The upstart underdog New York Giants versus the traditional heavyweight New England Patriots in a rematch of the dramatic 2007 Super Bowl. Could you want anything more?
The Super Bowl will be coming up in a few hours, so let’s take a last minute look at a position-by-position breakdown of each team.
Quarterbacks: Patriots advantage
Both teams have well known quarterbacks: Eli Manning for the Giants and Tom Brady for the Patriots.
While Eli Manning is a master of clutch situations and the two minute drill, Brady is the second best quarterback in the game today.
If the game goes down to the wire like it’s supposed to, both teams are in good hands.
Running Backs: Giants advantage
Since the main focus of both team’s game is the passing attack, the running backs are only a complement.
The Giants go with the duo of the quick Ahmad Bradshaw and bruising Brandon Jacobs, while the Pats use a committee of Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Kevin Faulk and Danny Woodhead.
Since the Patriots’ backfield is unpredictable, the Giants have the better running backs here.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: Giants advantage, only because Gronkowski is injured
The Giants’ Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz form one of the best wide receiver duos in all of football. The Patriots’ Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski form the most dominant tight end duo in the NFL with Wes Welker as a slot receiver.
These two groups are as contrasting as they get. Manning relies on his two big-time receivers while Brady’s main targets are two wide receivers stuck in tight ends’ bodies.
The game may hinge on whether Rob Gronkowski, who was spotted in a walking boot earlier this week, will be effective.
Offensive Line: Patriots advantage
The Giants offensive line struggles with opening holes in the run game but excels in pass protection. The Patriots offensive line features several Pro Bowlers and has been stellar throughout the year.
Defensive Line: Giants advantage
The Giants defensive line features stars like Chris Canty (who, by the way, has the coolest facemask in all of football), Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck. Their pass rush has been a problem for opposing offensive lines all year.
The Patriots also have a solid defensive line, with vastly underrated players like Mark Anderson and Kyle Love playing huge roles. Still, it isn’t close to as good as the Giants’ defensive line.
Linebackers: Patriots advantage by a slight margin
The late-season returns of linebackers Michael Boley (Giants) and Brandon Spikes (Patriots) have been key to both teams as both are the best linebackers on their respective teams.
Neither group is much better than the other, but the Patriots get a slight edge due to the aggressive play of Brandon Spikes.
Defensive Backs: Giants advantage
The Patriots’ defensive backs have been absolutely atrocious. Second year CB Devin McCourty has been repeatedly targeted after the Patriots switched to a press cover scheme. Kyle Arrington has seven interceptions, but that’s about the only good thing.
The Giants secondary hasn’t played great by any means but they’ve been far and away the better unit.
Final prediction
This should be a hard fought game, but I think that in the end, Eli Manning will lead the Giants to win this year’s Super Bowl.
Prediction: Giants 34, Patriots 27