Super Bowl Head-2-Head

Written by Lucky Lester on January, 29th 2008 | 0 Comments

Super Bowl XLII Match-up

The Super Bowl is set, and the Giants will play the New England Patriots in Phoenix, Arizona on February 3rd. This article will present some of the big play players in which the game will rely on. I’ll break down key positions and who has the advantage going into the game.

New York Giants @ New England Patriots
Line: Giants (+12) @ Patriots (-12) O/U 53.5
Time: 2/3/2008 6:30pm EST on FOX

Quarterback: Tom Brady and Eli Manning shouldn’t be compared, with all fairness to Eli Manning, there’s no reason to make the guy look like a chump. However, I don’t mind doing that, so I’ll go ahead and compare the two. Tom Brady has 3 Super Bowl rings, and a couple Super Bowl MVPs. Eli Manning will be playing in his first Super Bowl. Tom came from the 6th round and surprised the world. Eli is Peyton’s little brother and Archie’s son, was picked 1st overall, but didn’t want to play in San Diego so he was traded to New York. Tom accrued the single season touchdown record this year by throwing 50 touchdowns. Eli led the league in interceptions, and threw less than half as many touchdowns as Brady. Brady was 1st in the league in passer rating, Eli was 25th. Tom Brady was 1st in the league in passing yards, Eli Manning was 12th. I could do this all day, but as you can see, the Patriots have the advantage here. However, Eli has played well in the playoffs, having yet to throw an interception while tossing 4 touchdowns in 3 games. But, Tom Brady has the better QB rating (only by 6 points) has thrown 5 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. The Pats have the advantage, sure, but is that advantage smaller or bigger than we think? Don’t believe the Eli hype, the advantage is bigger!

Running Back: Brandon Jacobs has 155 rushing yards and 4 total touchdowns in 3 playoff games. His backup, Ahmad Bradshaw, has more yards (164) on less carries (9 less), and has been getting the touches late in games. Together, they average a little more than 100 yards a game on the ground. Jacobs missed 5 games during the season and played sparingly in two others because of injury, but still broke the 1000 yard mark. However, he rushed for more than 85 yards 7 times during the year, breaking 100 five different times. Jacobs scored 6 total touchdowns during the season and has at least 1 in each of the teams’ 3 playoff games.

Laurence Maroney has been outstanding in the playoffs, rushing for 244 yards in two games (122 per game) with two touchdowns. He has been the workhorse that many expected him to be during the regular season. Over his last 5 games, he’s rushed over 100 yards four times, and has scored 6 touchdowns on the ground. The Patriots also have this guy named Kevin Faulk. Kevin always seems to play big in the playoffs, and has 13 receptions for 118 yards in the teams’ two postseason games. I’m giving the nod to the Patriots here, but just by a little bit. I think Maroney is one of the best running backs in the league, but he’ll have to have a big game to prove it to me.

Receiver: Randy Moss had a magical season. After everyone and their mother predicted moss to score double digit touchdowns but fail to be a focus of this offense, the guy blew up. He passed Jerry Rice’s single season touchdown record, and even when he’s not getting the ball, he’s taking defenders out of the play and opening up the field for his teammates. Randy has just two catches in two playoff games, but his presence has been felt. He’s not the only star in this receiving corps. Wes Welker led the league with 112 receptions, and is 2nd with 16 grabs in the postseason, despite playing one less game than any of the other receivers in the Top 5. Welker has taken full advantage of all the single coverage he sees with Moss getting much of the defense’s attention. Donte Stallworth makes big plays when needed, while Ben Watson is always a threat in the red zone.

For the Giants, Plaxico Burress is definitely their go-to-guy. Plax had a big year scoring touchdowns, as he finished the regular season tied for 4th in the league with 12 receiving touchdowns. Plax fought through injuries and played in every single game this season. He had 70 grabs and just over 1000 yards, not great, but decent numbers. Amani Toomer had a down year, but has really turned it on in the playoffs. Toomer leads playoff receivers with 3 touchdowns. He also has 15 catches for 196 yards. Steve Smith, from USC, has also stepped up in the postseason, having caught 9 balls for 102 yards thus far. Kevin Boss has been an admirable fill-in for the injured Jeremy Shockey. In fact, he hasn’t dropped any passes, so I’d say that’s at least a straight up trade. I have to give the nod to the Patriots despite what Plaxico thinks about the matter. Randy Moss is the most feared wide receiver in the game, and the intangibles, with Welker and Faulk, also go to the Pats. Both have solid groups, though.

Offensive Line: Both of these groups are very, very good. For the most part, they keep their quarterbacks on their feet, and give them plenty of time to throw the ball. With the strength of each defense being pressure, each offensive line is in for a big time match-up on Sunday. I think this area is a toss up. The Giants have shown that they can put anybody behind them to run the ball, and he will be successful. Ward, Jacobs, Bradshaw - all have been great. However, the Patriots linemen have pass blocked flawlessly for their fearless leader and have produced ground totals whenever they’ve been asked to do so. It’s not a coincidence that two of the best offensive lines in football will meet in the Super Bowl.

Defense: These teams have two pretty darn good defenses. I know the Patriots ranked out higher, and have some pretty big name guys that have won their fair share of Super Bowls, but I’m having trouble not giving the nod to the Giants, at least of late. Matt Light, Asante Samuel, Adalius Thomas, Richard Seymour, Vincent Wilfork, Rodney Harrison, Mike Vrabel, and Junior Seau (among others) give the Patriots an awesome group of talented players that have been dominate in this league. However, Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, and Justin Tuck form one of the most productive pass rushing front lines the NFL has seen in years. All have 9 or more sacks, and all need to be accounted for with special attention, making it very tough for blocking assignments. Antonio Pierce is playing like a linebacker possessed, and Gibril Wilson has been a tackling machine in the secondary. In 3 games, I haven’t seen many open spaces in that secondary, and if Tom Brady’s not on his game, they could make some game changing plays back there. The only thing leaning me back toward the Patriots D is their will to win and make the big play. All season long, they have made that important stop. They have forced a punt after a big tackle on 3rd down, they have intercepted a ball deep in their zone to seal the victory, and they have forced field goals instead of giving up touchdowns. The Giants have been great as of late, but the intangibles give the Patriots a nod on defense.

Conclusion: As you can see, like everyone else, I’m giving the Patriots the advantage in every single key area. But that doesn’t mean they’re a sure thing or anything like that. This is one game, for all the marbles, and in that situation; anything can happen.

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