Super Bowl Sunday

By Dan Rodgers

New York Giants vs. New England Patriots - The Rematch

We are less than two hours before kickoff of Super Bowl XLVI and Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski is officially active for the game, surprise-surprise...

This is the first Super Bowl in the history of the sport between two former Super Bowl MVPs. Tom Brady will try for the second time to join Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw as the only QBs to win the Super Bowl four times. This is also Brady's second try against the Giants (Super Bowl XLII).

New York offense:

The Giants' passing attack is just as explosive and difficult to defend as New England's; however, New York has a respectable running game that I expect them to utilize. I will be looking for Ahmad Bradshaw to have a big game because he is small, quick and elusive. He should be able to eclipse 100 total yards between rushing and receiving out of the backfield. If Brandon Jacobs doesn't start the game and show effectiveness, look for Coughlin to focus on Bradshaw. Jacobs is an incredible back when he runs downhill and straight ahead, but he is useless when he dances around and takes time on his cuts.

The Eli Manning-led passing attack is as good as any in the league because of the depth the Giants have at receiver. They lack a truly effective receiving tight end (unlike the Pats), but with Nicks, Cruz, Manningham and Bradshaw's ability out of the backfield, the Giants have numerous play-makers that New England's porous defense needs to account for today. Eli Manning has proved this season that he should be considered a top quarterback in the NFL, but he can cement his place as an elite QB with a victory.

New England offense:

The Pats are the same offensive team that they have been, with the exception of replacing Randy Moss with Rob Gronkowski. They rely on quick passes and timing. An effective way to get Brady out of his element is to get pressure with your four-man rush and clog the passing lanes by playing zone coverage. The Giants have one of the best defensive lines I've ever seen, and should be able to get pressure similar to that of Super Bowl XLII. However, unfortunately for the Giants, there might not be a better coach in the business at pregame planning and in-game adjustments than Bill Belichick. BB is even better when he gets to rematch a team he lost to earlier that season.

The Pats do an excellent job of using the pass to open up the run and are not afraid to rely on Ben-Jarvis Green-Ellis if he is finding running room. The Law Firm is a big back and he doesn't fumble, which makes him an excellent complement to a Belichick-coached team. The Giants can't over-compensate for the pass or Green-Ellis will run all over them.

Recap:

I think the Giants will get a formidable amount of pressure on Brady and cause some problems. I also think that even though New England has the worst defense in the NFL, Belichick will have them ready. A lot of people think this one is going way over the total (53.5), but remember the total of the game played earlier this season was only (44, all scored in the second half).

I said it earlier and I'll say it again, if the Giants make the Super Bowl - they'll win it. I will stick by that.

Prediction:
New York Giants 27 (+3) New England Patriots 23

Enjoy the final game of the NFL season.

Rodgers That

GO JETS!

I will not really write about this game. The Jets are +9 and I think they'll cover. Their keys to victory are to run the hell out of the ball and for Sanchez to not turn it over. Oh wait, everyone is saying that? Yeah, because everyone picks out the obvious stuff. The most important thing that needs to happen for the Jets to win: disrupt Brady's flow and timing. Don't allow him to take a three-step drop and release. Make him second guess himself.

The Jets can run and score all they want, but if the Pats aren't stopped it won't matter. Limit Brady's possessions like they did with Manning last week.

The Pats will look to force Sanchez into turnovers, stop the run and look for favorable matchups in the passing game. Rob Gronkowski figures to be a huge X-Factor for the Pats given his size and receiving ability. On the defensive side of the ball, Kyle Arrington is going to have to be a difference maker against the Jets passing offense. The Jets will look to expose him.

I would say the offensive factor for the Jets is Shonn Greene. He is a tough, physical runner that the Jets will need to rely on to pound the ball and wear down the New England defensive front. On defense the two things I'll be looking for are the non-existent pass rush and Antonio Cromartie's play. Cro is talking a lot and was exposed on a deep route against the Colts. The Jets will need to generate a pass rush without blitzing to more effectively throw Brady off of his game.