SUPER BOWL XLII: Don’t Talk, Just Play

If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time then surely you know I am a lifelong New York Giants fan. This is the fourth time I will witness my Gmen playing for the championship. We won Super Bowl XXI in 1986-87 over the Denver Broncos 39-20, then XXV in 1990-91 over the Buffalo Bills 20-19. Ten years later, we lost Super Bowl XXXV to the powerful Baltimore Ravens 34-7. A win on Sunday would take our wining percentage to .750; a loss drops us to .500.

The New England Patriots are a machine that has steamrolled all comers this year on the way to an undefeated 18-0 record. All the prognosticators have or will pick them and logically so.

Only three teams gave them a real scare this year. Philadelphia played physical but fell short 31-28 in Week 12. The following week the Ravens utilized the same game plan, before coming yards short of a winning score on the last play of a 27-24 loss. The final week of the regular season, in the game many feel re-shaped the attitude of the Giants going into the post season, New York put it all on the line but fell 38-35.

Three teams, all employing a very physical strategy, nearly broke the Patriots unbeaten streak, all of them losing by just three points. The Giants are the only team that will get a second chance.

It won’t be easy to defeat New England. They play 60 minutes of near error-free football every week. Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker and the rest of their offense can move the ball and score seemingly at will. In the post season, they seemed to lull opponents into a false sense of confidence before storming back for a victory.

Their defense, while older, is also quite experienced. They’ve been here before and won’t fall victim to any Super Bowl rookie missteps. They force opponents into mistakes and then capitalize on them.

To beat the New England Patriots, you have to not turn the ball over, monopolize the clock to keep their offense off the field and score touchdowns not field goals. The 2:1 time of possession the Giants held over Green Bay will need to be repeated. The defense must pressure Brady and put him on the turf. If there really is anything to those ankle sprain rumors, they need to test his mobility.

All the pressure is really on New England. They are expected to win and would face the ultimate humiliation should they lose. A 19-0 record with a Super Bowl trophy at the end is a great accomplishment. An 18-1 record is a waste of a good season.

I am 7-3 in my post season predictions. Even if I’m wrong, I finish in the win column. My pick is in bold.

Sunday, February 3, 2008

SUPER BOWL XLII
Phoenix, AZ

New York vs New England (6:00 PM ET FOX)