New England - Vince Wilfork, Mark Anderson, Shaun Ellis, Kyle Love, Gerard Warren
NY Giants - Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Chris Canty, Linval Joseph
2011 Leaders
Mark Anderson 29 tackls, 10 sacks, 1 TFL
Jason Pierre-Paul 86 tckls, 16.5 sacks, 8 TFL
The defensive lines could play a very prominent part to deciding this game. The Giants D-Line has is capable of being dominant, and they have gotten healthy at the right time. With Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora regaining their health, the G-Men have 3 Defensive Ends that can play at an All-Pro level. The Patriots were able to to hold off the Ravens in the AFC Championship thanks to an outstanding effort from Vince Wilfork. Mark Anderson and Shaun Ellis aren't as quick as they used to be, but can still get to the QB when needed.
Wilfork is a bona fide star at DT for New England. He has been a force throughout his career and is showing no signs of slowing. There are not many defensive lineman in the league that can eat up blockers like Wilfork. To show off some athletic ability, he even picked off 2 passes earlier in the year, which actually lead the team at one point. Next to him on New England's front are quality veterans in Shaun Ellis and Mark Anderson. Ellis and Anderson are nearing the end of their careers and would love to get a Super Bowl ring. This unit cannot afford to let Eli Manning to get too comfortable.
Tom Brady certainly has memories of the Giants defensive line. The G-Men have perhaps the best D-Line in the NFL when healthy. Guess what? They are healthy now. Jason Pierre-Paul was a beast all season, leading the way with 86 tackles and 16.5 sacks. Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck have been putting up numbers like that for years. This year was not 1 of those years, but the 2 men battled injuries all season. The Giants have even began using a package in which all of their DEs are on the field at once. The capability of these men to hit Tom Brady could very well decide who takes home the Lombardi Trophy.
The defensive line is probably the best defensive unit for both of these teams. The Giants have a phenomenal defensive front. The Patriots are solid up front but not spectacular. New York has the clear advantage here. The pass rushing ability of the G-Men is what separates them. I love the way Jason Pierre-Paul has played this year, and Tuck and Umenyiora are no slouches either. I expect them to give Brady fits a la Super Bowl XLII.
Adavnatge - NY Giants
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