(My Sportsbook) - The New York Giants finally came across an obstacle they couldn't overcome last season. Unfortunately, the roadblock that closed off the path of the team's intended march to a second straight Super Bowl title was an unintentional one caused from within.

The Giants' 2008 campaign likely won't be best-remembered for producing a 12-4 regular-season record, an NFC East championship and a No. 1 overall seed in the conference playoffs. Instead, the lasting memory of a season that ended with a swift and bitter 23-11 home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional round was the sight of troubled wide receiver Plaxico Burress stepping into a Manhattan court room to face weapons charges after accidentally shooting himself in the thigh at a New York City nightclub in late November.

While the Giants' late-season free-fall can't solely be blamed on Burress' careless actions, the game-changing wideout's absence did have at least some effect on the team's performance down the stretch. New York stood atop the NFL with a 12-1 mark after defeating Washington two days after the highly- publicized incident, then proceeded to lose three of its final four regular- season tests before falling to the rival Eagles. Quarterback Eli Manning failed to eclipse 200 passing yards and completed barely half his throws over the course of those games.

Manning will have an additional burden to contend with as he enters his sixth season as the Giants' franchise face. Not only will the Super Bowl XLII MVP be without Burress, who'll be spending the next two years behind bars after agreeing to a plea arrangement in August, and steady veteran Amani Toomer, New York's all-time leading receiver who was not re-signed in the offseason, but he'll be clearly under the microscope after signing a lucrative six-year, $97.5 million contract extension during training camp. The deal's average salary is the highest in league history.

While the lack of an established go-to receiver is the Giants' most glaring weakness, the team should once again be able to rely on a relentless ground game that produced a pair of 1,000-yard rushers last season in 264-pound punisher Brandon Jacobs and offseason departure Derrick Ward, as well as an attacking defense fortified by a number of free-agent pickups and the return of feared pass-rusher Osi Umenyiora, who missed all of 2008 after tearing up a knee in the preseason.

The defense did have one notable defection from last year's group, as highly- regarded coordinator Steve Spagnuolo vacated his post in January to take over as the St. Louis Rams' head coach. He's been replaced by Bill Sheridan, who had served the previous four seasons as the Giants' linebackers coach.

Spagnuolo's departure and the exodus of Burress, Toomer and Ward (signed by Tampa Bay as a free agent in March) are all potential hurdles standing in the way of a fourth playoff berth in five years for the G-Men, but this is a team that has proven in the past it can overcome adversity. New York was able to withstand the retirement of star running back Tiki Barber during its unforeseen march to a world championship in 2007, and hardly missed a beat during last year's regular season despite the over-the-summer defections of iconic defensive end Michael Strahan and bad-boy tight end Jeremy Shockey.

Below we take a capsule look at the 2009 edition of the New York Giants, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:

2008 RECORD: 12-4 (1st, NFC East)

LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2008, lost to Philadelphia, 23-11, in NFC Divisional Playoff

COACH (RECORD): Tom Coughlin (47-33 in five seasons with Giants, 115-93 overall)

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Kevin Gilbride

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Bill Sheridan

OFFENSIVE STAR: Eli Manning, QB (3238 passing yards, 21 TD, 10 INT)

DEFENSIVE STAR: Osi Umenyiora, DE (52 tackles, 13 sacks in 2007)

OFFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 1st rushing, 18th passing, 3rd scoring

DEFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 9th rushing, 8th passing, 5th scoring

KEY ADDITIONS: QB Rhett Bomar (5th Round, Sam Houston State), RB Andre Brown (4th Round, N.C. State), WR Hakeem Nicks (1st Round, North Carolina), WR Ramses Barden (3rd Round, Cal Poly), TE Travis Beckum (3rd Round, Wisconsin), T William Beatty (2nd Round, Connecticut), DT Rocky Bernard (from Seahawks), DL Chris Canty (from Cowboys), LB Michael Boley (from Falcons), LB Clint Sintim (2nd Round, Virginia), S C.C. Brown (from Texans)

KEY DEPARTURES: QB Anthony Wright (not tendered), RB Reuben Droughns (released), RB Derrick Ward (to Buccaneers), WR Plaxico Burress (released), WR Amani Toomer (to Chiefs), C Grey Ruegamer (not tendered), DE Renaldo Wynn (to Redskins), DE Jerome McDougle (not tendered), LB Rich Scanlon (not tendered), FS James Butler (to Rams), S Sammy Knight (released), CB Sam Madison (released), CB R.W. McQuarters (not tendered), K John Carney (to Saints)

QB: Although Manning's (3238 passing yards, 21 TD in '08) production waned late in the season as he encountered difficulty adjusting to the loss of preferred target Burress as well as the notoriously treacherous Meadowlands winds, the former No. 1 overall pick still had the best year of his highly- scrutinized and somewhat up-and-down career. The 28-year-old completed a personal-best 60.3 percent of his passes and his 10 interceptions during the regular season were half as many as the previous year. While he's come under fire at times for his accuracy and decision-making, the Giants have won 45 games (including playoffs) and reached the postseason three times in Manning's four full-time seasons under center. He's got a quality backup behind him in David Carr (115 passing yards, 2 TD), himself a top overall draft choice who seems to have adjusted well to a No. 2 role after failing to pan out as the Houston Texans' expected franchise signal-caller a few years back. The third quarterback job has been a preseason battle between rookie fifth-round choice Rhett Bomar and 2008 practice-squad member Andre Woodson, with neither having owned a decided edge midway through the exhibition slate.

RB: The Giants became the first team since the 1985 Cleveland Browns to have two running backs gain over 1,000 yards in a single year when Ward surpassed the milestone mark in the regular-season finale. The unheralded understudy wound up leaving for more money and opportunity with the Buccaneers, but general manager Jerry Reese still accomplished one of his main offseason goals by inking top rusher Jacobs (1089 rushing yards, 15 TD, 6 receptions) to a new four-year deal in February. The 27-year-old averaged five yards per carry for the second straight year in 2008 and is a demon near the goal line, but he's also missed eight games over the past two seasons with nagging injuries. The team let Ward walk because of the confidence it has in third-year man Ahmad Bradshaw (355 rushing yards, 5 receptions, 2 total TD), who's averaged over six yards an attempt in spot duty and made an important contribution during New York's Super Bowl march of 2007. Both he and third-stringer Danny Ware (15 rushing yards) have opened eyes in the preseason, while another potential alternative was added with the selection of former North Carolina State back Andre Brown in the fourth round of April's draft. Brown, however, will spend his rookie season on injured reserve after rupturing his Achilles' tendon in a camp practice. Hard-hitting fullback Madison Hedgecock (8 receptions) was named second-team All-Pro at season's end after consistently opening holes for the NFL's top-ranked rushing offense.

WR/TE: There's plenty of uncertainty at the wide receiver position but a fair amount of talent as well. New York has plucked a total of five wideouts in the first three rounds of the draft over the past four years, all of whom are on the current roster. And that group doesn't include Domenik Hixon (43 receptions, 2 TD), who averaged nearly 60 receiving yards per game after taking over Burress' split end spot late in the year and enters this season as a likely starter opposite third-year-pro Steve Smith (57 receptions), who claims Toomer's old flanker position after leading the team in catches out of the slot a year ago. The Giants used their first-round choice in this year's draft on North Carolina receiver Hakeem Nicks and had planned on him making an immediate impact in the passing game, but the former Tar Heel's progress has been slowed by a hamstring injury and he has yet to overtake returnees Sinorice Moss (12 receptions) and Mario Manningham (4 receptions) on the depth chart. Manningham has reportedly had the best camp of the group following a wasted rookie campaign, while Moss appears to be in line for an increased role as well after three mostly unproductive seasons. Also in the mix is rookie Ramses Barden, a raw but intriguing 6-foot-6, 225-pound specimen taken in the third round this past April. The addition of the newcomers could mean the end of the line for Super Bowl XLII hero David Tyree, who spent all of last year on injured reserve while recovering from knee surgery. Tight end Kevin Boss (33 receptions, 6 TD) led New York in touchdown catches in his first season as Shockey's replacement and could receive more targets from Manning this year due to the wideout's inexperience, and another possible future weapon was added in the draft with the third-round selection of Wisconsin's Travis Beckum. The athletic 22-year-old will start out competing with 2008 third- stringer Darcy Johnson (4 receptions, 2 TD) for playing time behind Boss and blocking specialist Michael Matthews (2 receptions).

OL: New York boasts arguably the best run-blocking line in football with the experienced five-man crew of center Shaun O'Hara, guards Chris Snee and Rich Seubert and tackles David Diehl and Kareem McKenzie. The physical unit paved the way for an offense that averaged 157.4 rushing yards per game and five yards per attempt last year, with both O'Hara and right guard Snee receiving overdue Pro Bowl nods at season's end. There's some concern on the edges, however, as left tackle Diehl is a converted guard who lacks the agility to be an elite pass protector and McKenzie played through chronic back issues on the right side. The club did select Connecticut tackle William Beatty in the second round of this year's draft as Diehl's possible heir apparent, but the rookie is still considered far away from being a regular contributor. Depth could be a major issue here, as top backup Kevin Boothe hasn't really impressed in limited in-season work and projected backup center Adam Koets is still learning the position after moving over from tackle. The Giants did sign journeyman Tutan Reyes, who owns 37 career starts in nine NFL seasons, prior to camp to add some experience to the reserve corps.

DL: The Giants may be thin across the offensive line, but that's hardly the case on the other side of the ball. With the return of Umenyiora, who delivered 13 sacks and five forced fumbles from his right end position in 2007, and the free-agent additions of Chris Canty (37 tackles, 3 sacks with Dallas) and Rocky Bernard (55 tackles, 4 sacks with Seattle), New York will be able to rotate an impressive collection of pass-rushers that should keep its members fresh and put opposing quarterbacks on their toes at all times. A defense that ranked sixth in the league with 42 sacks also has an All-Pro at the other end in premier disruptor Justin Tuck (67 tackles, 12 sacks, 1 INT) and another accomplished pressure-producer in Mathias Kiwanuka (51 tackles), who contributed a career-high eight quarterback takedowns filling in for Umenyiora. The 6-foot-7 Canty is slated to rotate with the capable Fred Robbins (36 tackles, 5.5 tackles), who's coming off offseason knee surgery, at one of the tackle spots and can also slide over to end on run downs. Bernard, a three-year starter with the Seahawks with 29 career sacks to his credit, figures to spell regular nose tackle Barry Cofield (43 tackles, 3 sacks), the line's best run-stopper, in passing situations. Tackle Jay Alford (15 tackles, 2.5 sacks) and end Dave Tollefson (19 tackles, 3.5 sacks) have also flashed pass-rushing skills in limited snaps, although Alford suffered a potentially serious knee injury in the preseason that will affect his availability for the real games.

LB: Reese made it a point to shore up this area as well through free agency, inking ex-Falcon Michael Boley (73 tackles, 1 INT) to a five-year deal to team up with veteran returnees Antonio Pierce (95 tackles, 1.5 sacks) and Danny Clark (70 tackles) and add a needed element of speed and playmaking ability to the linebacker contingent. The projected weakside starter will have to wait a bit to make his Giants' debut, however, as he'll miss at least the first week due to a league personal conduct policy violation and a torn hip flexor that caused the 27-year-old to miss training camp. Promising sophomore Bryan Kehl (35 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) will hold down Boley's job until the newcomer is ready to return. Middle linebacker Pierce managed to sidestep possible disciplinary action from the commissioner's office for being present during the Burress incident, so the defensive captain can concentrate solely on his duties as a signal-caller and key contributor to a unit that yielded a stout 95.8 rushing yards per game (8th overall) last season. Clark was serviceable in his first season with Big Blue and will be pushed on the strongside by 2009 second-round pick Clint Sintim, a University of Virginia product who ranked second in the ACC in sacks as a senior. Special teams stalwarts Chase Blackburn (61 tackles, 1 sack) and Zak DeOssie (12 tackles) are back to lend further help to what's become a pretty deep group.

DB: New York returns three of four starters in the defensive backfield, with strong safety James Butler joining Spagnuolo in St. Louis via free agency, and will have a much younger look after opting not to bring back aging cornerbacks Sam Madison and R.W. McQuarters and 33-year-old reserve safety Sammy Knight in the offseason. The secondary's standout in 2008 was Corey Webster (50 tackles, 3 INT, 24 PD), who turned in a banner season at one corner one year after temporarily losing his starting position due to shaky play. Counterpart Aaron Ross (52 tackles, 3 INT), however, saw his performance drop off some last year after putting together a very good season as a rookie first-round pick in 2007. Reese has done a fine job replenishing this area through the draft as of late, as 2008 first-round choice Kenny Phillips (67 tackles, 1 INT) showed range and athleticism in his first year and appears ready to take over for Butler, free safety Michael Johnson (72 tackles, 2 INT, 1 sack) was a seventh- round steal two years ago who's emerged as a sound starter, and second-year pro Terrell Thomas (45 tackles, 1 INT) made Madison expendable with his play as a nickel back. Fourth-year man Kevin Dockery (43 tackles, 1 INT) has also developed into a dependable player in the nickel and dime packages and is back to reprise that role, while one-time Texans starter C.C. Brown (15 tackles) was brought in to serve as the third safety.

SPECIAL TEAMS: The Giants got way more than they could ask for out of the ageless duo of kicker John Carney and punter Jeff Feagles, with the 44-year- old Karney making an astounding 35-of-38 field goal attempts as a substitute for ailing incumbent Lawrence Tynes and the now 43-year-old Feagles (44.0 avg.) making the Pro Bowl after finishing second in the NFC in net punting. The NFL's all-time leader in consecutive games played will be back for a 22nd season of pinning in the opposition, but Carney was not re-signed with Tynes, who was 23-for-27 on three-point tries in 2007, having received a new five- year deal prior to last season. DeOssie also earned a trip to Honolulu as a need player due to his ability to cover kicks and long-snap on punts. The versatile linebacker may be adding field-goal snapping to his resume with Alford, who's handled that chore the past two years, likely to miss at least the season's first few weeks. Hixon averaged a strong 10.1 yards per return taking back punts last season and is the team's best in that area, but he'll likely only be used in an emergency due to his responsibilities on offense. Bradshaw (22.2 avg.) and Ware are New York's primary kick return options, with Manningham and Moss having seen extensive time fielding punts in the preseason.

PROGNOSIS: The Giants' late-season meltdown in the wake of Burress' headline- grabbing brush with the law and the team's current unsettled state at the wide receiver position must be taken into consideration when analyzing Big Blue's prospects for 2009. It should also be noted, however, that New York has been a highly resilient group that has successfully dealt with seemingly-crippling player defections in the past, and the Giants' prowess on defense and in running the football ensures they'll be a handful for any opponent on Sundays. Unless Manning takes a further step forward and reliable options emerge in the passing game, this probably isn't a Super Bowl team, but it's still a good one that should again challenge for an NFC East title and a playoff berth.