ALEX FRANCO
STAFF WRITER
After what has been a season to remember, the 2011 NFL season will culminate in Indianapolis with Super Bowl XLVI. With the season full of prolific passers leading their teams to victory and breaking records left and right, it’s no wonder that this year’s Big Game will feature two of the league’s best quarterbacks when Eli Manning’s NY Giants (9-7) representing the NFC take on Tom Brady’s New England Patriots (13-3) of the AFC.
The Giants, largely considered the hottest team entering the playoffs as the fourth seeded team, beat the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC wild card round, the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round, and finally the San Francisco 49ers in the conference championship to reach their fifth Super Bowl in franchise history, winning three of their previous four appearances.
The Patriots will be making their seventh super bowl appearance, their fifth appearance since 2001, winning three out of the six. Tom Brady of The Patriots will be looking to win his fourth Super Bowl ring and solidify his hall of fame status in football lore; with a win next Sunday, he will surpass Joe Montana as the quarterback with the most playoff victories with 17. Eli Manning is also looking for his second Super Bowl title, and could become the Manning brother with the most Super Bowl titles with a win against the Pats.
This isn’t the first time these two quarterbacks have met in the league’s title game, the two teams met four years ago in Super Bowl XLII, where Giants upset the Patriots, 17-14 and thwarted New England’s run at a perfect season. If history tells us anything, then the Patriots should come out champions. In their last super bowl meeting, the Patriots’ loss to the Giants after already beating them earlier in the regular season. This year they met again in the regular season with the giants coming out the victors in that meeting meaning the patriots should prevail.
The Patriots are three point favorites in the Las Vegas line. This is not surprising considering these two high power offenses have the potential to put up points in bunches and should go down to the wire, as it did when they last met. Look for the Pat’s defensive backs to have their hands full containing NY’s dual threat at receiver in Hakeem Nicks and the red hot Victor Cruz. The same can be said about the Giants defense when they take their shot at holding the Patriot’s incredibly athletic tight ends, Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski.
The Patriots look to avenge their super bowl loss this time around when they meet Feb. 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, ID. Game time is scheduled for 3:39 p.m. Sunday night and can be seen on NBC.