updated 8:14 a.m. ET Aug. 23, 2008

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Winning the Super Bowl didn’t remove the chip on the New York Giants’ shoulder. It just made it bigger.

Since their stunning win over the previously unbeaten New England Patriots in February, the players have paraded down the Canyon of Heroes in New York City, visited the White House and been handed the so-called “10-table” championship rings.

They have also heard from the doubters with a variety of theories on why they won’t repeat:

—There is the history theory. The Giants have failed to make the playoffs following each of their three previous Super Bowl appearances (1987, ’91 and 2001.)

—The missing in action theory. How can Eli Manning and company repeat following the retirement of seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan and the trade of disgruntled, four-time Pro Bowl tight end Jeremy Shockey to the New Orleans Saints?

—The one that upsets them the most is the fluke theory, which is self explanatory.

The Giants (14-6) were not the NFL’s best team until everything fell into place in the postseason, and they became only the sixth non-division winner to capture the title.

Think of everything that happened in January and February. There was the upset of the Cowboys in Dallas. The frigid win in Green Bay on Lawrence Tynes’ overtime field goal, and Eli’s great escape and David Tyree’s catch, setting up Plaxico Burress’ game-winning TD catch in the final minute of the title game.

“No one is giving us respect, and we like that,” said defensive end Justin Tuck, who has replaced Strahan in the starting lineup. “We’re still the quiet team lurking. That’s a perfect sign for me. Just the way we have attacked this camp. We’re not anywhere settled with our Super Bowl win.

“My saying is if you got 10 fingers, why not fill all of them?” Tuck said. “I’m not satisfied with one big ring. I want a few.”

Never satisfied is one of the sayings that Coughlin put on T-shirts that were given to players in the offseason.

“One thing I’ve been hearing is satisfied,” said middle linebacker Antonio Pierce, the odds-on-favorite to replace Strahan as the leader of the defense. “Are you satisfied you won a Super Bowl? If anybody’s satisfied, you’re crazy. I don’t think as players any of us are satisfied with our contracts, how we played, anything about us. When you get satisfied, that’s complacency, and in this league, those guys go so fast.”

With the exception of Shockey, Manning and the offense will return untouched.

The quarterback will have to continue the development that started in the final game of the regular season against New England and flourished in the playoffs, culminating in a Super Bowl MVP award.

Burress, who caught a career-high 12 touchdowns last season despite practicing fewer than 10 times because of an ankle injury, is hoping for a better season once a new problem with his right ankle is healed.

With this being a contract year for Brandon Jacobs, expect the big halfback to put up big numbers. He rushed for 1,009 yards even though he was limited to 11 regular-season games by injury. Backfield by committee will continue with Ahmad Bradshaw and Derrick Ward filling in for a team that really didn’t miss Tiki Barber last season.

General manager Jerry Reese also kept the offensive line together by signing tackle David Diehl and guards Chris Snee and Rich Seubert to long-term contracts.

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