Super Bowl XLII Pick

Super Bowl XLII – Glendale, AZ
University of Phoenix Stadium
February 3, 2008 @ 6:20PM EST

New York Giants(13-6) Vs New England Patriots(18-0)

The Line – Giants +11.5 / Patriots -11.5 Over/Under 53.5

The Patriots and the Giants will be leaving the cold behind and making a trip to the warm and sunny Phoenix, Arizona area to bask in the heat of the flash bulbs and camera lights as they step atop the world’s greatest stage in the football world. Newspapers, magazines, radio stations, and televisions are buzzing with the excitement and build up the hype as each team makes their preparations for the Super Bowl. So with all the hype and excitement, who will take the field with the best preparation? Who has the confidence to succeed? Who has the heart to lay it all on the line every second for a full sixty minutes? And once that final whistle blows, who will hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy in conquest?

The Giants

Ranked # 8 in overall offense the New York Giants has been able to average 197.1 passing yards per game (21^st) and 134.4 rushing yards per game (4th), which has amounted to an average 331.4 total yards (16^th) and 23.3 points per game (14^th). Their defense has shown a consistent improvement over each of the last few weeks placing them 5^th in overall defense. Allowing an average of 207.3 yards passing per game (11^th) and only 97.7 rushing yards per game (8^th) their opposing teams have only averaged 302.0 yards per game (7^th) and scored an average 21.9 points (17^th).

The Patriots

Ranked #2 in overall offense the New England Patriots has been able to average 295.7 passing yards (1^st) and 115.6 rushing yards per game (13^th) giving the Patriots an average of 411.2 yards (1^st)and 36.8 points scored per game (1^st). This has allowed their defense to be good, but not top of the line as they have ranked 8^th overall in the NFL. However, only allowing an average 190.1 passing yards (6^th), 98.2 rushing yards (10^th), and 288.3 total yards (4^th) with 17.1 points a game (4^th) can be crippling to an opponent that is forced to stop New England’s high powered offense.

The Showdown

Eli Manning has seemed to snap out of his unpredictable good quarterback/bad quarterback, Jekyll and Hyde play that plagued him during the regular season to complete 53 of 85 for 599 yards and four touchdowns in the postseason, and has put together a completion percentage of 62.4 and no interceptions. After a close match up with New England in the final game of the regular season, and Plaxico Burress’s outstanding performance of 154 yards on 11 receptions in the NFC Championship, no one can tell the Giants they don’t stand a chance to win this weekend. Eli has been having dreams of a Super Bowl ring to compare to his brothers, “and I got mine sooner Peyton,” is the mock he would love to gloat over. But don’t think Tom Brady and Randy Moss don’t have plans of their own, with history in the making and perfection 3600 playable seconds away from the moment of kickoff, the Patriots and Belichick have every intention of not only winning, but obliterating the spread. I’ll never jump the Patriots bandwagon, and would actually find some satisfaction in a Giants win, but only a Giant fan or someone crossing their fingers for play uncharacteristic of the Patriots team could take the risk of picking the Giants to win.

Patriots Perfect season, sets an unbreakable record
Vince Lombardi Trophy goes to the Patriot World Champions.