophy, letting the fans touch the team's newest hardware. Victor Cruz, who heard "Cruuuuuuz" chants throughout the event, also ran around the stadium to interact with followers.

Running back Ahmad Bradshaw and wide receiver Hakeem Nicks spent plenty of time autographing footballs, shirts, hats and other items for the fans, moving slowly from left to right as they thanked the fans for their support. Safety Antrel Rolle slapped hands with fans.

"The whole day is unbelievable," Mara said. "To watch these players enjoy the Canyon of Heroes is pretty cool. But then to come back here to our home and see this kind of enthusiasm is really the icing on the cake, and it's just been a great day."

Mara said there were more fans at the event than expected but added he shouldn't have been surprised. He actually said that it felt better than when the Giants hosted the same events after winning the NFL title in 2007. Long snapper Zak DeOssie added that it seemed there were more people here this time.

"Today was a gorgeous day on both sides of the river," Tisch said on the field afterward. "Millions of fans saying thank you to the New York Giants and the New York Giants thanking millions of fans back."

QUARTERBACK: Eli Manning completed 30 of 40 passes for 296 yards, one touchdown and a 103.8 NFL rating. He did not turn over the ball, which was huge for the Giants during their 21-17 victory. Manning's 38-yard sideline strike to Mario Manningham showed the raw arm talent that made Manning the first player selected in the 2004 NFL draft. Not many quarterbacks can make that throw. Manning made it when the Giants trailed, 17-15, with less than four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Manning completed his first nine attempts for 77 yards and a touchdown, staking the Giants to an early lead as they dominated time of possession to begin the game. Manning made effective use of his running backs and tight ends, executing a mostly conservative game plan. But the Giants settled for field goals too frequently. Both teams had trouble striking on pass plays down the field until Manning found Manningham in the clutch. The two had failed to connect deep down the right sideline earlier in the fourth quarter. Manning's pass was a bit wide. Manningham could have done a better job getting his feet down. Grade: A-minus.

OFFENSE: The Giants came to life in the fourth quarter, a theme for them all season. They also avoided turnovers, a huge key. That excused their earlier offensive struggles, but we'll cover them anyway. New York twice committed drive-dooming penalties after crossing midfield. A first-half holding penalty against guard Kevin Boothe on a third-and-1 play proved pivotal. The infraction wasted Brandon Jacobs' 10-yard run, setting up third-and-1. The Giants went from driving toward likely points and a potential 16-3 lead to watching Tom Brady execute a 96-yard touchdown drive as New England pulled in front, 10-9. Then, with the Giants trailing 17-15 in the fourth quarter, a penalty for illegal procedure left the Giants in another third-and-10 situation, leading to another punt. The Giants did enjoy success early in the game. They were fortunate to recover their own fumbles, especially when Ahmad Bradshaw lost the ball deep in Giants territory. Losing tight ends Travis Beckum and Jake Ballard to injuries left New York with only one available tight end, Bear Pascoe. Grade: B

DEFENSE: Justin Tuck's pressure on Brady forced a safety on the Patriots' first offensive play. That was a sensational start for the Giants. Tuck closed out the game with a third-down sack with 39 seconds remaining. The Giants failed to get enough pressure between those plays, allowing Brady to shred their defense for stretches. But Brady averaged only 6.7 yards per attempt. The Giants held the Patriots to 17 points, about two touchdowns below their regular-season average. Jason Pierre-Paul was effective batting down passes. Chase Blackburn made his presence felt with a de-cleater hit on BenJarvus Green-Ellis. He also picked off a deep pass for Rob Gronkowski. The Patriots' quickness in general and Danny Woodhead's in particular gave the Giants problems, especially with Brady having time to operate. The Giants caught a break when Wes Welker got wide open and dropped a pass that would have moved New England into field-goal range while leading with about four minutes left. Grade: B-plus

COACHING: The Giants left 57 seconds on the clock when Bradshaw scored on a run up the middle to take a 21-17 lead. Bradshaw tried to sit down at the 1-yard line, but his momentum carried him into the end zone. The points were nice, but leaving that much time on the clock for Brady carried risk. The offensive plan seemed conservative and without enough play-action passing early. That was to be expected given Tom Coughlin's philosophy. That showed up when Coughlin handed off instead of taking a shot deep down the field on an early second-and-1. Grade: B

SPECIAL TEAMS: Lawrence Tynes made both field-goal attempts. The Giant did not allow a punt return. They forced New England to begin three drives inside their own 10-yard line. The Patriots never started a drive outside their own 29. No complaints here. Grade: A

It's 2 pm. Four-plus hours to go.

We're blogging some stories to read about the Giants before Super Bowl XLVI. At the top of every hour until 6 pm, there will be a blog posted with a link to another Giants story that came during this Super Bowl run that you might’ve missed either on a Giants player or an angle that could factor into tonight’s game. So check back every hour. Fourth up:

LORDS OF THE RINGS: When kickoff comes and all those camera flashbulbs pop in blinding unison, there will be a handful of Giants who will not be in awe of the moment. Here's the 15 Giants who played in Super Bowl XLII and why their experience was valuable in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl and why it could be huge tonight.

Which Giant with a ring already will come up big again tonight in your mind? Tell us in the comments list below!

INDIANAPOLIS -- Because we have all seen what Brandon Jacobs can be when he's at his best, it is uniquely disappointing when he is not. At 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds, Jacobs is supposed to be a terror with the ball in his hands -- an unstoppable, line-shredding force that defenders fear to tackle. Too often over the last couple of seasons, for one reason or another, he has failed to perform that way consistently. The criticism he takes for it works off the expectations created by his uncommon physical attributes. He's so big and scary, so why can't he always play that way?

In the days leading up to Super Bowl XLVI, Jacobs seems to feel the same way about himself that others feel about him. This could very well be Jacobs' last game with the New York Giants, and he knows that. If his head is in the right place, as it appears to be, Jacobs could end up being a surprise Super Bowl difference-maker.

"I've just got to run a little harder," Jacobs said Wednesday. "I felt like, in the last game, I ran ... OK, I guess. I've just got to run a little harder and try and get more yards after the contact. If they're a good defense, then you're going to get hit, so you may as well get ready for it. I've just got to get going a little harder and try and get a couple extra yards."

Jacobs has been a mercurial player for the Giants over the last few years. His off-field behavior and on-field effectiveness have fluctuated between maddening and exemplary. He's the guy who chucked his helmet into the stands in Indianapolis, who chased down Jets coach Rex Ryan on Christmas Eve with a "time to shut up, fat boy." He has seemed, too often, like a guy to whom football isn't that big of a deal.

But he's also the guy who agreed to restructure his contract last summer so the team could re-sign his friend and fellow running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who accepted a demotion two years ago when it became clear Bradshaw had become the better back, and who dished out punishment while he and Bradshaw ran all over the Atlanta Falcons four weeks ago in a dominant playoff performance.

"I always feel like Brandon is about to have a big game," Bradshaw said. "He's just that kind of guy. When he gets going, there's no one out there that can stop him, and we've all seen that."

Jacobs remains, however, a source of frustration for Giants fans. He's supposed to be a bulldozer who can pick up automatic first downs on fourth-and-1, yet he seldom seems to be able to get them. He's supposed to be a goal-line stud, but sometimes it looks like he's trying to tiptoe through a hole rather than just blow one up. To a certain extent, the criticism is unfair. Just because he's more huge than the typical running back doesn't mean he's supposed to accept getting hit more. Jacobs' size is his burden as well as his asset, and he has expressed frustration with that criticism.

But he's reached the point at which public perception can no longer matter to him. He's got one year left on his Giants contract, but there's a chance the team will cut him and move on, deploying that money elsewhere and working on the development of their younger backs. That means Jacobs, who won a Super Bowl ring as the Giants' lead back four years ago, might have only one more game left with the only pro team he's ever known. And there's no reason to do anything other than play it as hard as he possibly can.

"I can't worry about that," Jacobs said when asked about his Giants future. "I hope not. I want to be here. I want to be around. But right now, I just want to come out here and win this football game. After that, whatever happens happens."

A focused Brandon Jacobs can be a scary thing for an opposing defense. If the big guy has one more big Giants game left in him, there's a good chance he leaves New York with two Super Bowl rings. Which wouldn't be a bad way to go out.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Was that Tom Coughlin smiling in his interview booth on Super Bowl media day?

The New York Giants went through their media day and looked relaxed. So relaxed that they looked like pros at the whole thing. As we make our bed check well before Coughlin's curfew, let's take a look at some of the things that happened today.

NEWS OF THE DAY: Brandon Jacobs and Osi Umenyiora (seen here) talked about whether this could be their final game as Giants. Not a bad way to go out if that's the case. Both have one year remaining on their contracts, but the Giants have a roster bonus to pay Jacobs and Osi will be looking for a raise again soon.

Jacobs also talked about his good friend Plaxico Burress and how Plax's heart remains Blue (well, before he was a Jet and a Giant, his heart was green for Michigan State but ... oh, never mind).

POSTCARD FROM INDY: By Super Bowl media day standards, this media day was rather tame. There were fans in the stands for the first time, but they remained mostly quiet outside of a few bursts of applause.

Where were all the celebs with the microphones? R&B star Ciara was the only celeb I spotted on the field. Where was the lovely Latina reporter who dresses in a wedding gown and proposes to players for fun? Instead, all we got was one television reporter dressed up as a super hero, another from VH1 dressed in old-time football uniform with leather helmet (here's Justin Tuck checking out his uniform) and some dude telling everyone that he's celebrating The Year of the Dragon. Oh, and there was Maria Menounos, who wore a Patriots jersey.

The players enjoyed the media day and actually seemed like they had gone through it several times before. Heck, Coughlin actually smiled often and actually seemed to be enjoying a full hour of non-stop questions. Who was this? Bizarro Coughlin?

"To be honest with you, it's great," Coughlin said when asked how he and the team were handling media day. "It's part of the deal. It's fun and it's nice once in a while to get a unique question. We all understand that this is very much a part of the reason why this game is so popular worldwide. You just try and enjoy it."

His son-in-law, Giants guard Chris Snee, was asked if Coughlin has gotten "warmer and fuzzier."

"Warmer? Fuzzier?" Snee asked. "I don't know if I'd use those adjectives, but he's lightened up a lot."

Snee was also asked if it is tough going from player to son-in-law with Coughlin.

"No, not at all," Snee said. "It's eight years of having this relationship, so we got it ironed out pretty good."

A few players were asked about Madonna, this year's halftime act. But otherwise, as Dave Tollefson tells you in the video above, this was a tame SB media day.

WHAT 'TREL SAY: This might be a fixture in the bed check. My man Antrel Rolle has been here for two days and is two-for-two on saying he expects the Giants to win. He looks relaxed on media day here. In case you didn't see this from earlier, Rolle isn't even the most outspoken one in his family of fighters.

There is at least one New York Giant who won't mind a sloppy field on Sunday.

With rain in the forecast in San Francisco, it's likely going to be less than ideal conditions for the NFC Champions Game. Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw hopes that rain could perhaps lead to a more run-oriented attack.

"We don't pay attention to conditions," Bradshaw said. "If it's a rain game, hopefully we run the ball more. Dig your cleats in and keep digging."

Bradshaw will be getting his first crack at the 49ers and their excellent rush defense, as he missed the first game with his broken foot. In that game, the Giants rushed for 93 yards on 29 carries, with Brandon Jacobs leading the way with 55 yards on the ground.

The shifty running back has been a key cog on offense for the Giants thus far in the postseason, rushing 26 times for 126 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and also catching eight passes for 43 yards. He hasn't reached the end zone, but has been a big reason why the Giants are averaging 133.5 yards on the ground per game.

The Giants will surely be tested against a San Francisco defense which ranked first in the NFL this season, allowing just 77.3 rushing yards per game. The 49ers held the Saints to just 37 rushing yards in their 36-32 win last Saturday.

"They're a great defense," Bradshaw said. "We have to stick to our game plan, we got a lot to handle linebackers-wise, they're great linebackers. They got a great (defensive backs) core. All I can do is go play my game. We've got a great plan going into the game, I think we'll be fine."

The running back added that his team has a lot of confidence heading into this game, and believes that playing the 49ers once already will help the team. This will be Bradshaw's second time playing in an NFC Championship Game.

"We played them, we got a lot of stuff on film and I just let the coaches handle what our game plan is going to be," Bradshaw said. "If we execute, we'll be fine."

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- What do you do when your success comes before your adversity? You win the Super Bowl when you're 24 and you spend the ensuing years building on that, emerging as one of the dominant defensive players in the NFL, becoming a captain of your team, piling confidence on top of confidence, accolade on top of accolade. And then out of nowhere, at age 28, you're confronted with new, painful challenges that poke at your belief in yourself. What do you do?

Justin Tuck sure didn't know. The New York Giants' star defensive end has had a rough season. Groin, shoulder, neck and foot injuries kept him from being the player he's spent his whole outstanding NFL career proving he can be and the teammate his fellow Giants expect him to be.

"The way I like to lead is by example, by going out on the football field and doing it," Tuck said Wednesday. "So this year's been tough for me in that regard, as far as leadership. It's been growing pains, learning how to get your point across without doing it on the football field, which I had previously liked to do."

Fortunately for the Giants, Tuck figured this out before it was too late. Along about Week 16, when teammate Antrel Rolle started making public comments about guys who weren't practicing every day but maybe could, Tuck started changing the way he felt about his nagging injuries. That same week, Giants coach Tom Coughlin and GM Jerry Reese spoke with Tuck about shaking off the pain -- of accepting that he wasn't going to feel his best, but playing and leading by example anyway.

The result has been brilliant for the Giants, and brilliantly timed. Tuck has played his best football of the season over the last four weeks. And as the Giants get ready for Sunday's NFC Championship Game in San Francisco, their defensive leader finds himself in that blissfully right state of mind that had eluded him all season.

"One thing I learned this year is that the guys respect what you've done," Tuck said. "A lot of times this year, I wasn't saying anything, and guys would come up to me and ask, 'Why are you so quiet? Why didn't you do this or that?' And I'd tell them why. And they came to me and were like, 'You don't have to worry about that. We know you're not 100 percent, but that doesn't stop you from being a leader.'"

Tuck is a smart and thoughtful guy. You see it instantly when you interview him. A lot of athletes go right to the easy sound bite, but Tuck engages his interviewer, thinks about his answer and offers helpful insight. He seems willing to consider outside points of view and differing perspectives. So it's not surprising to learn that when his teammates, his coach and his GM started talking to him about ways to change his mindset, he was receptive. It also helps that he's strong enough mentally to actually do it.

"I like the adjustments that he made," Coughlin said. "He just decided that he's not going to allow any more distractions from the standpoint of the hurts. He has made that decision and he has stuck with it, and I think it's a very smart move. He's been very productive since doing it."

We forget sometimes, as outside observers of these games, that these are actual people who play them, and young ones at that. We like to put these players in boxes and assume we have them figured out. Tuck won the Super Bowl when he was 24 years old and played great for the three years that followed. Why should we have thought he'd ever be anything other than what we already knew him to be?

But none of us is a finished product at 24, 25, 26 or 27 years old, and neither is our favorite star athlete. Compared to a lot of teams and a lot of people, things came easily for a lot of these Giants early in their careers. Tuck, Eli Manning, Brandon Jacobs, Osi Umenyiora ... all of these guys were wearing Super Bowl rings in their mid-20s. But each had the bulk of his career still ahead of him, and growing to do. True greatness isn't measured by the title you win when you're a kid who got hot and didn't know any better. It's measured by the way you build on that, learn from the adversity sure to follow and find a way to be great again.

Those early career champion Giants all went through this. Manning with the interceptions. Jacobs with his demotion and weird behavior issues. Umenyiora with his contract dispute and ugly public feud with GM Jerry Reese. And Tuck, this year, with his injuries. Each of those players has emerged from his mid-career adversity better for the experience. Manning led the way, playing brilliantly from the start of this season. But the light has gone on for the others at the right time.

Jacobs is running as hard as in the old days, no matter what Jerry Rice thinks. Umenyiora has shoved the contract stuff to the back burner and is focused on knocking down quarterbacks again. And Tuck? Well, yeah, the nagging injuries are still there. He's still in more pain than he'd like to be, and it's still keeping him from doing everything he'd like to be doing on the field. But this year, at a still-young 28, Tuck has learned that that's OK.

"My teammates know where my heart is," Tuck said. "My coaches know where my heart is. And I just came to the realization that I'm not going to be healthy this year. I'm not going to put up the stats that I've put up. But that doesn't mean that I can't help this football team win games. And at the end of the day, that's the goal."

Lovely day here at Milwaukee's General Mitchell Airport, though it was kind of sad listening to the Packers fans on the sports talk radio this morning on the drive here from Green Bay. Honestly, if you've ever been to Green Bay, you need to wonder: what do those people do now?

What we do now is look ahead to Sunday's NFC Championship Game between the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers. It's going to be a different kind of game for the Giants. The 49ers don't have the array of passing-game weapons that recent Giants opponents such as the Packers, Falcons and Cowboys have. They will attack the Giants differently, and the best thing the 49ers have going for them is a defense that looked fast, tough and terrifying for most of the game against the Saints on Saturday night.

San Francisco finished fourth in the league in total defense, allowing just 308.1 yards per game, and first in rush defense by a mile, allowing just 77.3 yards per game. That would seem to bode ill for a Giants team that finished last in the league in rush offense. But the numbers from the head-to-head matchup between these teams in San Francisco in Week 10, even though the Giants lost it, offer some hope for the Giants.

The 395 yards of total offense the Giants had against the 49ers was the fourth-highest total any team posted against San Francisco all season. Only the Eagles (513 in a Week 4 loss), Cowboys (472 in a Week 2 overtime victory) and Saints (472 in Saturday's playoff loss) had more yards in a game against the Niners this season.

Even more encouraging, the Giants had 93 rush yards in that game, which is the fourth-highest total of rush yards any team had in a game against the Niners this season. Marshawn Lynch's Seahawks had 124 in Week 16, Steven Jackson's Rams had 111 in Week 17 and LeSean McCoy's Eagles had 108 in that Week 4 game in Philadelphia. All of those games were victories for the 49ers, but the Giants have run the ball considerably better over the past seven weeks, and in the Week 10 game in San Francisco they did not have running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who was out with a foot injury at the time. Brandon Jacobs had 55 yards on 18 carries, and D.J. Ware kicked in 34 yards on nine carries.

A healthy Bradshaw on Sunday, plus the drastic improvements the Giants have made in run blocking over the past two months, plus the film they can watch of their offense having success against this very tough 49ers defense, are all assets for the Giants as they prepare for the NFC Championship Game. The 49ers likely aren't going to miss as many tackles as the Packers did Sunday, but the Giants have proof that they can move the ball against them anyway. The key, as it always is, will be to avoid the turnovers. The Giants outgained the 49ers by 90 yards in Week 10, but Eli Manning threw two interceptions, and they lost by seven points.

The Giants' running game was nonexistent at the beginning of Saturday's game -- but rebounded to finish strong.

For the third time in their past four games, the Giants rushed for more than 100 yards as they tallied 115 on the ground in their 29-14 win over the Jets. The Giants had a measly six yards on seven carries at the half before exploding in the second half.

"Obviously at halftime we were not real happy and we talked about the fact that we had to do a better job of blocking them," Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said. "They did a good job of matching our personnel schemes and taking away some of the things that ... we thought we had. We were able to put it on the ground and run some time off the clock and gain some yardage."

After a very slow start to the season in terms of rushing, the Giants' running game had been as strong as it had been all season heading into Saturday's game, tallying its best three-game stretch of the season by averaging 100.3 yards and garnering at least 100 yards in two of them. That strong performance had come behind a reinvented line with Kevin Boothe at center and Mitch Petrus as the left guard.

Saturday, the Giants reinserted David Baas, who had missed the previous three games with a neck injury and intense headaches, into the lineup and the results didn't immediately promising. The Giants had just six rushing yards on its first seven carries, with a long run of four yards from Ahmad Bradshaw.

The unit found its legs on the last drive of the third quarter. Leading 10-7 at the time, Brandon Jacobs galloped for a 28-yard gain that put the Giants at the 14-yard line. On the following play, Bradshaw went up the middle for a 14-yard touchdown that gave the Giants a 17-7 lead and seemingly changed the complexion of the game. Bradshaw added a 19-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to seal the game for the Giants.

"It was kind of in the first half we kind of stalemated sometimes, things weren't going good, defense kept us in it," Baas said. "Second half, we had some adjustments and different runs and we produced a little bit more and just really kind of did some things better in terms of blocking and scheme stuff. Their front did a good job in the first half of doing some things to shut us down and we did some things to not help ourselves. In the second half, we did some better things in terms of doing some plays that really helped us in terms of blocking guys, it worked out better for us to get some yardage."