As has happened a few times this postseason, the Superbowl sees one of the best defences in the league up against one of the very best quarterbacks the league has ever seen. So far, the defences have come out on top, so can Brady & Co stop the Giants to claim a 4th Superbowl since 2001?
I defy anyone to claim that they saw this match-up coming, even deep into the regular season. After week 12, neither team could be regarded as Superbowl material, especially the Giants.
Head coach Tom Coughlin had been coming under fire after the Giants went 6-6 after week 12 in a very tight NFC East division. Fast forward to now and the Giants are one of the most rounded and balanced teams in the NFL on a 5 game streak coming into the game in Indianapolis. That streak started after narrowly losing to the Packers in week 16 at Meadowlands 38-35. That game did two things: It showed the defensive vulnerabilities of the Packers, but also signs from the Giants that they could mix it with the best.
In Eli Manning, they have one of the best quarterbacks outside of the 'top 4' (Brady, Rodgers, Brees & brother Peyton Manning) and certainly the best of the remaining bunch that have stayed fit all year. The irony isn't lost on NFL fans that Eli will be leading his team out for the first Superbowl to be hosted in Indianapolis, the home of his elder brother and rival QB Peyton and the Colts.
It's generally recognised that Peyton is the superior quarterback, and certainly the more consistent, but to many, quarterbacks are ultimately judged on how many Superbowl rings they get. So far, both Eli and Peyton have one apiece. If Eli wins on February 5th, in many peoples eyes, that will promote him to being the top Manning quarterback.
I've had this very debate a couple of times over the last week that rings reflect the overall quality of a quarterback. If Eli does get a second, can he really be considered a better QB than Dan Marino, Brett Favre and Ben Roethlisberger who each have one? I'm not so sure.
Tom Brady doesn't need any such justification. Already the owner of 3 Superbowl rings, Brady is looking to win a record equalling fourth to sit in the rarefied atmosphere alongside Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw. Let us not forget that Brady will be motivated to exact the misery he suffered at the hands of the Giants at Superbowl XLII. He claims he still hasn't watched that game back.
Tom Brady is going for his 4th Superbowl ring
Many would argue that the New England Patriots team going into this years Superbowl aren't the force they were in 2008. They don't have the wide receivers they had then to provide the options for Brady that allows his game management to flourish. In Rob Gronkowski, they do have a tight end that has broken the mould this season, scoring more TD's than any other tight end in NFL history. If the Giants can close him down, the Patriots' attacking options suddenly look sparse.
For the Giants, Manning has a little more to aim at. In Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks, Eli has 3 guys that have improved immeasurably over the course of the season. The Nicks/Cruz combination has really started to click and has given headaches to the best defences in the post season. On the other side of the ball, they also have Jason Pierre-Paul, the one-man offensive play wrecking ball who always rises to the occasion.
In many ways, Superbowl XLVI is too close to call. As has happened a few times already in the postseason, both sides may have to depend on their special teams to get an edge on the other. Whatever happens, it promises to be an epic battle. It was a close contest when they met earlier in the regular season, and I expect nothing less this time around.
Ultimately, I fancy the Patriots just because of the impetus they will have following the defeat in '08 which saw the Giants put an end to the perfect season. Brady is too wise and too good for that kind of thing to happen to him twice.
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