Preview
I am going to break down each team in this matchup.
New York Giants
Offensive Philosophy: The Giants like a balanced attack. When the running game is working well, the passing game opens up even more for quarterback Eli Manning. The two main guys rushing the football will be Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs. Bradshaw is a tough, speed back who has gotten the bulk of the work this season. Jacobs is an aging bruiser. The Giants would love to have one more big game out of him. The passing attack has seen a variety of weapons utilized. Hakeem Nicks was the top receiver coming into the season, but the emergence of Victor Cruz has been crucial to the Giants success through the air.
Offensive X-Factor: Giants offensive line. Eli got hit a lot in the NFC Championship game against the 49ers. He may have still made some big plays, but they have to do a better job protecting him. The more time they give him to throw, the better the chance of receivers getting open. They also need to open up good lanes for the rushing attack to provide a quality balanced attack.
Defensive Philosophy: In their previous Super Bowl win and their regular season win over the Patriots, the Giants pressured and blitzed Tom Brady time and time again. Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, and Mathias Kiwanuka are salivating at the opportunity to get him. The secondary will look to mix coverages to confuse the Patriots as well.
Defensive X-Factor: Jason Pierre-Paul. JPP talks a big game, but he has the play to back it up. In only his second year in the NFL, Pierre-Paul became an All-Pro. Now, he has opportunity to show the world his talent on the biggest stage. Will he be able to walk the talk?
New England Patriots
Offensive Philosophy: The Patriots offense is obviously all about Tom Brady. Brady is an elite quarterback who makes all his weapons look great. His top wide receiver is the always consistent Wes Welker. The Patriots have loved to use their two tight ends, Ron Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, in a multitude of ways this year. The weakness of the offense is the rushing attack. Granted they haven't had to do it a lot this year. When they do rush the football, their main man is BenJarvus Green-Ellis.
Offensive X-Factor: Ron Gronkowski. Gronkowski had a record-setting year as a tight end. His versatility makes him a matchup nightmare. The problem is that he is listed as questionable with an ankle injury. He has been limited in practice all week, but he is expected to play. The question becomes how well he can play. If he is ineffective, the Patriots passing attack will suffer in a big way.
Defensive Philosophy: The Patriots defense has been much maligned this season for being downright awful at times. This is especially true of their pass defense. The bottomline is that the Patriots offense typically scores so much that it alleviates some of the pressure off the defense. The glue that has held this defensive unit together through thick-and-thin this season is Vince Wilfork. The 325-pound defensive tackle is still a beast up front.
Defensive X-Factor: The Patriots secondary, particularly Julian Edelman. As I have already mentioned, the Patriots secondary was quite bad this year. In fact, they finished dead last in the NFL. They are going to have their hands full in the matchup. They will likely try to mix matchups and looks to confuse Eli. The most troublesome matchup for the Patriots will be Victor Cruz in the slot. Cruz has had an excellent season to say the least. The Patriots defender most likely to cover him though is converted wide receiver Julian Edelman. Edelman got moved to defense to help out the Patriots in pass coverage. This is an insult to Cruz, and he will be looking to prove it. The Patriots secondary better be ready with a plan.
Prediction
Tom Brady has seemingly willed the Patriots to this point. Eli Manning and the Giants are red hot coming into the big matchup. I expect another close matchup between these teams. I picked the Giants to win the Super Bowl before the playoffs began, and they have done nothing to make me doubt them. They have the clear edge on defense, which I think will give them the slight advantage on the scoreboard. Giants 27 Patriots 24
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