Just one week into the two week break between conference championships and Super Bowl Sunday and I’m not sure I’m going to make it. Despite the early line that gave the Patriots a 3.5 point advantage over the Giants, the Pigskin Pundits and Bobbleheads have convinced me. New England has no chance to win their fourth Vince Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XLVI.
Maybe no chance is taking it too far. One in a million? Okay, yeah. The oblate spheroid has pointy ends and will take a strange and unexpected bounce; sometimes it jumps up right into your hands, sometime it spins just out of reach. Perhaps a tipped pass finds Kyle Arrington who takes it to the house. Will that be enough to win? Probably not. Listening and reading about the Giants-Patriots match up, it seems it will take a lot more than that to give New England the win.
Why the Patriots are Doomed (in no particular order):
The Giants defensive front is unstoppable…
Osi, Tuck and JPP will run over, through and around the Patriots offensive line and put some ugly on Tom Brady. Matt Light is old, Logan Mankins is hurt, Dan Connelly is their third string center, Brian Waters is older than Matt Light, Sebastian Vollmer is hurt and Nate Solder is a rookie. As we all know, Tom Brady is susceptible to pressure unlike any other quarterback in the NFL. He’s a pretty boy and as we all know, pretty boys are sissies. The Giants defense may score more points than the Patriots offense with a Pick 6 and a strip sack fumble recovery for another TD. Oh, and they’ll probably score a safety, too.
Eli Manning may not be the Greatest of All Time but he’s the Greatest of Right Now…
Manning the Younger had arguably his best season as a pro and then took his game to another level in the playoffs, leading the Giants to road wins over the #1 and #2 seeds in the NFC bracket. He has clearly outplayed Brady and is on the cusp of doubling up on his more celebrated brother with a second Super Bowl win. He is a week and a win away from being anointed the best QB in Giants history. He simply cannot be stopped, certainly not by the 31st ranked Patriots defense.
The Patriots secondary cannot handle the Giants wide receivers…
Two Words: Julian Edelman. Injuries and poor performances in the secondary have once again forced the Patriots to convert a wide receiver to defensive back. The Giants trio of Mario Manningham, Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz couldn’t be stopped by the Packers or 49ers secondaries that finished #1 and #2 in interceptions during the regular season. A former college QB who was first converted to wide receiver is going to stop Victor Cruz in the slot?
Did I say one in a million?
I meant one in a billion.
With Gronkowski hobbled the Patriots offense is hobbled…
Tom Brady limped into Super Bowl XLII and we all know how that turned out. Now it’s Rob Gronkowski in a walking cast. Gronk is arguably the best tight end in the NFL and I’m not sure that description does him justice. He finished 6th in receiving yards, 4th in yards after catch and 1st in TD receptions with 17. He finished 2nd in percentage of passes caught (90 catches on 124 targets, 72.6%). On top of that, he is a devastating blocker or was, before the high ankle sprain suffered in the AFC Championship game. Slowed by his bad wheel, the G-Men will be able to cover Gronk with a linebacker, allowing them to double Welker and Hernandez.
Let’s make it one in a trillion.
Tom Coughlin knows Bill Belichick
Once upon a time, Coughlin and Belichick were coaches on Bill Parcells’ staff. They won Super Bowl rings together, back in 1990. During the three years they worked together, Coughlin secretly made copies of Belichick’s game plans. Coughlin knows what Belichick is thinking before the synapses fire in Belichick’s head.
So, you’re saying there’s still a chance?
Yeah, they still have to play the game. The Gridiron Gods are fickle. Sometimes the better looking quarterback wins. So, what straws am I still grasping?
The Patriots defense will get to Manning…
You’ve heard the numbers before. 31st in yards allowed but 15th in points against and third best in turnover differential (+17). The New England defense is as healthy as they’ve been all year with Brandon Spikes and Patrick Chung back on the field. Rob Ninkovich and Mark Anderson have become a poor man’s Mike Vrabel and Willie McGinest. Jerod Mayo is a bigger, faster Tedy Bruschi. Vince Wilfork, Kyle Love and Brandon Deaderick dominated a great Baltimore Ravens offensive line in the AFC Championship. Moving McCourty to safety and trusting rookies and wide receivers at cornerback has inexplicably worked. Everyone is talking about the Giants defense getting to Brady but look for the Patriots defense to flip the script on Super Sunday.
Gronk will play and make the doubters pay…
Papa Gronk’s disclosure of a high ankle sprain notwithstanding, we won’t know the true extent of Gronk’s injury until after the Super Bowl. Of course Gronkowski will play but more than that, I think he will play well. Records are at risk whenever this guy steps on a football field. Jerry Rice holds the Super Bowl record for TD catches with 3. Just sayin’.
The offensive line is better than you think…
Matt Light, Logan Mankins and Brian Waters may be old and/or injured but they are also pro bowlers and prideful men. They may tell you that they don’t pay attention to the media but I can’t believe they are unaware of the praise being heaped upon the Giants front seven. Keeping it simple here: The pundits and bobbleheads are pointing their fingers at the Patriots offensive line as the reason New England will lose the Super Bowl. They can’t protect Brady and they won’t be able to get the push they need to provide a running game that would set up play action where Brady excels. Don’t you think Dante Scarnecchia has that stuff posted on the bulletin board?
He’s Tom Freakin’ Brady…
Listening to the pundits and bobbleheads, one might think Tom Brady was dead. At the very least, his best days are apparently well behind him. Sure he can torch a mediocre defense like Denver’s for 6 TD passes but against a good defense like the Steelers or the Giants or the Ravens he just isn’t the same. Seriously? Tom Brady has won 78% of the games he’s started without ever beating a good defense? Oh, but that was then, right? What about now? Well, in 2011, the Patriots beat the Jets 5th ranked defense twice, hung 38 points on the Eagles 8th ranked defense and scored 34 against the Chiefs 11th ranked defense. The Dolphins had the 6th best scoring defense despite giving up 38 and 27 to the Patriots. With the poor game in the AFC Championship with all the chatter about Eli Manning I’m expecting Brady’s best game of the season.
And I will hold on hope…
That stupid 31st place defense stat really sticks in my craw. It's like keeping track of all your fly outs. Sure, they're outs, but they went all the way to the warning track! Ugh. It's not the mileage, it's the points that matter.
ReplyDeleteMy craw is doomed to stickiness this week.