Super Bowl XLVI Preview

This Sunday one of the most anticipated rematches in sports history will take place as the New EnglandPatriots will face off against the New York Giants. As many of us remember these two teams faced off in 2007 as the undefeated Pats came in as a heavy favorite, but were not knocked off thanks to the heroics of Eli Manning and David Tyree. As the teams are putting the finishing touches on their preparations, there is no doubt that this will be a great game. Here are some keys for both teams that will be essential to attain the prized Lombardi Trophy:

New England Patriots

1. Rob Gronkowski must be healthy. It is widely believed according to sources that he will play which is good news, but the question now becomes how effective can he be on that ankle. He must not only

play, but play to high level, to help boost this offense. This season he had 90 receptions, amassing 1,327 yards, and 17 touchdowns. It is evident that he is probably their most explosive weapon.

2. How protected will Tom Brady be in the pocket? In order to have success on offense the Patriots will have to do an adequate job stopping this Giants pass rush. The Giants finished tied for third in the NFL

this season in sacks getting to the quarterback 48 times. The Patriots allowed 32 sacks during the season however Brady has only been sacked once during the playoffs. Clearly improvements are being made, but if Tom Brady does not have enough time to drop back and make throws then it could spell disaster for New England.

3. New York probably has the best core of recievers in the league. Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham, and Hakeem Nicks all had great seasons and post seasons. If they cannot be shut down then Eli Manning will pick apart this Patriots secondary. New England had the second worst secondary during the 2011 season allowing almost 300 yards a game. Just as the offensive line play has increased, so has the secondary. However they have not faced an elite quarterback yet who has the capabilities of Manning and an elite core of receivers.

New York Giants

1. Getting to Tom Brady will be huge in this game. As proven by other teams and the last time these two teams met in the Super Bowl, if Brady is pressured, New England cannot consistently move the ball. Justin Tuck, Chris Canty, and rising star Jason Pierre-Paul have made a habit of getting in the backfield but doing it on the biggest stage of the year is yet to be seen.

2. New York

will have to run the ball. Eli Manning is a great quarterback but just as in every great offense a good balance of both pass and run is key. The Giants though talented at the position but failed to average over 100 yards a game. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw will have to be productive because I am not sure that Eli can carry the offense alone.3. Shutting down Rob Gronkowski is going to be at the top of list on ways to shut down the New England offense. When these two teams met in the regular he only had eight catches for 101 yards and was not a big factor in the game. The New York secondary and linebackers will have to disrupt his game especially if he is able to play at full strength.

Prediction

This game will feature tow of the games best quarterbacks, Tom Brady, and E

li Manning, which will be exciting to see who outperforms who.These two teams met in Foxboro in week nine which was won by the Giants on a late drive 24-20. Thus, both teams are very familiar with each other yet now they are different teams. Since that game the Patriots have not lost again, winners of 10 in a row. The Giants barely got into the playoffs but just like their run in '07 they have caught fire at the right time. And it is for this reason that I am picking the New York Giants to beat the New England Patriots on Sunday because in the playoffs it is not who is the BETTER team but who is the

HOTTER team. New York had to get through three very tough games beating three great quarterbacks along the way. Their defensive line just as in week nine will cause a lot of trouble for Tom Brady, preventing a persistent offensive attack. Also Rob Gronkowski's injury will play a major role. The more weapons Brady has available the harder it will be for the Giants to make stops. But again the key is the Giants defensive line as they will also stop the run just like they have during the playoffs. Eli Manning has proven he can deliver on the biggest stages time and time again, now with three great receivers, New England will have trouble stopping the aerial assault, especially if New York can run the ball well. New England will be thirsty for revenge, for the '07 Super Bowl loss and ruining their perfect season but it will not happen this year.

Prediction

New York Giants 24

New England Patriots 20