SUPER BOWL 46

New York Giants, 21 New England Patriots, 17

5-time Super Bowl QB Tom Brady's first pass in this game was an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone resulting in a safety. Shortly after, the Patriots' defense squandered a red zone fumble recovery for having 12 men on the field. It was that kind of day for New England.

In the end, it was another stone cold Super Bowl-winning drive by the inexplicably elite QB Eli Manning. A sick, twisted, reoccurring nightmare for the old Patriot guard. In place of the infamous Tyree catch in 2008, the final drive saw the Patriots burned by an amazing fade route against the sideline by Giants WR Mario Manningham, a receiver universally admonished by scouts and commentators for his inability to do just that. In fact, Chris Collinsworth had been commentating on Manningham's unawareness of the sideline just a few drives before after Maningham had inexplicably faded his deep route out of bounds for no reason,

The Patriot's quarrel with lady luck aside, the Giants controlled this game. They had no business scoring only 9 points in the first half. Eli moved the ball well with RB Ahmad Bradshaw, WR Hakeem Nicks and WR Victor Cruz clicking masterfully with QB Eli Manning until, that is, the red zone. The Giants' D couldn't hold forever, the final four minutes of the 1st half they were steamrolled for a 'Brady-to-Woodhead' fueled 14 play, 4 minute, 96 yard drive to put the Pats up 10-9.

The Giants Subway-sponsered vaunted defense was again slaughtered for a similar touchdown drive to start the 2nd half. Luckily for the over-rated Giants pass-rushers (undeniable coverage sacks aside), Eli Manning moved the ball the entire game with ease. If not for continually poor red zone efficiency, the Giants should have had blowout on their hands. Instead, they found themselves down in the 3rd quarter. (Albeit with a red-hot quarterback having no trouble driving the field the entire game.)

Helping Manning out: the bounces (dictated by the stars, Football Gods, what-have-you). In a down-the-seam jump ball situation between career backup LB Chase Blackburn and 20-touchdown 6'7" TE Rob Gronkowski, the ball somehow fell to Blackburn. The following play, Ahmad Bradshaw lost yet another fumble, bouncing over 7 yards away from him right to a trailing Giants offensive linemen.

Still, the Giants were only able to add field goals closing in 15-17 by the start of the 4th quarter. The Patriots had a chance to seal the game, touchdown-minded and driving, it was the ball slipping through WR Wes Welker's 122-catch hands on a crucial 3rd down giving the ball back to Eli & Co with 4 minutes remaining.

In the end, it was Eli again moving through the Patriots D with buttery ease, an assist from the aforesaid Manningham sideline catch, and finally culminating in their first touchdown of the game with 1:04 left. The Patriots appeared to purposefully allow Bradshaw to score so as to give Brady that full minute, Bradshaw tried to stop at the 1 but his momentum carried him in for the ugliest, most unwilling, game winning Super Bowl touchdown of all time.

A few key drops by TE Aaron Hernandez and WR Deon Branch made the Patriots' desperate 1 minute drive harder than it had to be. It came down to a catchable Hail Mary that fell to the floor, mercifully for New York and heartbreakingly for New England, reliving their 2007 nightmare. The Giants defeated the Patriots, again.

KEY PLAY: The close game came down to Welker not catching his chance to convert to 1st down with 4:06 left, and Manningham catching his chance to keep the final drive alive.

MVP: QB Eli Manning. That is crystal clear. Without his routine 296 yards, the Giants (down 29 of the 30 2nd half minutes) might have panicked. Instead, it seemed inevitable.

SB Weekend 2012

New York Giants (12-7) vs- New England Patriots (15-3)

Most of America is less than enthused that it will be New York and Boston, two championship-rich cities, batteling to add another Super Bowl ring (both have 3 championships). QB Tom Brady and QB Eli Manning don't have the folk followings outside of their cities like Brees, Rodgers, Peyton and others do. Much of the media is telling us these are not even the two best teams in the Super Bowl. Well, they are the two best. You want to see a Super Bowl of the two teams playing their best football in late January and this is New York, and this is New England.

Much is made of Tom Brady not dominating the AFC Championship and now having to face that "relentless" Giants pash rush. I didn't see 49ers Alex Smith too flustered in the NFC Chamoionship. In the Divisional Round, Aaron Rodgers was done in by the many drops and uncharcterstic overthrows. The one-week-sports-media seems not to remember that Rodgers ran for many key first downs? Is that becauuse the Giants' D-line was just too good to stop him?

No there aren't the sympathetic underdogs, or even any loveable legends to root for but this a high-powered New England offense and a red-hot New York Giants team. We have two flash-in-the-pan running games that often dissappear completely. We have two high powered aerial attacks with elite recievers and tight ends. It will at least make for good television.

 HOW NYG GOT HERE: After two straight years of sliding from week 5 elite Super Bowl contenders to watching the playoffs from home, the Giants scratched the starting-strong theory, and appear to have elected instead to start slow and sneak into the playoffs late, just as they did in 2007. The 2007 New York Giants have been a bit of a conversation point among the media but this is a more explosive team, with a less constricting defense

They have again caught fire and ran through playoff opponents who handled them easily in the regular season. WR Victor Cruz has been the additional playmaker they have needed, his emergence is a huge reason for the turnaround. WR Hakeem Nicks has also been insturmental, stepping up to combine with Cruz for Eli Manning's most dangerous weaponry of his career.

HOW NE GOT HERE: New England's defense had a substantial amount of injury issues throughout the season but they are finally healthy up front, LB Brandon Spikes, LB Jarod Mayo and DT Vince Wilfork will be in full health. Meanwhile, QB Tom Brady, WR Wes Welker, TE Rob Gronkowski have generated historic numbers to make up for the D, though it's been lost in the shadows of the Saints (Brady also broke Marino's record for passing yards this year!) and Packers MVP Rodgers, over 5,000 yards and Gronkowski has broken all kinds of records for tight ends.

Why then, is nobody quite sure about the Patriots? The defense gave the most passing yards this year, scratch that, of ANY year by ANY team. As Brady and his weapons have found out, there is no such thing as a safe lead. Though to be fair, the Patriots secondary game up big in the Ravens game.

KEYS FOR NE: Rebuilding their defense from the glory of 2001-2007 has been a rough road. While QB Tom Brady has blossomed from a gritty champion to a high-flying leader of the passing game revolution, the Patriots had lost their big game touch. This likely has to do with defense. They lucked out with Tebow and Flacco comprising their road to the Super Bowl but stopping Eli will not be easy. Tebow and Flacco just don't make those same 3rd-and-long conversions that Eli maddens defensive coordinators with.

KEYS FOR NYG: Basically the exact same thing. They must have an elite passing game because while everyone is predicting a repeat of 2007 and Brady on his back and Justin Tuck throwing up Subway gift cards, I don't see how Coach Bill Bellicheck allows this two to happen in yet another Super Bowl. Brady and Bellicheck, surefire Hall of Famers, are helpless against the spokesman for Subway and DE Jason Pierre-Paul? Throw in the towel? No, the Patriots offense will likely do fine. It is up to that Giants passing game to keep them in the game.