Position by position breakdown of Super Bowl XLII between the Giants and Patriots:

Quarterback:

Patriots: Tom Brady

Giants: Eli Manning

Manning has been great in the post season, throwing for 4 TD and 0 INT. When he eliminates mistakes, Eli has shown that he is as capable as almost any QB in the NFL. However, Manning is not in the class of Tom Brady (or his older brother Peyton). Coming off his worst games of the year (3 INT vs. the Chargers), Brady remains the best QB in the NFL, in no small part for his ability to rebound from subpar games.

Edge: Patriots

Running Back:

Patriots: Laurence Maroney, Kevin Faulk, Heath Evans

Giants: Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw, Madison Hedgecock

Both running attacks are multi-faceted. The Patriots run with Maroney and use Faulk primarily as a receiver out of the backfield. The Giants employ their “thunder and lightning” combo, as the 6-foot-4 264-pound Jacobs and the 5-9 198-pound Bradshaw. The running games are so close, but I hate picking the hackneyed “even” classification.

Edge: Giants

Tight End:

Patriots: Ben Watson, Kyle Brady

Giants: Kevin Boss, Michael Matthews

Kevin Boss has filled in nicely in the absence of the injured Jeremy Shockey. The Patriots have the pass-receiving tight end in Watson and the big, blocking tight end in Brady, a virtual OL at 6’6”, 280 lbs. The Patriots’ balance has been vital to their success.

Edge: Patriots

Wide Receivers:

Patriots: Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth, Jabar Gaffney

Giants: Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer, Steve Smith, Sinorice Moss

Despite Burress claiming that the Giants receivers are better than the Patriots, that simply is not a realistic view. Despite his success, Burress is not quite in the class of Moss. Welker has been a vital safety net all year for Brady and Stallworth and Gaffney provide big play and possession threats respectively. The Pats are better and deeper.

Edge: Patriots

Offensive Line:

Patriots: LT Matt Light, LG Logan Mankins, C Dan Koppen, RG Stephen Neal, RT Nick Kaczur

Giants: LT David Diehl, LG Rich Seubert, C Shaun O’Hara, RG Chris Snee, RT Kareem McKenzie

The Giants offensive line has been solid all year, especially in run blocking. However, despite the Giants fierce pass rush, the Patriots only have up one sack to them in the Week 17 meeting. That performance was without Neal and Kaczur.

Edge: Patriots

Defensive Line:

Patriots: DE Richard Seymour, NT Vince Wilfolk, DE Ty Warren, DE Jarvis Green

Giants: DE Michael Strahan, DT Barry Cofield, DE Justin Tuck, DE Osi Umenyiora, DT Fred Robbins,

The Patriots are very good at the points of attack, essential to their 3-4 defense. Wilfolk has developed into a great tackle, occupying multiple OL and freeing up the linebackers. The Giants pass rush is prolific, highlighted by the three-headed monster of Strahan, Umenyiora and Tuck.

Edge: Giants

Linebackers:

Patriots: Adalius Thomas, Mike Vrabel, Junior Seau, Tedy Bruschi

Giants: Reggie Torbor, Antonio Pierce, Kawika Mitchell, Gerris Wilkinson

Despite the season-ending loss of Roosevelt Colvin and reports of their age and ineffectiveness, the Patriots linebackers have done their job when called upon. The “senior citizens,” Bruschi and Seau, each had a huge play in the AFC Championship Game vs. the Chargers. Pierce is a fine middle linebacker, but the Giants OLBs are pedestrian.

Edge: Patriots

Secondary:

Patriots: CB Asante Samuel, CB Ellis Hobbs, S Rodney Harrison, S James Sanders, S Brandon Meriweather, CB Randall Gay,

Giants: CB Aaron Ross, CB Corey Webster, S Gibril Wilson, S James Butler, CB Sam Madison, CB R.W. McQuarters

The closest thing to a “shutdown” CB in this game is Asante Samuel, who has made big plays in the post season. Rodney Harrison has been solid against both the pass and the run. In week 17, Hobbs intercepted an Eli Manning pass. The Giants have an impressive rookie, Ross, whose best days are in front of him. The rest of the secondary is sub-par, but the Giants relentless pass rush masks many of those deficiencies. If the Giants cannot pressure Brady, he will pick them apart.

Edge: Patriots

Special Teams:

Patriots: K Steven Gostkowski, P Chris Hanson, R Ellis Hobbs, Wes Welker

Giants: K Lawrence Tynes, P Jeff Feagles, R Domenik Hixon

After missing two potential game-winning field goals in regulation, Tynes redeemed himself with a 47-yarder in overtime to send the Giants to the Super Bowl. In his two seasons, Gostkowski is 9-10 in post-season field goals. Welker and Hobbs are solid returners for New England. Hixon had a kickoff returned for a TD in the Week 17 game vs. the Patriots.

Edge: Even

The Giants may have momentum on their side, having won two consecutive playoff road games, but the Patriots are 18-0 for a reason. They will be able to keep the Giants in check. If they are able to protect Brady, this game could get very ugly. Many people seem to like the Giants to win, mostly Giants fans. They seem to think that the Giants 38-35 loss to the Patriots in Week 17 indicates that they can compete with the Patriots. First, the game was played in New Jersey in December. Secondly, Eli Manning had the game of his life, throwing for 4 TD. The Giants also had a kickoff returned for a touchdown. Despite their success, the Giants were down 38-28 in the 4th quarter and manufactured a meaningless touchdown with 64 seconds left on the clock.

The Giants played their hearts out in the final game of the regular season but could not overcome Brady, Moss and the Patriots. On Sunday, the Super Bowl will take place in the beautiful Arizona weather, with no worries about the cold, rain, snow, wind, etc. These conditions are conducive to a Patriots offensive onslaught. Not only do I see a 19-0 perfect season for the Patriots, I see them winning the game going away.

Patriots 41, Giants 20

MVP: Tom Brady

Thank you for your time. Please send any feedback to gscempski@yahoo.com.

--Gabi Secemski

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