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RSS FeedWho will win 2008 Super Bowl XLII: New England Patriots vs. New York Giants?
Results so far:
| Patriots | 52% | 67 votes | Total: 129 votes | |
| Giants | 48% | 62 votes |
Patriots
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Add to FavoritesThere is a certain buzz in the air here in NY, and people are feeling very confident in their team. They have impressed us all, and no one gave them the respect they deserved all year long. It was only a little more than a month ago when sports radio talk show hosts and callers were calling for Tom Coughlin's head. Now, just a few weeks later, I am hearing a lot more talk about a Giants win and it won't only be a Superbowl win, it will be a win that would keep the Patriots off the throne of immortals.
The Giants do have a chance, and the 12 points granted to them by Vegas might be enough to pick them in a bet, but I'm not sure about a win. The biggest thing going against the Giants is not the fact that they can't match up with the Patriots talent-wise, but the factor of play-off experience. For Tom cool and company, this is just another game. Another Superbowl. For the Giants, there will be butterflies, and perhaps not for people like Burress and Strahan, but definitely for little Manning.
Eli Manning is going to have to win this one on his own because the Patriots will be geared to stopping the run. Brandon Jacobs is probably the 2nd most valuable player on the Giants offense right now and will probably not be a factor in this game. No one stops the run better than the Pats and this will allow the big Patriots defense to put more pressure on Manning. Plaxico Burress will be double teamed in this game because the Patriots have a shutdown corner with Asante Samuel that will take care of the recent butter fingers of Amani Toomer. If Giants X-factor Kevin Boss can keep the Patriots pro bowl Safety Rodney Harrison busy all day, the Giants might find some space for the great Plaxico Burress. He deserves the title great for sure, he's been phenomenal all year.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Giants patented pass rush should and could be stifled by the brick wall of pro-bowlers protecting Tom Brady. I'll give the Giants a Sack, maybe two at most. But thats it. Tom cool will have all day to find choose amongst his arsenal of weapons. This means that the Giants are going to have to keep up offensively that might demand them to put up at least 28 points and that is no easy feat against the sure defense of the Patriots.
If the Giants do win, it will because of turnovers. The Patriots do not turn the ball over and if anyone could force some on them, then its the Giants who have the ability to possibly pressure Brady. Tom cool is only cool because of his awesome 0-line and its not easy to penetrate. The Giants and their notorious pass rushing machine led by Micheal Strahan and Osi Umenyora might squeak through. If the Giants win, it will be because of the front four and we all know that Tom Brady is human when he is pressured. Cornerback's Webster and Wilson are playing really well right now and might pick one out of Brady's hat if Brady is pressured.
The other shot the Giants have at keeping pace is with Special Teams. The Patriots do have a weak link, and its definitely on Special teams. The Giants could use a TD return in this game and will have to minimize turnovers for sure or the Patriots might cover the spread.
My prediction is an offensive game in the first half and a defensive game in the 2nd half. Patriots win 27-21.
Learn more about this author, Antonino Troy.
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Giants
Going into Super Bowl XLII, the New York Giants will be twelve to fourteen point underdogs. The New England Patriots are almost universally expected to run away with the game and cap off a perfect 19-0 season. But don't count the Giants out yet. They've got a fighting chance, and here's why.
DEFENSE. The Giant's defense has been stifling lately. In the NFC Championship game they shut down Brett Favre and a Green Bay offense that has been running up the scoreboard all season. Ryan Grant was a non-factor, as the Giants defense controlled Grant the entire game.
When the AFC Championship game was tight, and San Diego was shutting down Tom Brady, the Pats looked to Laurence Maroney and the ground game to win. San Diego proved that Brady is human and fallible. The Giants will be studying the tape of the AFC Championship intently to try to recreated the Charger's success. If the Giants can do that, and shut down Maroney like they did Grant, they can win.
WHERE IS MOSS? Randy Moss, who broke all kinds of records this season, has been practically non-existent in the playoffs. It seems that teams are finally figuring out how to control him. While this means more action for Wes Welker, who is certainly an excellent receiver, Welker is no Randy Moss.
BURRESS SHOULD BE HEALTHY. Giant's receiver Plaxico Burress has been plagued by injury all season, but he looks to be in full healthy and ready to go by Super Bowl time. The Giants will need great things out of him if they expect to compete with the Pats.
BABY MANNING IS PROVING HIS WORTH. While New Yorkers have been clamoring for Eli Manning's head for some time, he's finally proving he can compete at the highest level. There are a lot of people who owe Eli an apology. He's proven he can win in the playoffs (maybe big brother could use some pointers) and led his team to the Big Show. What more does a guy need to do?
SOMETHING TO PROVE. You could easily make an argument that the Patriots have "something to prove," as talk of an undefeated season started months ago. But it's the Giant who really have something to prove. They've been under-rated and disrespected most of the season. In the playoffs, few people gave them any chance of advancing to the Super Bowl, considering their path led through Dallas and Green Bay, the two toughest teams in the NFC. But again and again they have proven their critics wrong.
SHOCKEY IS (WAS) A LIABILITY. There's no question that Jeremy Shockey is a fantastic tight end. He can run, block, catch, and barrel over defenders. But Shockey is a notorious hot head. He's constantly screaming and drawing attention to himself, which can be a distraction. Some sports analysts would argue that Shockey brings a healthy intensity to the game. I would argue that his attitude is a deterrent to his team. Instead of getting his team fired up, I think Shockey's over-zealous antics take his teammates' heads out of the game. Simply look a their record since they lost Shockey. The Giants are a different team without him, and it's for the better.
AWAY IS THEIR GAME. The Giants have been playing lights-out on the road. They are 9-1 in their last ten away games.
Few people give the Giants more than a miracle's chance of winning Super Bowl XLII. But they almost beat the Pats once already this season, and with the level of football they are playing now, they might just stun a lot of people on Super Bowl Sunday.
Learn more about this author, Sean Curtis.
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