The moment is finally near; the New York Giants and the New England Patriots are about to square off in Super Bowl XLVI. The NFC champion Giants qualified for this Super Bowl matchup by disposing of the San Francisco 49ers in overtime two weeks ago. Earlier that same day, the AFC champion Patriots squeaked by the Baltimore Ravens to earn the right to play the Giants. Since then there has been a lot of talk and hype but now it's time to get to the action.
The Giants are 2.5 point underdogs but you wouldn't know it based on all of the talk for the past two weeks. A lot of people have bought in on the Giants who have been red hot, knocking out the top two seeds in the NFC on its way to the Super Bowl. Based on what we have seen over the last month, the Giants definitely look better on the field than the Patriots. The Giants also had a gutsy win against the Patriots this season in Foxboro. Everyone's favorite quarterback for the moment Eli Manning made some timely completions in that game (and in the playoffs) and some wonder if he's even better than Tom Brady. The Patriots' defense has not been that good this season and most expect the Giants talented passing game to take advantage. As I've mentioned before, the key to disrupting the Giants offense is getting in Eli's face and getting him to the ground. I fully expect Bill Belichick to come up with all kinds of blitzes that the Giants have not seen on film. But will they get to him in time? A good running game by the more than capable Giants backfield could be key to offsetting constant pressure. On the other side of the ball, the Patriots offense must exploit the weakness of the Giants team: its secondary. I could be wrong but I don't expect much out of the Patriots run game. Brady is going to have to shoulder the load and make plays. Obviously plays will be there for Brady if he has time to throw. Creative screen plays and some quick passes can frustrate the Giants rush and help to expose the secondary to bigger plays down the line. I think some people have forgotten that the Patriots offense can be explosive; they will need to open it up and get that Giants secondary involved.
I am going against the grain and picking the Patriots to "upset" the Giants. Belichick & company will come up with the schemes on offense and defense to win their fourth championship. The Giants have made me look awful throughout the whole playoffs as I have repeatedly discussed the "stinker" (game) they still have in their back pocket. They have one more chance to shut me up again.
As much as I hate to, I see the Giants winning this.. they've the most dangerous team in the playoffs. Only way to beat the Giants, DO NOT COMMIT TURNOVERS....
ReplyDeleteI certainly would not be surprised if the Giants won especially since they have been rolling lately. But I don't think we can dismiss the pats so quickly. They are still a powerful team.
DeleteCan't dismiss the Pats at all.. their defense pulled some major weight against Baltimore. They'll need to play above their heads if they're going to stop the Giants receiving corps..
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ReplyDeleteAgreed - but as you know (I've been screaming all playoffs) they must knock Eli down and get in his face. If he gets time to throw against that defense, we're going to see a 40 or 50 burger by the Giants.
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