Well, it is here. I have avoided all the hype, and the talking heads, all the things that usually make the two-week lead-up to a Super Bowl a waste of time for me. I've tried to separate myself. Why? Because the Pats somehow won another playoff game they barely deserved. How many times have I seen that script. Baltimore did almost everything right, but at the end, their guy just couldn't hold onto the ball in the end zone for another half-second. Anyway, I'm finally over that whole ordeal. I don't know if John Harbaugh and more so Billy Cundiff are, but I am. I am ready to start talking about this game.
I was really confident after Championship Sunday that the Giants would win. It wasn't like my 'confidence' about the Ravens winning. I thought they could, I knew it would be close, but I wasn't surprised. My immediate reaction to the Super Bowl was that I would be surprised if New England won. I'm not that anymore. Maybe it is the two week layoff. Maybe it me coming out of my denial that New England could easily win the Super Bowl AGAIN. Maybe it is all of these things, but I am now a lot more concerned than I was fourteen days ago.
It isn't all due to the fact that more people seem to be picking the Giants, and that is because that is a really overused line. The Patriots are still the official favorites. The picks are maybe 60/40 for the Giants, and as far as experts go, it is leaning towards New England. ESPN had 40 people pick the game, and it went 22-18 NE. SI had five people, and it was 4-1 for New England. The funniest part was that a lot of the people picking New England were saying that they loved them because no one is picking them. A lot of people are.
No, the reason I am concerned is that this isn't as clear.cut as I thought. The Patriots defense has stepped up against the better teams they have played. The Patriots offense is still very good and I don't think anyone on the Giants can really cover Wes Welker. The Giants o-line is not very good and the Patriots pass rush is actually evident this year. I still like the Giants though, but I am just not sure. I do not think the Patriots can stop the Giants enough. To me, that is a bigger mismatch than the the other side of the Pats offense and the Giants defense. The Giants defense is substantially better now than it was in the middle of the year. Michael Boley is the play-caller of the defense. He was missing a lot of the season. That pass rush is better now than what it was earlier in the season. Osi is healthy. Tuck is healthy. JPP is a beast. The pass rush isn't as good as it was in 2007, but it doesn't need to be because the Pats aren't as good in 2007, especially at the o-line. The o-line in 2007 was incredible until the Super Bowl. This o-line wasn't as good.
Anyway, I'm nowhere near as confident as I was when the two-week break started. I think this game is going to be damn close, which will be bad for my heart pressure and sanity. I think the Giants will win the game, but I won't be surprised if the Pats win. I'll just be incredibly depressed as a sports fan.
Super Bowl XLVI
New York Giants vs New England Patriots (-2.5)
I was really confident after Championship Sunday that the Giants would win. It wasn't like my 'confidence' about the Ravens winning. I thought they could, I knew it would be close, but I wasn't surprised. My immediate reaction to the Super Bowl was that I would be surprised if New England won. I'm not that anymore. Maybe it is the two week layoff. Maybe it me coming out of my denial that New England could easily win the Super Bowl AGAIN. Maybe it is all of these things, but I am now a lot more concerned than I was fourteen days ago.
It isn't all due to the fact that more people seem to be picking the Giants, and that is because that is a really overused line. The Patriots are still the official favorites. The picks are maybe 60/40 for the Giants, and as far as experts go, it is leaning towards New England. ESPN had 40 people pick the game, and it went 22-18 NE. SI had five people, and it was 4-1 for New England. The funniest part was that a lot of the people picking New England were saying that they loved them because no one is picking them. A lot of people are.
No, the reason I am concerned is that this isn't as clear.cut as I thought. The Patriots defense has stepped up against the better teams they have played. The Patriots offense is still very good and I don't think anyone on the Giants can really cover Wes Welker. The Giants o-line is not very good and the Patriots pass rush is actually evident this year. I still like the Giants though, but I am just not sure. I do not think the Patriots can stop the Giants enough. To me, that is a bigger mismatch than the the other side of the Pats offense and the Giants defense. The Giants defense is substantially better now than it was in the middle of the year. Michael Boley is the play-caller of the defense. He was missing a lot of the season. That pass rush is better now than what it was earlier in the season. Osi is healthy. Tuck is healthy. JPP is a beast. The pass rush isn't as good as it was in 2007, but it doesn't need to be because the Pats aren't as good in 2007, especially at the o-line. The o-line in 2007 was incredible until the Super Bowl. This o-line wasn't as good.
Anyway, I'm nowhere near as confident as I was when the two-week break started. I think this game is going to be damn close, which will be bad for my heart pressure and sanity. I think the Giants will win the game, but I won't be surprised if the Pats win. I'll just be incredibly depressed as a sports fan.
Giants 27 (NYG) Patriots (23)
