The New York Giants enjoyed one of their most successful seasons in recent memory. A combination of strong defense and timely plays from their playmakers can mainly be attributed to their success but it didn’t come without a few surprises.

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Here are the top five surprises from the 2016 season:

Landon Collins’ historic leap

The Giants knew when they drafted Collins in the second round in 2015 that he would be an immediate contributor but also that he would need time to develop. What they didn’t expect was the incredible second-year leap he made in 2016.

Collins was one of the biggest reasons why the Giants defense was so strong and earned the second highest Pro Football Focus grade among all safeties in 2016. It was truly a breakout season for the Alabama product.

Defensive turnaround

Like Collins, the defense as a whole made a massive turnaround, going from one of the worst defenses in the league to one of the best. The Giants went from dead last in total yards allowed per game (420.3) to 10th in the NFL (339.7) in just one season.

The Giants made improvements in stopping the run and the pass. The improved defensive line had a lot to do with the success of the unit as a whole, especially when it came to stopping the run.

Offense took a step back

Not all of the surprises were good as the offense took a major step back. The Giants offense went from eighth in the NFL in total yards per game (372.3) to 25th (330.7). They also averaged almost seven less points per game in 2016 than they had the previous season.

There are many parts to blame for the lack of success. From play calling to personnel to the execution of plays, the Giants unit struggled mightily at times and it will be an area that the organization will look to improve for 2017.

Jason Pierre-Paul returned to form

There were many questions surrounding Pierre-Paul’s situation heading into 2016. It was unclear what type of player he would be after the fireworks incident but he left little doubt when the season was over.

Even though he only played in 12 games, the veteran defensive end proved that he can still be a major force on the defensive line. He recorded 7.5 sacks and was a huge factor in stopping the run.

Giants only team to beat Dallas Cowboys twice

Simply looking at the sheer domination of the Cowboys in 2016 makes the Giants two wins against them even greater. After beating them in the regular season opener, they proved it was no fluke and beat them again in Week 14.

At one point in the season, the Giants were the Cowboys kryptonite and had they met in the playoffs for a third time, it would have been an intriguing matchup.