2001 GIANTS
	Kerry Collins needs to put Super Bowl behind him.
	Head coach: Jim Fassel (5th year). 2000 record: 12-4. NFC East finish: 1st. 2001 preseason: 1-2. Season opener: Sept. 10 at Broncos. Schedule | Depth chart

In this new age of worst-to-first ascensions and one-year wonders, it should not have been so shocking that the lowly regarded Giants somehow conquered the NFC and plowed their way into Super Bowl XXXV before their magical mystery ride was cut short by the Ravens. The good news for 2001 is that the Giants did not suffer any damaging post-Super Bowl defections. The bad news is that their schedule is far more demanding, and they no longer can fill the upstart role that served them so well.

Every key player returns from a team that went 12-4 and closed with a flurry of wins after head coach Jim Fassel boldly guaranteed a playoff berth. Their marquee free agents, cornerback Jason Sehorn and running back Tiki Barber, were both re-signed. They fortified their defense by signing defensive end Kenny Holmes to provide increased pass rush on the right side. They believe they've restocked their secondary by drafting cornerbacks Will Allen and William Peterson.

The organization also assured stability by giving Fassel a new four-year contract.

The potential roadblocks standing in the way of another NFC East title are almost exclusively on the offensive side of the ball. Quarterback Kerry Collins made dramatic strides last season, but he must prove he's over his four-interception Super Bowl nightmare. Barber must remain healthy, and a slimmed-down Ron Dayne must improve from an uneven rookie year. The offensive line was slapped together in 2000 and emerged as the team's most pleasant surprise. The Giants now hope they can squeeze another year out of 38-year-old left tackle Lomas Brown and 35-year-old left guard Glenn Parker.

Offense
Quarterbacks: In the span of two weeks, Collins went from the peak (five touchdown passes in NFC title game) to the valley (four interceptions in the Super Bowl). But the end result was a player who completely turned his career around. Gone are the controversies, and gone too, for the most part, are the sloppy mechanics that previously hurt his performance. The Giants are praying Collins holds up again (he started all 16 regular-season games last season), since his backup, Jason Garrett, is as smart as a coach but lacks physical skills. Garrett did not throw a pass in 2000. Rookie Jesse Palmer has the makeup and the arm to be the No. 2 man after this season if he learns the NFL ropes.
Grade: B-minus.

Running backs: Barber was considered a change-of-pace back with extreme versatility, and few believed he would ever approach the 1,000-yard mark. But he did last season, racking up 1,006 yards rushing. He also caught a career-high 70 passes. Barber was easily the team's offensive MVP, and keeping him healthy this season is imperative. Dayne, the thunder portion of the "Thunder & Lightning" backfield, gained 770 yards as a rookie, but he slumped badly down the stretch. He's down to his high school weight of 245 pounds and could be the key to the season. Injury-plagued Joe Montgomery will miss the entire season with a torn Achilles' tendon. Damon Washington is a backup known more for being a special-teams ace. A boost could be supplied by Sean Bennett, a gifted pass catcher who always seems to be on the shelf with injuries.
Grade: B.

Receivers: The image of the Giants as a plodding attack is slowly changing, and wide reciever Amani Toomer is a main reason why. His occasional lapses in concentration are gone from his game, leaving him with 157 catches for 2,277 yards in the last two years. His teammate, Ike Hilliard, is a slasher who is unafraid to go over the middle, but toe surgery will keep him sidelined early this season. Team officials and coaches are intrigued and excited about Ron Dixon, who could emerge as a play maker if he becomes more professional in his approach. Joe Jurevicius will start until Hilliard returns, but despite his size, Jurevicius has yet to live up to his second-round draft status. The Giants did not actively pursue re-signing Pete Mitchell, which leaves them without a proven pass-catching tight end. However, starting tight end Howard Cross is considered just a blocker.
Grade: B.

		Health is absolutely vital to the Giants this season. They are extremely thin at a lot of positions. If they lose someone, they could be in trouble. Their starters, though, are solid, if not spectacular, with Tiki Barber and Ron Dayne in the backfield, Amani Toomer, Ike Hilliard and Joe Jurevicius outside, and quarterback Kerry Collins, who did a nice job picking up the offense. The defense will always be tough and in your face. But they are still thin. It would only take a few injuries to sneak up and sting the Giants.

Offensive linemen: Last year's overhaul was a smashing success, but a repeat performance will not be easy. Offensive line coach Jim McNally gets kudos for last year, but he had better hope that the bodies of his two aging warriors, Brown and Parker, hold together. The best player of the bunch is right guard Ron Stone, who gained his first Pro Bowl nod last season. There are no complaints with center Dusty Zeigler, and after a rough rookie year at guard, right tackle Luke Petitgout improved dramatically in 2000. If anyone goes down, trouble could follow. Mike Rosenthal has some experience, but Jason Whittle, Chris Ziemann and Chris Bober do not.
Grade: B.

Defense
Defensive linemen: The early buzz is that this could be the best defensive line in the league, with second-year tackle Cornelius Griffin moving in as a starter, and end Kenny Holmes, a free agent from the Titans, replacing Cedric Jones. The holdovers are coming off sensational seasons. End Michael Strahan missed out on the Pro Bowl for the first time in four years, but he finished the season very well and is clearly one of the best ends in the game. Tackle Keith Hamilton is coming off a 10-sack season. At his side is Griffin, a physical specimen who is far more talented than the player he replaces, Christian Peter. The Giants are counting on Holmes helping Strahan in the same way he aided Jevon Kearse in Tennessee.
Grade: A.

Linebackers: Once he fully grasped the system in his first year with the Giants, Mike Barrow added athleticism and speed to the middle linebacker spot and was a top play maker by the end of the season. Jessie Armstead, who gained his fourth-consecutive Pro Bowl selection, picks and chooses his spots more than in the past, but he remains the team's emotional leader and most forceful locker-room presence. On the strong side, second-year man Brandon Short moves in as a first-time starter, replacing Ryan Phillips. The depth is all young -- Jack Golden, Dhani Jones and Kevin Lewis.
Grade: B-plus.

Defensive backs: The Giants believe they have fortified this area and are now brimming with talent here. Sehorn, who could miss the season opener because of a skin infection on his right leg, is a gazelle-like athlete with remarkable cover skills when fully healthy. However, he could miss the regular-season opener if he has arthroscopic knee surgery, which was expected. The weak link was considered to be left cornerback Dave Thomas, who is huge and rangy but lacks speed. Thomas remains on the scene, but his job may be taken by first-round pick Will Allen of Syracuse. William Peterson, a third-round pick, will also get playing time, as will Ralph Brown, who missed his entire rookie year following knee surgery. Cornerback Emmanuel McDaniel, who played the nickel, led the team last season with six interceptions. Strong safety Sam Garnes is solid, and Shaun Williams is a rising star at free safety, where he is a terror in run support.
Grade: B-plus.

Special teams
The entire kicking game is unproven, with punter Brad Maynard gone to the Bears and placekicker Brad Daluiso out of the league. Two inexperienced placekickers, Jaret Holmes and rookie John Markham, waged a training-camp battle and neither stood out as anything special. Rodney Williams, with two years in NFL Europe but no NFL experience, is the new punter. The coverage units were shaky last year but should be improved with added speed. Dixon is a dangerous kick returner, and Barber is steady on punt returns.
Grade: C-minus.

Paul Schwartz covers the Giants for the New York Post.

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