Both teams have elite quarterbacks and loads of talent at wide receiver. But none of that matters if you can’t get a pass away, so Super Bowl XLVI will likely be won or lost in the trenches. That should give a decided advantage to the New York Giants, who have made a living drafting and developing dominant defensive linemen in recent years. All we have heard this season about the New England Patriots is how porous their defense can be. “The pass rushers are going to tell the story. Both quarterbacks and receiving corps are operating at a high level,” NBC football analyst Tony Dungy said. “I expect the secondaries to have a tough time, which is why I think the team that can generate the most quarterback pressure will have an advantage. The Giants have obviously been hot at pressuring the quarterback the latter part of the season, but the Patriots have gotten hot the last two games.”
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But is that enough for the Patriots? While their performance without the ball has improved in these two postseason games, it’s not like Baltimore (338.7 yards a game) or Denver (316.6 yards a game) were elite offenses. Those two teams ranked No. 15 and No. 23, respectively. And both games were played at home. In a neutral-site dome on field turf against New York (385.1 yards a game), which ranked eighth in total offense, New England’s challenge is magnified.
The Giants’ defense, however, also has some flaws. There’s a reason that even with so much talent up front, New York still managed to finish 27th in yards allowed per game (376.4). Yes, that’s better than the Patriots (411.1). But if the Giants can’t find a way to get to Tom Brady, he should be able to pick them apart. There doesn’t appear to be a Plan B because the secondary and linebackers aren’t good enough in coverage otherwise.
“Right now, [New York is] the most complete team in the playoffs,” NBC analyst Rodney Harrison said. “You really don’t want to face a team that can get after the ball like they can.”
– Brian McNally
