EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -The New York Giants had all the pieces in place to repeat as Super Bowl champions except one: Plaxico Burress.
It's not a coincidence that the season-ending suspension of the talented but troubled receiver in December after he accidentally shot himself in the thigh can be tied directly to the Giants' late-season swoon.
New York lost four of its final five games, including a 23-11 decision to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC semifinal Sunday.
While Burress arguably might have to compete with quarterback Eli Manning and halfback Brandon Jacobs for the team's best offensive player, there's no doubt his absence changed the Giants' dynamic down the stretch.
Burress was the player who made opposing defenses adjust. Teams had to play a safety deep to protect against his deep-ball threat, and the Giants had no one to replace him.
Even Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson said gameplanning for the Giants was easier without Burress to worry about.
"I've said this before guys, Plax has a presence out there, and has an uncommon skill set, and you just don't replace that," Giants general manager Jerry Reese said Monday, hours after the players met with the coaching staff and cleaned out their lockers.
"We made some adjustments, but we didn't play well enough last night," Reese said. "Obviously, Plax gives you a presence out there. We didn't get it done."
When Burress was on the team, the Giants went 11-1 and looked very capable of repeating. Without him, they were a very good team missing a key component.
The Giants simply didn't get it done in December and January. They beat Carolina in the next-to-last game of the regular season to win home-field advantage, but also lost twice to Philadelphia in that span, with the offense scoring only 16 points in eight quarters.
After Burress was suspended, Manning threw three touchdown passes in five games. He had 20 in the first 12.
The nucleus is still there for another good season next year, but Burress' future both on and off the field is uncertain.
He faces charges of criminal possession of a weapon relating to the shooting, which could result in a prison sentence of 3 1/2 to 15 years if he's convicted. The 31-year-old who caught the winning pass in the Super Bowl is due back in court March 31.
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