New York Giants
2011-12 record: 9-7
Road to Indy: Defeated Atlanta Falcons 24-2
Defeated Green Bay Packers 37-20
Defeated San Francisco 49ers 20-17 (overtime)
Keys to the game
Get to Brady – often
The Giants defense played their best in the playoffs and that is one of the top reasons they are in the Super Bowl for the second time in four years. Led by defensive ends Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck, and fellow lineman Jason Pierre-Paul, Chris Canty, Rocky Bernard and Mathias Kiwanuka, if the Giants have a shot at beating the New England Patriots again, they must bother quarterback Tom Brady all game long.
Run the ball
Thanks to receivers Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks, Giants running backs Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs weren’t needed all that much this season. As a matter of fact, the Giants running game wasn’t needed. On the season, Bradshaw ran for 659 yards and Jacobs ran for 571 yards. Last season Bradshaw ran for 1,235 yards and Jacobs ran for 823 yards. Still, Bradshaw is a big, powerful back and if the Giants have a decent running attack to coincide with Cruz and Nicks, they’ll be in good shape.
Don’t forget about Wes Welker
All the talk surrounding the Patriots have been their tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez who’ve caught more passes than any tight ends in the NFL this season. However, the Giants should not forget about wide receiver Wes Welker who finished the season with an impressive 1,569 yards, which was the second-highest total in the league.
New England Patriots
2011-12 record: 13-3
Road to Indy: Defeated Denver Broncos 45-10
Defeated Baltimore Ravens 23-20
Keys to the game
All about the special teams
With so much talk on offense and defense, the play of special teams often gets lost in the conversation. For the Patriots, their Super Bowl victory may very well hinge on how well their special teams play. Field position was a major factor in the Patriots loss to the Giants on Nov. 6. Their first half drives started at their own 5, 6, 17, 20, 11, and 9-yard lines. The Patriots know to win, they must have better field position.
Watch out for Cruz and Nicks
Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks are a receiving tandem to be reckoned with. They both had career years for the Giants (Cruz 1,536 yards; Nicks 1,192 yards) and are in the hunt for their first Super Bowl ring. The Giants secondary must be aware of their whereabouts at all times.
Chad Ochocinco: the secret weapon?
This could be a long shot, but it’s very confusing as to why Ochocinco hasn’t been a threat for the Patriots all season. In 15 games he’s had 15 receptions for 276 yards and one touchdown all year. He’s been a model teammate all year and hasn’t complained once about his role to the media. Maybe this was all a set up for him to have a monster game in the Super Bowl.
