This one is a tough call.
I want to pick the Giants, I really do. Overall, from an offensive, defensive, and special teams point of view they're the better team. But then I keep going back to one question that keeps me from committing to them:
Does Tom Brady lose again?
Does lightning really strike twice on one of the greatest QB's the game has ever seen?
Does the Coughlin/Manning duo really beat the Belichick/Brady duo again?
Okay, more than one. But before the pick, lets break this thing down a little bit, because honestly people, I'm torn here!
GAME BREAKDOWN:
Patriots offense vs Giants defense: Purely based on statistics, the Patriots own the edge here. Boasting the league's 2nd ranked offense led by Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, the Pats have been a matchup nightmare for teams all season. However, the latter part of that duo is a big, scratch that, HUGE question mark in this game due to his ailing ankle, and with "Gronk" limited Brady will rely heavily on Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez. While the Giants defense has carried them into the Super Bowl, especially over the last six weeks, I still know better than to pick against Tom Brady. EDGE-- Patriots
Giants offense vs Patriots defense: Eli Manning is elite, why this is still an argument is beyond me. The kid's already got one ring and by midnight tonight he could have two. He has weapons all around him in Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, and Mario Manningham, and he has one thing Tom Brady doesn't, a running game. With two viable backs behind him in Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, and elite receivers all around him, Eli Manning should have a field day against the league's 31st ranked defense, or in other words second to last ranked defense. EDGE-- Giants
Player to watch, New England: I'm going to give you two players here, Matt Light and Nate Solder. These two will be tasked with containing two of the best defensive linemen in the game in Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul, and how well contained those two are could very well dictate the outcome. If Tom Brady comes out of the game with a relatively clean jersey then he'll be coming out a winner, but that's a BIG if. Solder, a rookie, will be playing in his first Super Bowl, while Light is playing in his fifth, so I expect the Giants to go after Solder a majority of the time, and the rookie must protect Brady if the Pats want a chance at winning this thing.
Player to watch, New York: Jake Ballard. Unconventional, yes, but hear me out. Ballard, a rookie tight end out of Ohio State, came on strong in the middle of the season, finishing with 38 catches, 604 yards, and 4 touchdowns. However, he's been a virtual non-factor throughout the playoffs, culminating in a zero catch performance in the NFC championship two weeks ago. I expect a bulk of the attention to go on the big three for the Giants- Cruz, Nicks, and Manningham, and Ballard could easily get overlooked in tight situations. Call it a hunch, but my guess is you'll hear this kids name more than once before this thing is said and done.
P-R-E-D-I-C-T-I-O-N
So, as the headline states, the winner of Super Bowl XLVI will be..
Yes, as much as it pains me to my very core to say it, I'm going to give the Patriots a slight, slight edge this time around, 27-24. My head screams out Giants, but my gut tells me that Tom Brady won't lose again. I hope I'm wrong, I really do!
But Tom Brady can't lose again...
Right?
Should have listened to your head!
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