Jan 27, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; A NFL video on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis projects on large Roman numerals of XLVI which represents Super Bowl XLVI. Logos for the New England Patriots and New York Giants are being projected. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

The New England Patriots and New York Giants will go at it in Super Bowl XLVI this Sunday. It should be a great game since it is matching up the 2 hottest teams in football. The Patriots come in having won 10 games in a row overall, and the Giants have won 5 consecutive games themselves. New York will be trying to duplicate their upset of New England in Super Bowl XLII 4 years ago while the Patriots are trying to settle the score with the team that kept them from completing a 19-0 season. Let’s take a look at the matchup:

WHEN THE PATRIOTS HAVE THE BALL:

Tom Brady continues to rewrite the playoff records for quarterbacks, and with his 5th Super Bowl start there is only 1 other person in the world who is as experienced and comfortable preparing for the big game as him (John Elway of course!). You can typically count on Brady to deliver a steady performance when it counts and you know he won’t wilt in the spotlight during big moments.

The one team that has solved the Brady riddle in the Super Bowl however, was Tom Coughlin and these New York Giants. That experience will prove valuable for the Giant defense in terms of scheme and confidence. They proved that if you can provide consistent pressure on the quarterback without sending extra defenders, the potent New England offense can be slowed down. If the Baltimore Ravens proved anything last week, it’s that Tom Brady isn’t perfect. If the Giants can find a way to get to him I wouldn’t be surprised to see him forced into a few turnovers. There will be new challenges for the New York defense this time around though. The 2 big tight end threats in Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski weren’t in the league when these teams last played in the Super Bowl. I expect the Patriots to counteract the aggressive New York defensive front by getting these 2 in the mix early and often. Look for a ton of crossing routes and dump offs to try and get the defensive linemen on their heels, and once the attention of the defense turns to the tight ends I expect Wes Welker to produce a few big plays.

I believe that the most important factor for the Giant defense is to stand tall in the red zone. The red zone defense was the biggest difference between the Patriots’ 45-10 blowout win over the Denver Broncos and their 23-20 squeaker over the Ravens. If the Giants force the Patriots to settle for field goals, they will absolutely have a chance to win this game.

SLIGHT EDGE: PATRIOTS

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Tom Brady after the Patriots win. (Elsa/Getty Images)

If there’s one thing that the New England Patriots showed the Denver Broncos, it’s the importance of having one (or two) great tight ends.

Tom Brady’s favorite target in the Patriots 45-10 win over the Broncos in the divisional round of the playoffs was none other than tight end Rob Gronkowski. Gronk had a career game with 10 catches for 145 yards and 3 touchdowns.

His counterpart, Aaron Hernandez, came up with 4 catches for 55 yards and 1 touchdown, and rushed for 61 yards on 5 carries. He lined up at tight end, full back, running back, receiver, flanker, and slotback. If he’s not the Jack of all trades, no one is.

“Everybody makes plays on this team and that is why our offense is so dangerous,” Hernandez said “It is hard (for the defense) because they don’t know who to cover.”

The Broncos secondary was ripped to shreds as they allowed Brady to pass for 363 yards and 6 touchdowns, which ties the NFL record with six touchdown passes in a postseason game.

“He was on fire, man,” Gronkowski said of Brady.
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Tom Brady is set to begin yet another playoff run. (Matt Slocum/AP Photo)

The Denver Broncos travel to the depths of Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots in the divisional round of the playoffs. Denver is coming off of an emotional 29-23 win over the defending AFC Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers while New England had a bye in the first round. The Patriots won the last meeting in mid-December 41-23. The Broncos are 2-0 against the Patriots in the playoffs with both games being played in Denver (1986, 2005). Once again the Broncos are the heavy underdogs in this matchup. However, the Patriots have shown in the recent past that they’re not indestructible at home in January. They have lost their last two playoff games in the divisional round at Gillette. Game time is set for 6:00 p.m. MST on CBS.

Offense

Broncos: If the Broncos can not turn the ball over, and get their run game going, they will be able to keep this game close. In fact if Tim Tebow plays like he did against the Steelers (312 passing yards, 2 TDs, 50 rushing yards, 1 TD), the Broncos cannot let up off the gas. The Miami Dolphins were up 17-0 at halftime in week 16, yet the Pats won it by 3 points. The major key for the Broncos is to get the run game going like they did in December when they had 252 yards on the ground. That will eat the clock and keep the Patriots’ potent offense off the field. If the Broncos had not turned the ball over three times in the last meeting, we could easily be talking about a Broncos win in December. The Broncos need to end their drives with 7 points, not 3.

Patriots: We’ve heard the same story many times over the past week. The Pats’ offense is Tom Brady and his deadly receivers. They get into a quick rhythm and they get the ball out fast. Brady will sit in the pocket as comfortably as someone reading the Sunday morning newspaper over a pot of coffee. His receivers can run after the catch, and accounting for Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski, and Aaron Hernandez on every play can take a toll on even the best defenses. The Patriots dominated the time of possession, holing on to the ball for 33:41. They had 72 plays on offense compared to the Broncos’ 58 plays.
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