The Super Bowl XLVI Thread

[Megatron]

The NFL's biggest game of the season is finally set, and we will get a rematch of a game from 4 years ago in Super Bowl XLII. Yes, it's Pats v. Giants, part dos. Use this thread to give your general thoughts on the game, etc.

I'll also provide some questions throughout the 2 weeks for you all to ponder. Here's the first few off my head:

1. Which team do you think was luckier from their oppositions mistakes in the title game, the Pats with the Evans drop/Cundiff miss or the G-Men with the 2 Kyle Williams fumbled punt returns?
2. Would a 4th ring establish Brady as one of the top 2 QBs of all time?
3. Would a 2nd ring establish Manning as a top 4 current QB and put him in the same breath as his brother?
4. Which element will cause the opponent more fits - the Giants pass rush or the Patriots 2 TE's Gronkowski and Hernandez?

 

[Big Sexy]

This is the last match up I wanted to see. I can see the tag line now: "A rematch 4 years in the making. Sure the Patriots no longer have Randy Moss and they can't play defense. Sure the Giants defense isn't quite as good and their running game is non existent. But you should watch anyway."

Both qb's can certainly further their legacies with victories but I don't know if it will drastically change anything. I already see Brady as a top 2 or 3 qb all time and I already think Eli is probably a top 5 qb in the NFL right now. It should still be a fun game and I'm sure ratings will be through the roof especially with the NY and Boston markets being in the game but I'm a little underwhelmed by it.

 

[newc868]

1. Which team do you think was luckier from their oppositions mistakes in the title game, the Pats with the Evans drop/Cundiff miss or the G-Men with the 2 Kyle Williams fumbled punt returns?

I'd say they were equal. Williams' 2nd fumble was a great D play and Evans drop was caused by good DB pressure. The missed kick was all Baltimore's fault as they had the T.O but Cundiff looked rushed beyond belief. IIRC he lined up with 7 seconds left on the play clock. Not long enough.

Williams just messed up the first punt and I believe that was a factor in the 2nd drop.

2. Would a 4th ring establish Brady as one of the top 2 QBs of all time?

He'd have to be up there but he has a lot to be thankful for with the defensive line showing like it has these past two weeks.

3. Would a 2nd ring establish Manning as a top 4 current QB and put him in the same breath as his brother?

It would solidify his 'Eli-te' status but I think he's a different beast from his brother. Peyton is the passing juggernaut and mastermind tactician. Eli is the plucky, gutsy young brother who plays great in the clutch. He'll have the trophies, while Peyton has the banners with his stats on them.

4. Which element will cause the opponent more fits - the Giants pass rush or the Patriots 2 TE's Gronkowski and Hernandez?[/QUOTE]

Gronkowski and Hernandez. How we'll stop Gronk and this TE/RB combo I'm not sure and I sure as hell want to find out.

Should be an absolute cracker of a game. I'm looking forward to it immensely!

 

[Mr. HD]

1. Which team do you think was luckier from their oppositions mistakes in the title game, the Pats with the Evans drop/Cundiff miss or the G-Men with the 2 Kyle Williams fumbled punt returns?

I'd say they were equal too. The Ravens messed up twice at the end of the game. The play right before the missed FG, Evans had the game winning TD right in his hands! He only needed to hold on, but the ball was knocked from his arms and landed out of bounds. That could've pretty much won the game for The Ravens. Then, there was the Missed FG.

Kyle Williams pretty much handed The Giants the game. He touches the ball on a punt and gives the Giants 7 points. If he doesn't touch it, SF keeps the 17-10 lead and I don't think The Giants would've been able to score down the stretch. Then, when the score was tied, Bradshaw clearly fumbled the ball in SF Territory, but the refs blew the whistle early, but Bradshaw was continuing the progress, but I digress. And then in OT, instead calling for a fair catch, Mr. NOT Tedd Ginn fumbles ans gives The Giants the ball in their own territory. The Giants flat out got lucky.


2. Would a 4th ring establish Brady as one of the top 2 QBs of all time?

As much as I hate to say, it would have to be. Brady did more with less back when he won those 3 rings and winning now would put him up there, maybe even above Montana.


3. Would a 2nd ring establish Manning as a top 4 current QB and put him in the same breath as his brother?

Eli is already in my Top 5, he proved that in the Green Bay game. I'll give him that one. But I will NOT put him in the same breath with Peyton. I can go on forever as to why I won't but that's another rant, for another time. Even with two rings, I don't think he's better than Peyton. He's really good, I'm not gonna say he's mediocre. He's good, just not as good as his Brother.


4. Which element will cause the opponent more fits - the Giants pass rush or the Patriots 2 TE's Gronkowski and Hernandez?

I say Gronk and Hernandez. Gronk is damn near uncoverable. He can work the middle of the field, muscle through a corner, out speed a Linebacker, and even get past a Safety if need be. He can even throw out some good blocks. You really need to double cover the dude. But then there's Hernandez. He's almost like Gronk, but faster. Those tight ends are extremely hard matchups to prepare for.

I hope Brady and His Boyz put the beatdown on The Giants. I can already see the Tyree play being shown on Sports Center every day leading up to the game. Sheesh. Still should be a good game tho.

 

[Goliath Uterus]

2. Would a 4th ring establish Brady as one of the top 2 QBs of all time?

He would best the best QB, and quite possibly player of all time. Another win for Brady and co. would cement this current regiment as one of the best dynastys of all time.

3. Would a 2nd ring establish Manning as a top 4 current QB and put him in the same breath as his brother?

Yes, especially if he has a really good game. Another super bowl MVP would certainly put him right up there with Peyton, his run in the playoffs kinda reminds me of Dirk's play in the NBA playoffs last year....


4. Which element will cause the opponent more fits - the Giants pass rush or the Patriots 2 TE's Gronkowski and Hernandez?

The TE's, but mainly just because of Mr. Brady. I think he'll have a huge game and they'll win convincingly. 27-17, Pats.

 

[Davi323]

1. Which team do you think was luckier from their oppositions mistakes in the title game, the Pats with the Evans drop/Cundiff miss or the G-Men with the 2 Kyle Williams fumbled punt returns?

I am going to say the Patriots. If Evans makes that catch, there were 22 seconds left in the game. Yes, the Patriots could have gotten a great return and still won the game, but with 22 seconds left, the odds are not good. The Giants benefited directly from that fumble, but that was as much the GOOD play of the Giants special teams as it was a mistake by Williams. In that, I hesitate to call the fumble a lucky break, since the Giants special teams play caused it to happen.

2. Would a 4th ring establish Brady as one of the top 2 QBs of all time?

Some people would say that Brady is already one of the top 2 QBs of all time...But, a 4th Super Bowl ring, this far after the last one, would mean that he won the Super Bowl with almost a completely different team than he did early on. To me, that is a significant thing to notice. If he wins, you can't say that he was just a member of a great team for a brief period of time. 4 Super Bowl victories in 5 appearances definitely wouldn't hurt his argument any. If he isn't already either #1 or #2, he is pretty damn close. Add another ring, and I think it would be almost guaranteed.

3. Would a 2nd ring establish Manning as a top 4 current QB and put him in the same breath as his brother?

Top 4? Maybe, maybe not. It depends on if Peyton Manning is healthy or not. If you were starting a team from scratch, and could take any QB you wanted, even with a 2nd ring, Eli would certainly not be chosen over Brady, Brees, Rodgers or a healthy Peyton. That would put him no higher than #5. However, if Peyton is done, for that 4th pick you would have to choose from Eli, Stafford, Rivers, Roethlisberger and Romo, hell maybe some might even take Cam Newton. Some would take Eli for that 4th spot, some wouldn't. Eli as a top 4 QB is largely going to depend on who is formulating the list, and what they look for in a QB. I don't think he will ever have the same career as Peyton did, rings or not. Peyton is the best pure passers the NFL has ever seen. Eli is a very good QB, Peyton is an all-time great.

4. Which element will cause the opponent more fits - the Giants pass rush or the Patriots 2 TE's Gronkowski and Hernandez?[/QUOTE]

Just on gut feelings, I would be more scared of Gronkowski and Hernandez, for the simple reason that they do stuff TEs just aren't supposed to do. Makes them hard to plan against. The Giants pass rush is playing very well, but Brady is so quick to get rid of the ball most of the time, I just don't know how effective they are going to be if the Patriots give Brady short options to pass to if he gets in trouble.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

1. Which team do you think was luckier from their oppositions mistakes in the title game, the Pats with the Evans drop/Cundiff miss or the G-Men with the 2 Kyle Williams fumbled punt returns?

Easily the Giants were the luckier of the bunch. Not saying the Pat's weren't lucky but Kyle Williams served the Giants win on a silver platter, IN OVERTIME no less. The Pat's probably would have won anyways but mistakes literally cost the 49er's a trip to the Super Bowl. If those 2 mistakes by Williams didn't happen then the Giant's wouldn't have won. I'm not surprised, I niner's mistakes were gonna be the difference maker after watching their win against the Saints.

2. Would a 4th ring establish Brady as one of the top 2 QBs of all time?

Brady has been playing in the league for about 11 seasons and has been to the big dance 5 times (3 wins, 1 loss and 1 pending). I think his spot as one of the greatest of all time is set in stone. Another win though will put him in the same category as Montana no question about it. Brady is always someone you want on your side and personally I think he is the closest to come to Joe than any other quarterback in history.

3. Would a 2nd ring establish Manning as a top 4 current QB and put him in the same breath as his brother?

I'm not sure about a top 4 quarterback as there is a lot of solid quarterbacks in the league currently (Brady, Brees, Peyton, Rogers) but possibly. Being a top 4 quarterback really depends on the season and I didn't think Eli was in the top 4 this year. If Dallas knew how to put away teams he wouldn't have been in the playoffs period. The Giants may be in the Super Bowl but they were damn lucky they were in the playoffs at all.

4. Which element will cause the opponent more fits - the Giants pass rush or the Patriots 2 TE's Gronkowski and Hernandez?

This is a tough one but I think the Giants pass rush is gonna cause the Pat's a lot of problems. They caused all 3 teams they have played in the playoffs a whole lot of problems and I think the Giant's defense is gonna carry them to another super bowl victory. Gronkowski and Hernandez will have good games but I think the Giants defense overall is gonna be a nightmare for Brady.

All in all if I was a betting man, I would say Giant's win by 4.

 

[Mustang Sally]

1. Which team do you think was luckier from their oppositions mistakes in the title game, the Pats with the Evans drop/Cundiff miss or the G-Men with the 2 Kyle Williams fumbled punt returns?

If we're to look at it as luck, then the Patriots were luckier. After all, the Giants forced the fumble and made their own break, while Cundiff missed the "gimme" field goal all by himself, which is what saved New England.

2. Would a 4th ring establish Brady as one of the top 2 QBs of all time?

Sure. The proof is in the pudding. Whether it's the top two QBs we're talking about is debatable, but he's certainly one of the best of all time. I loved the sight of Drew Bledsoe hugging Brady on the sideline before the game; Back then, Drew was so resentful when Brady took his job.....but it was inevitable, no?

3. Would a 2nd ring establish Manning as a top 4 current QB and put him in the same breath as his brother?

It takes a lot to match Peyton, but Eli is closer than many think. This year, he had one of the best seasons I've ever seen by a quarterback, when you consider he had to do it with no running game, a bad run-blocking offensive line......and a defense that was absolute garbage in the first 3/4 of the regular season. In spite of all that, Eli got it done. Amazing.

4. Which element will cause the opponent more fits - the Giants pass rush or the Patriots 2 TE's Gronkowski and Hernandez?

The Giants pass rush is often good, often not...... but those two offensive weapons of New England can ruin you on any play they're on the field. Plus, if anyone wouldn't be rattled by the Giants rush, it's Brady. If they're coming at him hard, Brady is adept at dumping it off, thereby negating the rush. He and Montana are the best I've seen doing that.

I'd love to see my Giants take this game, but I think New England will stay a step ahead of them all the way.

I hope to be proven wrong, of course.

 

[CH David]

It wasn't so much an Evans drop as it was a great defensive play from the DB. Look at the replay. The ball was in Evans' hands after two steps, and the DB knocked it out. Sure you can call it a drop since it was in his hands, but it was more the DB making an insane knockout than a regular drop. But the Pats were certainly luckier. The Ravens rushed that kick for no reason. They had a timeout left and should have taken it. Cundiff was running on the field for Christ's sake. Just all felt rushed. But it was not a Finkle situation. LACES OUT!

Tom Brady is already considered one of the best QBs ever. One more championship probably gives him an extra boost, but the guy usually wins when healthy. Though like Davi said, it would be pretty impressive to do so now after most of the previous Championship teams are gone. The guy truly is a field general.

Eli has to win if he is going to be considered elite. I can't help but think if Kyle Williams doesn't muff those punts, and if the Niners had won, that the conversation wouldn't be there anymore. Personally I don't think he's all that and he just has some talented receivers, but I'm also not a fan of Eli so take that for what it's worth. But if his brother is healthy, he is still behind him on the totem pole. #5 at best in that regard.

Can anyone truly cover Gronkowski? Dude is a beast and should continue to be one of Tom Brady's favorite targets. Add in Hernandez to take pressure off Gronk and the other receivers and I think New England takes it. Tuck and Osi aren't pushovers, but I'll still take the TEs.

 

[BooCocky]

1. Which team do you think was luckier from their oppositions mistakes in the title game, the Pats with the Evans drop/Cundiff miss or the G-Men with the 2 Kyle Williams fumbled punt returns?

I am gonna go out and say it was Evans drop because that would have won the game for them. There wasn't much time left on the clock. The first Williams fumble wasn't that costly. Yes, they did score but there was a lot of time left.

2. Would a 4th ring establish Brady as one of the top 2 QBs of all time?

Eh, with spygate in my opinion at least 3 of those are tainted... So I say no.

3. Would a 2nd ring establish Manning as a top 4 current QB and put him in the same breath as his brother?

I think he's a top 5 QB with him being the 5th best. He's one of the more clutch passers but he doesn't win a ton of games on a yearly basis.

4. Which element will cause the opponent more fits - the Giants pass rush or the Patriots 2 TE's Gronkowski and Hernandez?

I think the Giants pass rush will cause more fits. It's hard to beat a good pass rush and the Giants have that. Baltimore gave New England some fits, too bad Baltimores offense sucks..The Giants can bring pressure without blitzing so I think they can scheme up a defense to limit the Pats TE's.

 

[ITurnGirlsGay]

1. Which team do you think was luckier from their oppositions mistakes in the title game, the Pats with the Evans drop/Cundiff miss or the G-Men with the 2 Kyle Williams fumbled punt returns?

It actually came out today that the Patriots' scoreboard was showing that it was 3rd down and Cundiff wasn't even ready to be in the game. That's why he was rushed. I'm not saying that the Patriots were trying to intentionally mess with people, but I'm not ruling out the chance that they were either.

Here's the Deadspin article.

http://deadspin.com/5878655/billy-cundiff-rushed-his-kick-because-of-an-error-on-the-gillette-stadium-scoreboard/

On an unrelated note, the amount of death threats that Kyle Williams received is absolutely absurd. The kid is 23 years old and he made a mistake. Shit happens and I feel bad for the kid, but the Giants are good at creating turnovers.

2. Would a 4th ring establish Brady as one of the top 2 QBs of all time?

Yes, and he will likely go down as the best ever. He's already tied with Montana for the most Playoff victories in NFL history and we know he's going to get a couple more. Hell, he can pass Montana with a win in this Super Bowl. He's already had signature moments in playoff and NFL history and he did all of this during the free-agency market. In all honesty, Montana had Rice and Clark and more. Brady has had dudes like Givens and Branch.

Brady already is the best QB in NFL history for my money.

3. Would a 2nd ring establish Manning as a top 4 current QB and put him in the same breath as his brother?

He already is a top NFL QB. He's NEVER going to be Peyton though.

4. Which element will cause the opponent more fits - the Giants pass rush or the Patriots 2 TE's Gronkowski and Hernandez?

Gronk and Hernandez will cause more problems. The Giants pass rush is always there. It's sort of what the Giants are known for. Brady gets rid of the ball and rarely takes sacks. This is going to be one of those games where I am not sure the Giants D-Line will be all that great of a factor.

Someone already mentioned that you don't want to give the Hoodie ample time to exact revenge and I think that part of his revenge will be to take the Giants line out of it by using 3 & 5 step drops. We won't really know until Super Bowl Sunday, but I think that has to be part of their plan if they want to win this game.

 

[Megatron]

1. Which team do you think was luckier from their oppositions mistakes in the title game, the Pats with the Evans drop/Cundiff miss or the G-Men with the 2 Kyle Williams fumbled punt returns?
2. Would a 4th ring establish Brady as one of the top 2 QBs of all time?
3. Would a 2nd ring establish Manning as a top 4 current QB and put him in the same breath as his brother?
4. Which element will cause the opponent more fits - the Giants pass rush or the Patriots 2 TE's Gronkowski and Hernandez?

Answers to my own questions before bringing up more:
1. I'd have to go G-Men, simply because of the first fumble by Williams. It took the exact bounce it needed to hit his leg and, for some reason, Williams didn't even try to go after it. The 2nd fumble was just a good football play, as was the Evans breakup. The missed FG was luck as well, but that would've only tied the game, not given them the lead.
2. Yes, right alongside Montana. He might be there already, but another win (which would also put him at the most postseason wins) would cement that status to me.
3. The first part I say yes, with Brady/Brees/Rodgers in there as well. Eli doesn't seem like he should be putting up as good of numbers as he does due to the cold weathered city and type of style they play, but he's really establishing himself as a great 4th quarter QB. As far as him being close to Peyton, I'd have to say no. Eli will have to have similar numbers like this for at least 6-7 more years before he could really be talked about.
4. I'd say the TE's simply because they don't line up only as TEs. Hernandez has had a few carries this postseason. Gronk is quite tough to guard no matter what you put on him and a pass rush can be limited with quick passes (which they do to Welker) and running draws/delays (which BJGE did well in last week against a better defense).

Now for round 2:

1. What storyline will be most overplayed in the upcoming 2 weeks?
2. The Patriots have allowed only 30 points in 2 postseason games (avg. 15/game) and have been noticably stingier on defense this postseason. Result of playing two teams with average/below average QB's (Flacco and Tebow) or of them coming more together as a unit?
3. What type of game will this be? E.g. defensive struggle, offensive shootout, back and forth etc.
4. Which passing attack will be more effective?

 

[Big Sexy]

The most overplayed storyline is easily going to be the rematch aspect of the game. It was just 4 years ago but these teams are drastically different, especially the Patriots. This game isn't going to end 17-14 I can tell you that much.

The game itself is going to be a shootout. You have two high powered offenses and two high powered passing attacks. The Pats secondary is awful and Eli should have a field day. The Giants defense has been greatly improved from the regular season to the playoffs but they also haven't played Tom Brady yet. The closest thing was playing Rodgers and the Pack but Green Bay left a lot of points on the field in that game because of turnovers and dropped passes.

 

[Mayonnaise Warrior]

I was dreading to see this rematch, but if I had to choose it would be the Giants. I picked them last time these two played and I'm picking them again for the same reason, I don't like the Patriots more.

 

[ITurnGirlsGay]

Now for round 2:

1. What storyline will be most overplayed in the upcoming 2 weeks?

I've said this in several articles; David Tyree. He's going to be the winner here. Prepare to see that catch at least 50 damn times before the game is played.

Also, the Patriots being a team of destiny is something to look out for. Myra Kraft's death, winning it for her, having the chance to avenge the last Super Bowl for which she was alive, etc...

2. The Patriots have allowed only 30 points in 2 postseason games (avg. 15/game) and have been noticably stingier on defense this postseason. Result of playing two teams with average/below average QB's (Flacco and Tebow) or of them coming more together as a unit?

Both. Wilfork has really stepped up his game and the Patriots finally have Spikes and Chung returning to the lineup. (Each missed 8 games this season). It doesn't hurt that they have played a couple of subpar passing QB's, but they did limit the Broncos and the Ravens in their rushing attacking which is a positive sign for the Patriots.

3. What type of game will this be? E.g. defensive struggle, offensive shootout, back and forth etc.

I am going "one-sided." I believe that Manning will have some success early on, but I honestly believe the Patriots are about to unleash an onslaught we haven't seen out of them in a Super Bowl. Too much riding on this and Brady does not want to be known as "the guy who could beat everyone but Eli."

4. Which passing attack will be more effective?

Patriots. They have far more offensive weapons than the Giants and Eli really only knows how to use Cruz and Nicks. The Patriots have Welker, Gronk, Hernandez, Ochocinco, and the Law Firm. I think that the Patriots are really going to illustrate that offense wins championships these days and that defense is an antiquated notion.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

1. What storyline will be most overplayed in the upcoming 2 weeks?
2. The Patriots have allowed only 30 points in 2 postseason games (avg. 15/game) and have been noticably stingier on defense this postseason. Result of playing two teams with average/below average QB's (Flacco and Tebow) or of them coming more together as a unit?
3. What type of game will this be? E.g. defensive struggle, offensive shootout, back and forth etc.
4. Which passing attack will be more effective?

1. I put the over/under at about 1,000,000.5 on how many times they were going to show the "Helmet Catch" in the 2 weeks leading up to the SB. Pretty sure they're about already over. So I'm saying the whole rematch angle/David Tyree thing is a clear winner.

2. Their defense has stepped up clearly in the postseason, but I'm always sketchy when you play questionable offensive teams. Eli and the Giants have been playing very well offensively lately. Let's see how the Pats hold up to that.

3. I'd say a back and forth game. Maybe like a 27-24 victory which could go either way. Yes, the Patriots' offense is amazing, but don't forget about the Giants defense to slow them down. Baltimore handled them pretty well...

4. Another thing I think that will be fairly equal. The Giants are going to be in Brady's face most of the day and I think the Pats will definitely bother Eli. Belichick will plan around it, while Eli is good at escaping it.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

1. What storyline will be most overplayed in the upcoming 2 weeks?

The rematch of the 2008 superbowl is easily the most talked about aspect so far and will be until the game starts.

2. The Patriots have allowed only 30 points in 2 postseason games (avg. 15/game) and have been noticably stingier on defense this postseason. Result of playing two teams with average/below average QB's (Flacco and Tebow) or of them coming more together as a unit?

A little bit of both. I think they have played tremendous so far but at the same token they haven't had to play against some amazing high powered QB's and offense either. All in all I think it will be more of the same from the pat's defense and their stingy play.

3. What type of game will this be? E.g. defensive struggle, offensive shootout, back and forth etc.

I think it will be a defensive struggle game. Both defenses have been playing great and I don't see tons of offense happening in this game. I could also see the game going back and forth but I really don't think there will be a ton of offense especially in the 1st half (maybe the 2nd half will give more offense).

4. Which passing attack will be more effective?

They will be pretty square but I have to go with the Pat's as more effective. They just have a better QB, better TE's and more options to throw to overall.

 

[Megatron]

1. What storyline will be most overplayed in the upcoming 2 weeks?
2. The Patriots have allowed only 30 points in 2 postseason games (avg. 15/game) and have been noticably stingier on defense this postseason. Result of playing two teams with average/below average QB's (Flacco and Tebow) or of them coming more together as a unit?
3. What type of game will this be? E.g. defensive struggle, offensive shootout, back and forth etc.
4. Which passing attack will be more effective?

1. The Helmet catch, for sure. I haven't been full up on the coverage so far (since it's still a week away) but that's one thing I keep seeing.
2. I'd say it's more of the former then the latter, although the defense has done a good job of bending and not breaking this year. But Tebow and Flacco aren't the two most decorated of QB's, so that helped some.
3. I see it being a back and forth shootout. It's a controlled stadium with the dome, and both QBs can light up a defense.
4. I'd go with the Patriots because they have more weapons and a bigger threat in the run game to take pressure off of Brady. Gronkowski, Hernandez, Welker, Branch, RBs that can be dumped off to > Cruz, Nicks, Manningham, Ballard, not really reliable catching threats out of backfield.

Now here's round 3:
1. Has Eli established himself as the top QB to ever play on a New York team (Jets/Giants only)?
2. What will be the Giants biggest concern in the game? Patriots?
3. NBC has the rights for the game this year and has a 5 1/2 hour preview leading up to the game (with another hour before that presenting a 'Road to the Super Bowl' that isn't actually a preview). How much will you watch? How much is too much? As far as the game presentation goes, which network do you feel does the best job at showing the game (between NBC, CBS, and Fox)?
4. Madonna is the halftime show. Love it? Hate it? How much will you pay attention to it? Is the NFL still being too safe with its selection after the Janet Jackson fiasco a handful of years ago? Who would you have for the halftime show and why?

 

[Big Sexy]

Eli is very close to establishing himself as the top qb the city has had. Of course it's not like he has a ton of competition. He is probably neck and neck with Phil Simms right now and is on the verge of passing him 100%. Another SB title gives him the nod in my mind. Simms has 2 SB's but he was injured and didn't play in the second playoff run.

The biggest concern for the Giants is their secondary. That is the weakest part of their defense and Brady will tear them apart if given the opportunity. The Patriots biggest concern plays off of that, as it is protecting Tom Brady. If Brady is under constant pressure like in 2007 then the Giants will likely win again. If the Pats O line can protect him, then that's all she wrote for the Giants.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

Now here's round 3:
1. Has Eli established himself as the top QB to ever play on a New York team (Jets/Giants only)?
2. What will be the Giants biggest concern in the game? Patriots?
3. NBC has the rights for the game this year and has a 5 1/2 hour preview leading up to the game (with another hour before that presenting a 'Road to the Super Bowl' that isn't actually a preview). How much will you watch? How much is too much? As far as the game presentation goes, which network do you feel does the best job at showing the game (between NBC, CBS, and Fox)?
4. Madonna is the halftime show. Love it? Hate it? How much will you pay attention to it? Is the NFL still being too safe with its selection after the Janet Jackson fiasco a handful of years ago? Who would you have for the halftime show and why?

1. What Big Sexy said for the most part. Though a lot of people would also include Joe Namath in there.

2. If I were the Giants, my biggest concerns would be getting to Tom Brady. There's no conceivable way to stop all of their passing threats. Between 2 dominant tight ends, the best slot receiver in the game and decent enough wide receivers, the only way to stop that passing attack is to go after the source, Tom Brady.

3. It's too much and I won't watch but a little of it. Though, I will say since I'm a fan of one of the teams playing, my own superstitions come into play. And frankly, I don't care who airs it any year because it's the Super Bowl. No matter who airs it there's going to be about 15 different sportscasters talking at once or fake laughing the entire time.

4. I have never, ever watched a halftime show. Certain TV stations used to purposely put on good programming during it just for the sake of something entertaining to watch. I haven't seen that in a while though. Their choice of Madonna seems pretty standard in my opinion though. They've always gone pretty mainstream and they try to select someone who can appeal to multiple genres.

 

[Skairipa Matrix]

even though i HATE the patriots and my team (colts...yeah i know ) didnt even come close to a winning record this year the giants are my 2nd team and i think they actullay have a great chance at winning it again if their defense can play good and eli can pass the damn ball! it should be a good game with eli having beasts of WR's with nicks & cruz and brady having beast TE's gronk and hernadez hopefully giants win and eli proves once and for all hes 1 of the top 5 best QB's right now in the NFL (imo right now hes 6 or 7) plus brady just bugs the hell out of me

 

[Mr. HD]

even though i HATE the patriots and my team (colts...yeah i know ) didnt even come close to a winning record this year the giants are my 2nd team and i think they actullay have a great chance at winning it again if their defense can play good and eli can pass the damn ball! it should be a good game with eli having beasts of WR's with nicks & cruz and brady having beast TE's gronk and hernadez hopefully giants win and eli proves once and for all hes 1 of the top 5 best QB's right now in the NFL (imo right now hes 6 or 7) plus brady just bugs the hell out of me

Nice to have a Fellow Colts Fan in the Forums

To avoid spam, I'll just post a comment.

I'm pulling for The Patriots in this one. Brady is not going to let Eli Manning beat him twice in the Super Bowl. I feel as if Eli is finally going to get exposed. He gets far too much credit IMO, and if that Defense falls apart, expect Eli to fall right with them.

Gronk has been leading the media on thinking he won't play, but he's fine. I'm taking Brady and The Gronk over Eli and Cruz. Besides, the Giants Secondary is very suspect.

 

[PlayTheGame]

Nice to have a Fellow Colts Fan in the Forums

To avoid spam, I'll just post a comment.

I'm pulling for The Patriots in this one. Brady is not going to let Eli Manning beat him twice in the Super Bowl. I feel as if Eli is finally going to get exposed. He gets far too much credit IMO, and if that Defense falls apart, expect Eli to fall right with them.

Gronk has been leading the media on thinking he won't play, but he's fine. I'm taking Brady and The Gronk over Eli and Cruz. Besides, the Giants Secondary is very suspect.

Before I address your post, I just want to state that I am a huge and long-time Patriots fan, and I'm obviously pulling for them to win. But, to be honest, I think the Giants are the better team. Now, I'm not sure who is gonna win. I hope the Pats do, but, again, I think the Giants are better. But, any team can win this game.

As for Eli getting too much credit... I don't think he's gotten enough credit until this year, in which he's finally receiving some accolades. I don't think he's elite, even if he wins this Superbowl, but he's certainly a top QB and better than, let's say, Tony Romo. And as for the Giants' Secondary being suspect... say what you want about them because the Patriots' Secondary makes them look like the Steel Curtain of decades ago. We got freakin' Julian Edelman out there playing corner Extremely, extremely worried about that. Also, Gronk most definitely has not been trying to hint that he might not play. If anything, he's remained optimistic that he will play, but he hasn't given a definitive answer because it's too early to tell. But, let's be honest, he'll play.

 

[Mr. HD]

Before I address your post, I just want to state that I am a huge and long-time Patriots fan, and I'm obviously pulling for them to win. But, to be honest, I think the Giants are the better team. Now, I'm not sure who is gonna win. I hope the Pats do, but, again, I think the Giants are better. But, any team can win this game.

As for Eli getting too much credit... I don't think he's gotten enough credit until this year, in which he's finally receiving some accolades. I don't think he's elite, even if he wins this Superbowl, but he's certainly a top QB and better than, let's say, Tony Romo. And as for the Giants' Secondary being suspect... say what you want about them because the Patriots' Secondary makes them look like the Steel Curtain of decades ago. We got freakin' Julian Edelman out there playing corner Extremely, extremely worried about that. Also, Gronk most definitely has not been trying to hint that he might not play. If anything, he's remained optimistic that he will play, but he hasn't given a definitive answer because it's too early to tell. But, let's be honest, he'll play.

Well, don't worry I got faith in your Team. I really don't think NE is THAT stupid to actually have Edleman out there the whole game. Maybe on certain red zone situations, but not on full drives. At least, I hope they're not. And what's funny about NE is that they love to lead the media on thinking they're hurt, but I think Gronk will be ok.

Now, to address your post, people have completely overlooked The Giants Front Four on Defense that have come to play this postseason. As good as the Defense has played, getting pressure on QBs, Eli's numbers of course will be good and he's getting all the love and he wouldn't be where he is if not for that defense. People are actually saying he's better than Brady AND Peyton.......Really? I mean Really?

I agree with you with him not being Elite and I'm not saying he's a mediocre QB, I'm just saying that Defense just deserves a little more credit. I mean Eli IS playing well, but when a Defense plays THAT well, Life becomes easier for the QB without question.

The NE Defense is weird. They seem to be a whole other animal in the playoffs. Like their ranked 32nd, but it doesn't show on the Field.