Tom Coughlin's New York Giants have won two Super Bowls in his tenure, which is two more than anyone really expected. That's especially true when you consider their not-so-fantastic regular-season record.
Coughlin believes the team actually should have three titles. The best record any of his teams enjoyed was in 2008, when they were defending their title. Coughlin said in a YES Network interview Thursday that the Giants were on pace for another great season until Plaxico Burress accidently shot himself in a New York nightclub.
"We were the best team in the NFL at the time of the shooting," Coughlin said via The Star-Ledger.
Coughlin is right; the team was 11-1 at the time. But having the best team after 12 games doesn't really mean much in the NFL. The Giants are perfect examples of that. The team was 6-6 after 12 games before winning the Super Bowl after the 2011 season. The Giants went 4-4 down the stretch before winning the title after 2007.
Blaming Burress is a convenient excuse, but he's only one player. There's a very strong chance the Giants wouldn't have repeated as champs regardless of what happened to Plaxico. That's just how the NFL works.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
