Here’s what we know. Despite both teams going to the Super Bowl with Tom Coughlin, Eli Manning, Bill Belichick, and Tom Brady as they did in 2008, the two teams are far from what they were 4 years ago. The Giants now have Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, and Victor Cruz; these three form a young group of receivers who are fully capable of being game changers.
The Patriots 2007-2008 offensive dream team, Brady and Moss, is no more; although the Patriots still have a threatening offensive game, they’re missing the intimidating passing-touchdown offense they had in Super Bowl XLII.
And let’s not forget about the Giant’s menacing defensive line. Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Jason Pierre-Paul , and Chris Canty are a force to be reckoned with.
Then, of course, is the regular season. The Patriots won 10 consecutive games in a weak AFC season. Sure, they went on to defeat the Ravens, a team with a winning record, but just barely in a 27-24 win. The Giants’ defeat of the Patriots in the last game of the regular season is game Patriots’ fans are praying isn’t an indication of the upcoming game; in the last three minutes, Manning threw two touchdown passes.
Vegas is all-in for a Patriots win, but the Giants may just go down in NFL history as the first team to finish the regular season with a 9-7 record and win the Super Bowl.
We can throw around stats and previous game outcomes all we want, but waiting and speculating is all we can do until Sunday. In football, all that we know can easily be thrown out the window because anything can happen, and that is what makes it so great.
Allison Dean is a guest writer bringing to us information on Super Bowl XLVI.
Allison also writes about medical malpractice lawyers.
