NY Giants' Last Two Super Bowl Teams Accomplished Something Really Special

Although New York Giants fans are incredibly excited about the team's future, they know the road back to the Lombardi Trophy is a long and windy one that new head coach John Harbaugh and company will have to navigate. They can always relive the glory days, however.

For many, the Super Bowl is an annual reminder of how far the Giants have fallen from relevance. But it should also help people remember and appreciate what Big Blue accomplished during its last two title runs. One statistic accentuates the legacy of the 2007 and 2011 campaigns.

This statistic was shared by someone who played on both of those squads. Retired kicker Lawrence Tynes posted a graphic on X that ranked all the Super Bowl winners since 1985 by how difficult their path to the championship was. Big Blue grabs the top two spots, with the SB XLVI triumph topping the rest of the field.

Oh look, our two Super Bowl Wins ranked 1st and 2nd most difficult path. Not talked about enough. Dawgs! 😤 pic.twitter.com/NrOD5RENre
— Lawrence Tynes (@lt4kicks) February 12, 2026

Following two of the worst seasons in franchise history, and a stretch that includes just two playoff appearances in the last 15 years, fans can take pride in knowing that their team breathes rarefied air.

Those two title victories over the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick-led New England Patriots transcend the NFL and rank among the most iconic sports moments of the 21st Century. No franchise may ever be able to truly recreate the magic that accompanied the Giants during their marches to glory.

People naturally focus on David Tyree's helmet catch and Eli Manning's fabulous pass to Mario Manning along the sidelines. Those are the defining plays of those respective championship quests, but New York had to overcome daunting odds just to face the dynastic Pats.

How the NY Giants pulled it off

The Giants bested a top-notch Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense, edged out the NFC East-winning Dallas Cowboys, and survived the Brett Favre-led Green Bay Packers. They did all that on the road and concluded the 2007-08 season by stunning the undefeated Patriots in Glendale, Arizona's State Farm Stadium.

Somehow, the path to Super Bowl XLII is only the second-hardest. When one remembers the physical battles that New York endured en route to Super Bowl XLVI, it should become clear why that feat occupies the No. 1 slot on this list.

The Atlanta Falcons boasted a dynamic offense that centered around quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner. The Giants cruised past them in the NFC Wild Card Round.

The Packers, this time led by Aaron Rodgers, averaged an NFL-best 35.0 points per game. Big Blue once again prevailed in Lambeau Field, forcing four turnovers and earning a straightforward 37-20 victory in the Divisional Round.

Then came a grueling NFC Championship clash with the San Francisco 49ers. Eli Manning posted possibly the gutsiest performance of his career, absorbing six sacks and completing 32-of-58 passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns in the 20-17 overtime victory.

NY Giants legends Tom Coughlin and Michael Strahan — Michael Strahan, far right, smiles as the New York Giants retire his jersey with former coach Tom Coughlin, center, and former player Jessie Armstead, far left. The Giants defeat the Eagles, 13-7, at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021, in East Rutherford. | Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

Once again, New York concluded its improbable run by upsetting the Patriots. Manning seized his second Super Bowl MVP trophy after leading an 88-yard game-winning drive in less than three minutes. He finished the postseason with 1,219 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and just one interception.

Of course, No. 10 is not the only one who deserves to be praised for these herculean achievements. Tom Coughlin masterfully steered this team through immense adversity, the defensive and offensive lines both dug deep when it mattered most, and unheralded players like David Tyree and Mario Manningham rose to the occasion.

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Two collective efforts culminated in two of the hardest-earned championships in NFL history. The organization's recent failures, many of them, cannot erase those immortalized feats.

Giants fans will be thrilled to know that the team with the third-most difficult path to a Super Bowl win is the John Harbaugh-coached 2012-13 Baltimore Ravens. This sweet serving of nostalgia is coming at the perfect time, as New York attempts to restore the franchise to its past prestige.