Last Week: Vs. Spread: (1-1); Straight Up: (1-1)
Season: Vs. Spread: (138-119-9); Straight Up: (179-87)
Championship Round Review: A pretty interesting and enjoyable championship Sunday. The only downer in my opinion was the fact that “Goats” played a more prominent role in the outcomes than “Heroes.”
Once again, the Giants have reminded us that all you have to do is get in the tournament and get hot. And, once again, we’ve been reminded that parody in the NFL is simply a fact. If you don’t like the word “parody” I’ll say it another way: there is little that separates the top teams from each other. If we had championship game rematches this weekend we could easily end up with 2 different winners. Also, it’s not a waste of time to pay attention to injury reports: you never know the effect that an injury to one player will have on the outcome of a game.
As for my picks, I guess I’m okay with going 1-1 ATS and straight up. I could easily have gone 2-0. On the other hand, I could easily have gone 0-2. Hopefully I can end the season on a high note and get the Super Bowl right.
Super Bowl Preview: So the rematch is on…in like two months or something. This two week break between championship games and the Super Bowl is going to stick for a while isn’t it? One week of Super Bowl hype is suffocating. Two weeks is unbearable. It almost seems like the media has caught on to this because there really wasn’t much coverage of the big game during the first week. That’s good. I’m still going to complain about the wait. Let’s play the friggin’ game! And get rid of the stupid, silly, charade known as the Pro Bowl. Just stop it already!
Okay, that’s my rant about the week off. I’m glad we’re getting the rematch. It should be interesting. I figured the Pats would be favored but I can’t say that I understand why exactly. As much as I love thinking about the lines and following the betting action, I have to admit that I still don’t understand every facet of it. This feels like a tossup to me.
Why wouldn’t this game have been closer to a pick-em? I’m sure it has something to do with creating a 50/50 split of the money placed on the line but I don’t really understand why. Who thinks the Pats are more than a FG better than the Giants? In other words: who is taking the Pats against the spread if the line is -3? I don’t know, maybe I’m out of touch with the rest of the betting public.
This should be an interesting, exciting, and competitive game. Can’t ask for much more than that from a Super Bowl. I’m hoping to make the correct pick in the biggest game of the year, but since the line is 3 points, and I’m picking the Pats to win but not cover, it’s probably unlikely. I just think these teams are so close that maybe it will end up being 24-23 or 30-28. And of course, I can make these picks without having to consider “value” because I’m only playing for pride.
Super Bowl XLVI
New York Giants (+3) vs. New England
Pick: Patriots win but Giants beat the spread
Comments: Anytime a championship is up for grabs it’s obviously a big game. It might seem unnecessary to point out that there’s a lot at stake in this game, but the stakes seem even higher than normal for a Super Bowl. This is a big one. I know the Super Bowl is “the big one,” but from a historical stand point, this would appear to be an important game even amongst Super Bowls.
I can’t say that this is a bigger game for these teams than their meeting in Super Bowl XLII. Back then, the Patriots were trying to go undefeated and the Giants were trying to pull off one of the biggest upsets in NFL history. The Patriots still had an invincible aura at that time, while Eli Manning was trying to finish off a run that his critics wouldn’t have believed to be possible just a month earlier.
This isn’t quite such a big game, but it’s still big. The Patriots, Tom Brady, and Bill Belichick are trying to win Super Bowl number 4; a fairly magical number when it comes to NFL history (the Steelers of the 70’s; the Niners of the 80’s; Joe Montana; Chuck Noll; etc). Eli Manning is attempting to win his 2nd Super Bowl, which would give him 1 more than brother Peyton.
Just think about that last point for a moment. It’s pretty amazing. Both Manning brothers have been in the headlines often over the past couple of weeks, but for very different reasons of course. It’s cliché but true: fact really is often stranger than fiction. I mean what if Eli wins his 2nd Super Bowl, and then a couple of months later Peyton retires with only 1 championship to his name?
Clearly there’s a lot at stake for the winner. I think there’s definitely more pressure on New England because they have more to lose. The Giants have plenty to gain by winning, but if they lose this game they will still have made an incredible run, and Eli will still have reinforced the “clutch” reputation that he earned back in 2007. The Tom Coughlin/Eli Manning era has had some low points, but this run to the Super Bowl has already assured that it will be seen in a mostly positive light, regardless of the outcome of this one.
There’s more pressure on the Patriots not to lose. If New England wins people will look at the 2001-2011 era as a Patriots dynasty comparable with the Niners from 81-89. However, if the Patriots lose this game people will start to separate the 2001-2004 Patriots from the 2005-2011 Patriots. The latter era will be seen as a period of missed opportunities and failure in the biggest games.
There’s no question about it: the outcome of this game will have a tremendous impact on the way history views the Belichick/Brady Patriots. If the Pats win, people will talk about resiliency, coming back from the devastation of being 1 win away from perfection; from the injury to Brady in the first game of the following season; from losing their first playoff game the next couple of years. They’ll talk about settling the score with Eli and the Giants. They’ll talk about 4 titles for the coach and the QB.
If the Patriots lose, it will all be spun in the other direction. They’ll talk about the Mannings getting their revenge after the Patriots owned Peyton from 2001-2004. They’ll talk about 2 Super Bowl losses. They’ll talk about blowing the big lead in the AFC championship against the Colts. They’ll talk about Spygate. They’ll talk about losing twice in the playoffs at home. They’ll talk about going from the heroic underdogs back in 2001 to the big bullies during the later years.
You know this is exactly how things will be. I’m not exaggerating. It’s just the way it is. Fair or not, the pressure is on the Patriots. Having nothing to lose helped the Giants in 2007. Perhaps having everything to lose will help New England this year.
NBC has the coverage for this year’s Super Bowl so it will be Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth calling the action. Personally, I’m really glad Michaels is calling the game and not Joe Buck. I’m just tired of Buck. He’s not the worst; I’m just tired of him. And you never get tired of Michaels. He’s one of the best.
NBC has to be thrilled with this matchup. This was the best possible matchup once it was narrowed down to the final 4 remaining teams. This is the sexy matchup. It also features teams with history and large fan bases. Wait, what am I talking about? It’s the NFL. It’s the Super Bowl. Matchup is irrelevant. The ratings are going to be what they always are.
Matchup isn’t irrelevant for us sports fans. This was the best outcome for those of us who didn’t have a team in the fights last week. An SF-Baltimore all-Harbaugh matchup would of course have been the worst matchup. Sure, it would have made things easier on the media because they would have only needed to focus on one storyline during the entire two weeks from the end of championship Sunday through the Super Bowl. But it would have been torture on the rest of us.
Thankfully we dodged that bullet and ended up with the best case scenario. I’m excited. This is New York vs. Boston. This is a rematch. This is Eli vs. Brady. It’s Belichick vs. Coughlin. This is history in the making. That’s pretty good stuff. And this is a good game in terms of the teams being evenly matched. I think there’s a really good chance that we’ll have another highly competitive Super Bowl.
Playoff Position/Update
New York Giants: The Giants were the last of the 12 playoff teams to qualify for the postseason. The Giants hosted the Cowboys in the final game of the NFL’s regular season. The winner would go on to the playoffs as the NFC East division winner and the #4 seed; the loser would go home. The G-Men pounded the Boys, 31-14, to take the division title and get into the playoffs as the NFC’s #4 seed.
A week later, the #4 seed Giants hosted the #5 seed Falcons in the WC round. They led 7-2 at halftime and broke it open in the 2nd half. They shutout Atlanta 17-0 in the 2nd half and went on to win 24-2 in dominant fashion. The Saints had already won, so the Giants would be headed to play #1 seed Green Bay in the divisional round.
Last Sunday the #4 seed Giants upset the #1 seed Packers in the divisional round, knocking off Green Bay at Lambeau in the playoffs for the second time in 5 years. The Giants never trailed in the game and they were in control most of the day. They were ahead by 7 at the end of the 1st quarter, and they ended the 1st half with a dagger score at the buzzer, to take a 20-10 lead to halftime.
The Packers were within 7 at the start of the 4th quarter, but the Giants scored the next 10 points to put the game away, eventually winning it 37-20. The victory locked up the Giants for a trip to San Francisco to face the #2 seed Niners in the NFC championship game.
In the NFC title game, the Giants and Niners played an instant classic on a rainy day by the bay. The Niners drew first blood on a long TD pass to Vernon Davis midway through the 1st, but by halftime the G-Men held a 10-7 advantage. Another TD pass to Davis gave the Niners a 14-10 lead going to the 4th.
SF punt returner Kyle Williams’ first muffed punt setup the Giants for a Mario Manningham TD that gave them a 3-point edge with 8:34 to go. The Niners got a FG from David Akers with 5:39 left in the 4th to tie the score at 17-17 and the game stayed tied into overtime. With both teams struggling on offense it was Williams’ 2nd fumbled punt that turned the tide, setting Lawrence Tynes up for a short FG that gave the #4 seed Giants the NFC championship with a 20-17 win in OT.
New England: The Patriots defeated the Broncos on the road in week 15 (41-23) to clinch the AFC East division title. They came from behind to defeat the Dolphins in week 16 (27-24) to clinch a first round bye.
Going into week 17, the Pats needed a win over Buffalo or losses by both the Ravens and Steelers to clinch the #1 seed. If New England lost and either the Ravens or Steelers won, the Patriots would be the #2 seed.
Shockingly, the Pats trailed the Bills at home 21-0 after a quarter of play, but they scored 49 unanswered points to win 49-21, clinching the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs. The next week, both of the lower division winners in the AFC won in the WC round, meaning #4 seed Denver would be playing at New England in the next round.
In the divisional round, the #1 seed Patriots hosted the #4 seed Broncos. The Patriots dominated the action from start to finish, putting the game away by halftime, as they led it 35-7. They kept the pressure on at the start of the 2nd half and they never let up, eventually winning by the score of 45-10.
The #2 seed Ravens defeated the #3 seed Texans the next day, meaning the #1 seed Patriots would host the #2 seed Ravens in the AFC title game. On championship Sunday, the Patriots were in control for much of the game, leading 3-0 after 1 quarter, and 13-10 at the half. A FG with 9:06 remaining in the 3rd quarter increased their lead to 16-10 but the Ravens made a run to take a 20-16 lead into the 4th quarter.
Tom Brady scored on a QB sneak to give the Pats a 23-20 lead with 11:29 to play but the Patriots had a tough time hanging on. They had to dodge what looked like a sure TD pass in the final seconds and a chip shot FG attempt that would have tied the game at the buzzer to hold on. When it was all over the #1 seed Patriots were AFC champions with a 23-20 win.
Records and Trends
New York Giants: The Giants are now 12-7 overall and 11-7-1 ATS. They are 7-3 away from home (7-3 ATS). The G-Men have a +1.9 average scoring differential. New York has won 5 straight overall and 6 of their last 7. They have won 5 in a row and 7 of 8 ATS.
New England: The Patriots are now 15-3 overall and 10-8 ATS. They are 6-2 away from home (5-3 ATS). The Pats have an excellent +11.6 average scoring differential. New England has won 10 straight. They are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games.
Team Stats and Rankings
New York Giants: The Giants finished the regular season in good shape offensively, as they were 9th in scoring offense (24.6) and 8th in total offense (385.1) this season.
However, Big Blue was pretty bad during the regular season on the other side of the ball. They finished 25th in scoring defense (25.0) and 27th in total defense (376.4).
Football Outsiders ranked the Giants 7th in offense; 20th in defense; 16th in special teams; and 12th overall.
The Giants were tough to stop in the red zone this season, as they were 8th in RZ TD% (52.5%). However, they weren’t very good at stopping teams from scoring in the red zone on the other end. They finished the regular season 23rd in defensive RZ TD% (55.7%).
During the regular season, the Giants were tied 16th in giveaways, but they were tied 5th in takeaways, and they had a +7 turnover differential, good for tied 7th in the NFL.
The Giants were 11th in penalties and 9th in penalty yards. They returned a fumble for a TD and notched 2 safeties during the regular season, while allowing 3 pick-sixes and a safety.
In the WC round, the Giants won 24-2 over the Falcons. They had a 19-14 edge in first downs and outgained the Falcons 442-247. They dominated the ground game (172-64) and out-passed the Falcons 270-183.
They were 8 for 15 on 3rd down and 1 for 1 on 4th down. Defensively, they held the Falcons to 4 for 14 on 3rd down and 0 for 3 on 4th down.
There were no turnovers in the game. The G-Men scored TD’s on only 1 of 3 RZ possessions and 1 of 2 GtoG possessions. On the other side, they held the Falcons out of the end zone on their only RZ possession and the Falcons were never in a goal to go situation.
The Giants had a 9 minute edge in TOP and they went 1 for 2 on FG tries. They allowed a safety but had a 2-1 edge in sacks.
In the divisional round, the Giants shocked the Packers on the road in the divisional round, 37-20. There were some fairly interesting numbers at the end. The Giants had far fewer first downs (19-25) but they outgained Green Bay 420-388.
Had someone said before the game that the Packers would out-rush the Giants 147-95, it wouldn’t have been a good sign for New York. The G-Men passed for 325 yards, which wasn’t too surprising against GB’s defense. However, holding the Packers to just 241 yards passing was a flat out jaw dropper.
Both teams were 50% on 3rd down, with the Giants going 8 for 16 and the Packers going 6 for 12. The G-Men never went for it on 4th down while the Packers were 0 for 1. The Giants scored TD’s on just 2 of 5 RZ possessions, while GB went 2 for 3. The Packers never had a GtoG situation, while the Giants scored TD’s on 2 of 3 GtoG possessions.
Time of possession and penalties were about equal. The Giants were 3 of 4 on FG tries including 1 FG attempt that was blocked.
There were 2 main reasons for New York’s victory. One reason was their huge edge in sacks: 4 sacks recorded for -23; 1 sack allowed for -5 yards. The other big reason was their 4-1 edge in turnovers.
In the NFC championship game the Giants won a hard fought battle, 20-17 in overtime, on the road against the 49ers. The Giants had a 20-15 edge in 1st downs and a 352-328 edge in total yards. The G-Men lost the ground game (150-85) but won the battle in the air (267-178). The Giants committed 9 penalties for 60 yards, while the Niners were hit with 6 penalties for 50 yards.
The G-Men scored TD’s on 2 of 4 RZ opportunities and 1 of 2 goal to go chances. The 49ers were 0 for 1 scoring TD’s in the RZ and never had a GtoG opportunity. The Giants sacked Alex Smith 3 times for -18 yards, but Eli Manning was dropped 6 times for a loss of 49 yards.
There were several keys to victory for the Giants. While they were just 7 for 21 on 3rd down and 0 for 1 on 4th down, they held the 49ers to just 1 for 13 on 3rd down. The Niners did not attempt a 4th down conversion. In addition, the Giants had a huge 11:18 edge in time of possession. But the biggest single reason for New York’s win was their 2-0 edge in turnovers.
New England: The Patriots’ offensive machine was as potent as ever this year. They finished the regular season 3rd in scoring offense (32.1) and 2nd in total offense (428.0).
However, the Patriots might have been worse than ever defensively. They were 15th in scoring defense (21.4) but 31st in total defense (411.1) during the regular season.
Football Outsiders ranked New England 3rd in offense; 30th in defense; 5th in special teams; and 4th overall.
The Patriots excelled in the turnover game again this season, finishing the regular season 3rd in giveaways; tied for 3rd in takeaways; and 3rd in turnover differential at +17. They were 7th in penalties per game and 11th in penalty yards per game.
New England finished the regular season 3rd in offensive red zone TD% (65.3%) and 23rd in that category on defense (55.7%). The Patriots scored TD’s on 1 punt return, 2 INT returns, and a fumble return. They allowed 1 pick-six and 2 safeties during the regular season.
In the divisional round, the Patriots crushed the Broncos at home in the divisional round, 45-10. Because the game was such a rout, some of the statistics are less relevant than usual. However, they are still able to show just how one-sided it was. The Patriots had a 31-15 edge in first downs and outgained the Broncos 509-252. They had a 363-108 edge in passing yards and even managed to outgain the Broncos on the ground, 146-144.
The Patriots were 3 for 6 on 3rd down (the important stat here is just 6 3rd downs all game) while the Broncos were 7 for 18. The Pats never went for it on 4th down, while the Broncos were 2 for 3 on 4th down. New England scored TD’s on 5 of 6 RZ possessions and on 1 of 2 Goal to Go possessions. The Broncos scored TD’s on 1 of 3 RZ possessions and on 1 of 2 Goal to Go possessions.
The Pats lost the turnover battle (1-2) and the Broncos had about a 7 minute edge in TOP. But the Patriots won the sack battle 5-0, totaling -28 yards in sacks of Tim Tebow, while keeping Tom Brady clean. And New England was hit with just 2 penalties for 20 yards.
In the AFC championship game, the Patriots were somewhat fortunate to come away with a 23-20 win over the Ravens at home. They held a 25-19 edge in 1st downs, but the Ravens outgained the Patriots 398-330. The Patriots were outrushed 116-96 and outpassed 282-234. New England controlled the ball for 6:00 minutes less than Baltimore.
The Pats went 5 for 11 on 3rd down and 1 for 1 on 4th down; while the Ravens went 9 for 17 on 3rd down and 0 for 1 on 4th down. The Pats were hit with just 1 penalty for 5 yards. The Pats also went 3 for 3 on FG tries, while the Ravens went 2 for 3 on FG attempts. The Patriots scored TD’s on just 2 of 5 RZ possessions, while the Ravens were just 1 for 4. The Pats scored TD’s on both goal to go situations, while the Ravens scored a TD on their only goal to go try.
The Patriots won the game despite losing the turnover battle 3-1. New England had a big edge in the sack department, sacking Joe Flacco 3 times for -24 yards, while only giving up 1 sack for -5 yards.
Injury News
New York Giants: WR Domenik Hixon (knee); CB Justin Tryon (arm); CB Michael Coe (shoulder); WR Michael Clayton (knee); tackle William Beatty (eye); and tackle Stacy Andrews (lung) are on IR.
RB/KR Da’Rel Scott (knee) has missed the last 3 games and is questionable for the Super Bowl. LB Mark Herzlich (ankle) has missed the last 8 games and is questionable for the Super Bowl. LB’s Jacquian Williams (sprained right foot) and Chase Blackburn (shoulder) are probable.
New England: DE Mike Wright (concussion); DB Ras-I Dowling (hip); DB Josh Barrett (calf); LB Jeff Tarpinian (head); LB Jermaine Cunningham (hamstring); and DE Andre Carter (quad) are on IR. Carter’s loss was huge.
RB Shane Vareen has missed the last 6 games with a hamstring injury and is questionable for the Super Bowl. WR Deion Branch hurt his knee during the AFC championship game but is probable for the Super Bowl. WR Chad Johnson missed the AFC title game due to the death of his father but is probable for Super Sunday.
CB Kyle Arrington was forced from the game against the Ravens due to an eye injury but he is listed as probable for the big game. OT Sebastian Vollmer has missed the last 7 games due to lingering back problems but he is also listed as probable for the Super Bowl.
The biggest injury question of the Super Bowl by far is the health of superstar TE Rob Gronkowski. Gronk suffered a high ankle sprain in the AFC championship game and has been out of practice ever since. He has had his foot in a boot until recently. Gronkowski is listed as probable for Super Bowl XLVI.
Series History
These two teams have met only 10 times in history, all since 1970. Each side has won 5 times. The Patriots have won 4 of 6 meetings since 1996. Since 2007, the Giants hold a 2-1 edge.
The G-Men have won 2 straight against the Pats, including the last meeting, in week 9 of this season, at New England (24-20). The Patriots last win over the Giants came in the 2007 season finale on the road (38-35).
These two teams have met only once previously in the postseason. The Giants are 1-0 against the Patriots in the playoffs, winning Super Bowl XLII at the end of the 2007 season (17-14) as 12.5 point underdogs.
The Bill Belichick/Tom Brady Patriots are 2-2 against the Giants overall and 0-1 against the Giants in the postseason. As a head coach, Belichick is 2-4 against the Giants overall and 0-1 in the postseason.
The Tom Coughlin/Eli Manning Giants are 2-1 against the Patriots overall and 1-0 against the Patriots in the postseason. As a head coach, Coughlin is 3-4 against the Pats overall and 2-1 in the postseason.
Tom Coughlin’s teams are 4-1 against Belichick’s teams overall and 1-0 in the postseason.
Recap of Week 9 Meeting
In week 9, the Patriots hosted the Giants as 9-point favorites. Both teams came into the game 5-2. The Giants had won 2 straight coming in, while the Patriots were coming off of a loss at Pittsburgh. The Giants were playing without CB Prince Amukamara; RB Ahmad Bradshaw; and WR Hakeem Nicks. It was the first meeting between the two teams since New York’s stunning upset of the undefeated Pats in Super Bowl XLII at the end of the 2007 season. The Giants would end up winning this one in similar fashion, 24-20.
The Giants got the ball first and punted after picking up 1 first down. The Patriots’ first possession began at their own 5. They picked up 1 first down and then punted. The G-Men penetrated NE territory on their 2nd possession but on 4th and 1 from the NE 46 they punted. New England’s 2nd possession began at their own 6. They went 3-and-out and punted. The Giants went 3-and-out on their 3rd possession. The Patriots got the ball back at their own 17 and were driving inside NYG territory when the 1st quarter came to an end with the game still scoreless.
On the first play of the 2nd quarter the Patriots faced 2nd and 7 at the New York Giants 29. Tom Brady was picked off by Mathias Kiwanuka at the 19 and the Giants took over at their own 28. The Giants picked up 1 first down and then punted. The Patriots picked up a first down on their next possession before punting back to New York. The Giants began their 5th possession at their own 25 and moved to the NE 46, but on 4th and 19 from their own 45 they punted.
The Patriots began their 5th possession at their own 11 and they went 3-and-out. The Giants got the ball back in great field position at their own 49, but on 4th and 4 from the NE 45 they punted. NE’s 6th possession began at their own 9-yard line with just 3:20 remaining in the 2nd quarter. The Pats moved across the field, pushing the ball inside the New York 10 as the clock drained. On 4th and 7 from the 8, Stephen Gostkowski missed a 27-yard FG try and the Giants took over with just 3 seconds to play. Eli Manning took a knee and the game went to the half with still no score.
The Patriots got the ball first in the 2nd half but they turned it over on the third play of the 3rd quarter. On 2nd and 3 from the NE 43, Brady went deep down the left side for Rob Gronkowski and Deon Grant intercepted at the NYG 39. The G-Men quickly moved into NE territory following the change of position. The drive stalled inside the New England 10, and on 4th and 3 from the 4, Lawrence Tynes hit a 22 yarder to put the Giants on the board first, 3-0, with 10:09 to play in the 3rd quarter.
The ensuing NE possession began at the Patriots’ 16, but on the 3rd play of the drive the Pats once again turned it over. On 3rd and 10 from the 16, Brady was sacked by Michael Boley and fumbled. Jacquian Williams recovered at the 10 for the Giants. On the next play, Brandon Jacobs ran for a 10-yard TD to put the Giants on top, 10-0 with 9:10 to play in the 3rd quarter.
The Patriots went 3-and-out on their next possession. The Giants appeared to be in complete control, but Aaron Ross muffed the NE punt and Rob Ninkovich recovered for the Pats at the New York 33 with 8:19 to play in the 3rd quarter. The Pats picked up a 1st down but had to settle for a FG try on 4th and 3 from the 14. Gostkowski was good, this time from 32 yards out, to put the Pats on the board, down 10-3, with 5:29 left in the 3rd.
The Giants went 3-and-out on their next possession and momentum had shifted to the Pats. However, Julian Edelman fumbled New York’s punt and Spencer Paysinger fell on the fumble for the Giants at the Patriots 40-yard line with 3:54 left in the 3rd quarter. 2 plays later the Giants had a 1st and goal at the NE 2. The Giants looked on the verge of taking complete control but the New England defense stiffened. On 3rd and goal from the 5, Manning was picked off in the end zone by Kyle Arrington, keeping the score 10-3. The Pats offense now began to click and the Patriots were inside New York territory as the 3rd quarter came to a close.
The Pats tied the game on a 5-yard TD pass to Aaron Hernandez with 14:28 to play, capping a 7-play, 80-yard drive over just 2:41. The Giants picked up 2 first downs on their ensuing drive before punting. The Pats then got moving again, going 53 yards in 9 plays over 3:55, with Gostkowski hitting a 45 yarder to put the Patriots ahead for the first time in the game, 13-10, with just 7:08 to play.
Now trailing for the first time in the game, Manning and the Giants responded, driving from their own 15. They got a big boost from a 35-yard pass interference penalty on Arrington. On 3rd and 5 from the 10, Manning hit Manningham for a TD to put the Giants ahead 17-13 with just 3:03 left.
Helped by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Manningham after the TD, the Patriots started off their next possession at their own 36. They quickly moved to the New York 15 but then the Giants defense stiffened. Trailing by 4, the Pats had to go for it on 4th and 9 from the 14, and Brady hooked up with Gronk for a touchdown to put NE back in front, 20-17, with just 1:36 remaining.
The Giants got the ball back at their own 20 after a touchback. They had 2 timeouts remaining. The G-Men picked up 19 yards on the first play with a completion to Victor Cruz. On 3rd and 10 from the NYG 39 with 1:07 left, Manning hit Jake Ballard for 28 yards and a 1st down at the NE 33. Manning then scrambled for 12 yards to the 21 and the Giants burned their 2nd timeout with 35 seconds left. On the next play, Manning went deep for Cruz and Sergio Brown was called for PI in the end zone, giving the Giants a 1st and goal at the 1 with 30 seconds left.
Manning threw incomplete on 1st down and then Jacobs was stopped for no gain. The Giants used their last timeout with 19 seconds left, facing 3rd and goal from the 1. If the Patriots could hold on 3rd down the Giants would probably settle for a FG to send it into OT, but Manning hit Ballard in the end zone for the TD to put the G-Men on top 24-20 with just 15 seconds on the clock. The Patriots got the ball back at their own 21 with just 12 seconds left. They were unable to come up with a miracle on two plays, and the Giants won it, 24-20.
Both teams achieved 23 first downs but the Patriots had a 438-361 edge in total yards. The Giants barely outgained NE on the ground (111-106), while the Patriots had a 332-250 edge in the air. Both teams were hurt by penalties, with the Pats being hit with 7 for 81 yards and the Giants being charged with 6 for 50 yards. Time of Possession was essentially equal.
Neither team had great success on 3rd down, with the Pats going 5 for 15 and the Giants going 4 for 14. The Pats were 1 for 1 on 4th down, while the Giants never went for it on 4th down. The Pats scored TD’s on 2 of 4 RZ tries and on their only GtoG attempt. The Giants went 3 for 5 on RZ possessions and 2 for 3 on GtoG tries.
The Giants recorded 2 sacks for -10 yards while not allowing a sack. The Giants were 1 for 1 on FG tries while the Pats were 2 for 3 with a big miss included. The biggest key to the game was New York’s 4-2 edge in the turnover department.
Tom Brady did not have a good game, finishing 28 of 49 for 342 yards, 2 TD’s, 2 INT’s, and 1 fumble lost. Wes Welker had a big game, making 9 catches for 136 yards. Gronk also had a big game for NE, making 8 catches for 101 yards and a TD.
Manning completed 20 of 39 passes for 250 yards, 2 TD’s, and 1 INT. Victor Cruz caught 6 passes for 91 yards and drew the huge PI on the final drive.
Team Playoff Histories
New York Giants: This is the 31st playoff appearance for the New York Giants (first was in 1933), the 15th since 1981, the 7th since 2000, the 5th in the last 7 years, and the first since 2008. The Giants have played in 4 Super Bowls and won 3 of them. They also played in 14 pre-Super Bowl NFL championship games and won 3 of them. In addition, they won 1 pre-playoffs NFL championship, giving them a total of 7 NFL titles. They have played in 5 conference championship games and won all of them.
The Giants are now 23-24 overall in the playoffs and 11-15 in non-home games in the playoffs. They are 4-0 in conference championship games (2-0 on the road). The Giants have won 3 straight in the playoffs, with their last playoff loss coming in the 2008 divisional round against Philly (11-23).
The Giants were 6-10 in Tom Coughlin’s first season as head coach of the team (2004). Since then the G-Men have posted 7 straight non-losing seasons, 5 winning seasons, 4 double digit win seasons, 5 playoff appearances, and 3 division titles. They have also won a Super Bowl and will be playing in a 2nd Super Bowl during that stretch.
This is the 5th playoff appearance for the Tom Coughlin/Eli Manning Giants. They are now 7-3 overall in the playoffs and 1-0 in the Super Bowl.
This is Tom Coughlin’s 9th playoff appearance as a head coach (Jags and Giants). His teams are now 11-7 overall and 1-0 in the Super Bowl.
The Giants are 3-1 in the Super Bowl, winning their last Super Bowl appearance against the Pats in Super Bowl XLII at the end of the 2007 season (17-14). Their only loss in the Super Bowl came in Super Bowl XXXV against the Ravens at the end of the 2000 season (34-7).
The Giants are 1-0 against the Patriots in the playoffs and 1-0 in the Super Bowl, beating the Pats 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII at the end of the 2007 season.
New England: This is New England’s 19th playoff appearance (first was in 1963), their 18th since 1976, their 13th since 1994, their 9th in the last 11 years, and their 3rd straight. They have played in 6 Super Bowls, winning 3 of them. They also played in 1 AFL championship game. They have played in 8 conference championship games, winning 7 of them.
The Patriots are now 23-15 overall in the playoffs and 7-12 in non-home playoff games. The Patriots have won their last 2 playoff games, with their last loss coming at home against the Jets in the 2010 divisional round (28-21).
The Patriots went 5-11 in Bill Belichick’s first season as head coach of the team (2000). Since then, the Patriots have posted 11 straight winning seasons, 10 double digit win seasons, 4 seasons with 14 or more wins, 1 perfect regular season of 16-0, 9 playoff appearances, and 9 division titles. They have played in 4 Super Bowls, winning 3 of them, and will be playing in their 5th Super Bowl during that stretch.
This is the 9th playoff appearance for the Bill Belichick/Tom Brady Patriots. So far they are 16-5 overall in the playoffs in this era and 3-1 in the Super Bowl.
Overall this is the 10th appearance for Belichick as a head coach (with Cleveland and New England). His teams are now 17-6 in the playoffs.
The Patriots are 3-3 in the Super Bowl, losing their last Super Bowl appearance against the Giants in Super Bowl XLII at the end of the 2007 season (17-14). Their last win in the Super Bowl came in Super Bowl XXXIX against the Eagles (24-21). The Pats are 0-1 against the Giants in the playoffs and 0-1 against the Giants in the Super Bowl, losing Super Bowl XLII at the end of the 2007 season to the G-Men (17-14).
Keys to the Game
New York Giants: Offensively, the Giants need to protect Eli Manning and protect the ball. They need to convert on 3rd downs and take advantage of scoring chances.
On defense, the Giants must pressure Brady and force him into mistakes. They need to play tough on 3rd downs and in scoring situations.
Special teams will be key as always. The Giants need to limit NE returns and hit all FG attempts.
New England: First things first, the Patriots have to have a relatively healthy Rob Gronkowski. In addition, they must get an A or A+ game from Tom Brady.
Offensively, the Patriots must protect Brady and protect the ball. They must run the ball effectively to take pressure off of Brady and hit some deep shots to Deion Branch or the tight ends. They must convert on 3rd downs and take advantage of scoring chances.
On defense, Belichick must figure out a way to keep the NYG wideouts from torching the NE secondary. The Pats must pressure Manning and force him into mistakes. The Pats must stop the running game with their front 4 and at times get pressure on Manning with their front 4. They must play tough on 3rd downs and in scoring situations.
The Patriots are probably going to need some help from the officials in terms of how the game is called. If the refs call the game very tightly, and don’t allow the Patriots to play physical against the NYG receivers, it’s going to be tough for NE to stop the Giants.
Special teams will be key as always. The Patriots need to break some big returns and hit all of their FG attempts.
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