New England - Wes Welker, Deion Branch, Chad Ochocinco, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez
NY Giants - Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham, Jake Ballard, Travis Beckum
2011 Leaders
Wes Welker 122 rec, 1569 yds, 9 TD
Victor Cruz 82 rec, 1536 yds, 9 TD
Both of the teams playing in Super Bowl XLVI have outstanding playmakers at the Wide Receiver and Tight End positions. New England has a solid veteran presence at WR in Wes Welker, Deion Branch, and Chad Ochocinco, and a deadly combination of TEs in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. The Giants receiving corps is dominated by rising stars. Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz have been special this season, and Jake Ballard is a huge target for Eli Manning in the red zone. There is a ton of star power in the passing game on both sidelines. Expect these teams to have big plays through the air.
New England's passing attack has evolved over the years. The last time these teams met in the Super Bowl, they used a vertical passing game that featured big plays to Randy Moss. Moss is long gone from the Patriots, and now they employ an intermediate passing game. That suits Tom Brady just fine. Wes Welker likes to get the ball in space, Deion Branch is the possession guy, and Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez create major mismatches with their versatile skill sets. This gives Tom Terrific options all over the field.
The Giants have also changed their offensive philosophy since Super Bowl XLII. Back then they utilized their ground game much more. Now the G-Men are a pass 1st offense. Victor Cruz came out of nowhere to gain over 1500 yards in the air. His meteoric rise to the upper echelon of NFL Receivers has been a story to watch unfold. Hakeem Nicks became one of the league's top receivers last season, and followed that up with another solid year in 2011. Mario Manningham is as good of a 3rd option as you will find anywhere. And Jake Ballard and his 6'6 frame is a prime target near the end zone. This unit should be licking their chops at the opportunity to go against New England's porous secondary.
It is difficult to choose which team has the advantage here. Both teams will live and die through the air. A lot will depend on how healthy Gronkowski is. Gronk was unbelievable in the regular season, by breaking an NFL record for TEs with 15 TD. He is unstoppable in the red zone and his high ankle sprain is a concern. The Giants' receivers have been great all year, but I like the combo of Welker and the Patriots TEs just a little bit more. I give the Pats a small advantage here.
Advantage - New England
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