Super Bowl XLVI - Prediction

New England (-3) vs. NY Giants

The time has finally come to play Super Bowl XLVI. The New England Patriots and New York Giants are meeting on the biggest stage in football for the 2nd time in 5 years. New England enters the game as a 3-point favorite. This seems fair given the Patriots 13-3 record in the regular season versus the Giants 9-7 record, but the Giants have been playing lights out since Christmas. New England has won 10 straight games and New York has won 5 straight all while facing elimination. This should be an outstanding matchup and could provide just as much drama as we saw in Super Bowl XLII.

New England enters this game on a 10-game winning streak. The last time they lost was November 6, against guess who? The Giants. But this is nothing new for the Patriots. This is the 5th time they have played in the Super Bowl in the past 11 seasons. Tom Brady is leading another high scoring offense, and the defense has played better in the postseason. This team is looking to add on to the dynasty developed last decade. Tom Brady can join Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana as the only men to ever be the starting QB on 4 Super Bowl championship teams. Brady will need to get the ball out quickly and into the hands of his playmakers for the Patriots to win. They must also get a solid performance out of their defense, particularly their porous secondary.

The Giants enter the game playing outstanding football. They have faced 5 straight elimination games and won them all. Do they have one more in them? Eli Manning is one win away from outdoing older brother Peyton and winning his 2nd Super Bowl title. He will need to spread the ball around to the likes of Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks to etch his name as possibly the greatest Giants QB ever. If the Giants are going to win this game, Eli will most likely need to be the MVP. He is eager to break out of Peyton's shadow and become an elite QB of his own. He has the chance to further his own legacy on Sunday. Manning will also need to get a strong showing from his defense. The D-Line can be dominant. They will need to hit Tom Brady in the mouth a a few times. If they don't, then Eli will need to have some awfully broad shoulders to carry his team to victory.

This game seriously could go either way. Everyone seems to have jumped on the Giants bandwagon because they are the hot team. But New England has won 10 in a row so I'm not sure why the G-Men are considered the hot team. If you underestimate the Patriots you are bound to get burned. The Giants are the cocky team much like New England was back in Super Bowl XLII. Giving Belechick 2 weeks to prepare means he is sure to come up with something to give his team the advantage. Belechick and Brady will want to avenge their only Super Bowl loss together. The Giants dream run to end the season finishes with a loss. Tom Brady and Bill Belechick add one more Super Bowl title to their legacy.

Prediction - New England 27 NY Giants 23

Ringer's Record
ATS: 5-5
SU: 5-5

Super Bowl XLVI Preview - Coaching

New England - Bill Belechick, Bill O'Brien
NY Giants - Tom Coughlin, Kevin Gilbride, Perry Fewell

Career Records
Bill Belechick 175-97, 17-6 playoffs, 3 Super Bowls
Tom Coughlin 142-114, 11-7 playoffs, 1 Super Bowl

There are only 6 Head Coaches in the NFL that have won a Super Bowl. 2 of them are coaching in this game. Bill Belechick has won 3, and could join Chuck Noll as the only men to win 4 as a Head Coach with a victory. Tom Coughlin could become the 13th man to lead his team to multiple title as a Head Coach. Both of these men have made the most of their 2nd stint as a Head Coach in the NFL. Belechick has been considered an all-time great for awhile now, while Coughlin is on the hot seat annually. A win here could permanently cool his seat down.

Bill Belechick is in his 12th season as New England's Head Coach. This will be his 5th appearance in the Super Bowl. He brought a great defensive background to the team and has since become the greatest strategist in the NFL on either side of the ball. Belechick has evolved with the league. Since the NFL has become an offensive league, Belechick has changed some of his philosophies. Though Belechick is largely responsible for the game plan on both sides of the ball, he is aided on offense by Bill O'Brien. O'Brien was recently named the Head Coach at Penn State which proves that he obviously has a great offensive mind. On the defensive side, the Patriots do not employ a Defensive Coordinator. Belechick calls the shots. This coaching staff will mix things up on both sides of the ball and try to keep the Giants off balance.

Tom Coughlin has had a roller coaster ride as Head Coach of the Giants. This is his 8th season in New York, and despite appearing in his 2nd Super Bowl in that time, he continually finds himself with low job security. With a win in Super Bowl XLVI he will have just as many Super Bowl victories as legendary Giants coach Bill Parcells, who just got inducted into the Hall of Fame today. He has great assistants too. Kevin Gilbride runs the offense. He has changed the Giants philosophy over the last couple years. The old school Giants won games by running the ball and playing solid defense. Now they can rely on the passing attack to lead them to victory. They are more explosive through the air than they have ever been. Defensively, Perry Fewell is the man in charge. Fewell has been a hot commodity in the coaching ranks because of his accomplishments as the Giants Defensive Coordinator.

The Giants have a very solid coaching staff, but how do you go against Belechick? The man has won 3 rings already and is considered to be one of the best coaches in NFL history. He will have his team unbelievably prepared for this game. Coughlin will have his team prepared too, but Belechick has been masterful with 2 weeks to prepare for a game. Coughlin is a very good coach, but Belechick is a living legend.

Advantage - New England

Super Bowl XLVI Preview - Special Teams

New England - Stephen Gostkowski, Zoltan Mesko, Danny Woodhead, Julian Edelman
NY Giants - Lawrence Tynes, Steve Weatherford, Will Blackmon

It is very possible that Special Teams will play a vital role in this game. Look at the NFC Championship. Special Teams blunders are exactly what got the Giants to the Super Bowl. The Ravens and 49ers both found out the hard way that Special Teams decides close ball games. This game appears like it will be close.

New England was solid in kick coverage this season, ranking 6th overall. Bill Belechick's teams are usually very disciplined and this one is no different. Their return game ranked in the bottom half of the NFL, but that doesn't mean that Danny Woodhead or Julian Edelman can;t take one to the house. Their kicking specialists have been solid but seldom used. Field Goals and punts are not in the vocabulary of the Patriots. Though when forced to use these two areas of the game, New England is solid there as well. Stephen Gostkowski is no Adam Vinatieri, but he is capable of making a big kick if needed.

New York was solid in Special Teams as well. They were opposite of New England though. The G-Men ranked 7th in return yards and 16th in return coverage. Will Blackmon has been a very good return man. Blackmon has not returned a TD as a member of the Giants, but has 4 in his career. Lawrence Tynes kicked the Giants into the Super Bowl for the 2nd time in 5 seasons. So we know he can make a pressure kick when called upon.

It could be a big play in Special Teams that decides this game. Both teams are solid in this area, if not spectacular. They are very evenly matched in this aspect of the game. I will give a slight edge to the Giants. I don't expect either team to come up with huge returns. I ultimately trust Lawrence Tynes to make a timely kick more than I do Stephen Gostkowski.

Advantage - NY Giants

Super Bowl XLVI Preview - Secondary

New England - Devin McCourty, Kyle Arrington, Julian Edelman, Patrick Chung, James Ihedigbo
NY Giants - Corey Webster, Aaron Ross, Prince Amukamara, Antral Rolle, Kenny Phillips

2011 Leaders
Kyle Arrington 88 tackles, 7 INT
Corey Webster 51 tackles, 6 INT

These secondaries have definitely taken odd paths to the Super Bowl. New England's bunch consists of an undrafted player, a guy that nobody wanted, and a player whose actual position is on the offensive side of the ball. New York's secondary was thought to be a weak spot when their best DB, Terrell Thomas, went down with a season-ending injury in training camp. Some of this would explain why the Giants ranked 29th against the pass, and the Patriots 31st. Mix that with Tom Brady and Eli Manning throwing the ball, and there is potential for these units to get eaten up on Sunday.

New England's secondary has given up big chunks of yardage in the passing game this season. The holes in the secondary have been so large, that Bill Belechick has converted WR/KR Julian Edelman into his nickle back. Kyle Arrington has the best numbers of the group, finishing 2nd on the team in tackles and leading it in interceptions. Safeties, James Ihedigbo and Patrick Chung are solid against the run but are not very good in pass coverage. This has Eli Manning salivating. The Giants like their matchups. They feel like they will be able to get big plays downfield against the Pats. New England's DBs must step their game up if they want to win their 4th Super Bowl in the last 11 seasons.

Terrell Thomas was the top playmaker in the Giants secondary a year ago. Many in New York were rightfully concerned when he was lost for the year. The rest of the secondary was picked apart throughout the regular season, but they have stepped it up in the playoffs. The players in this group have been solid during their careers, and feel disrespected by the way they have been talked about this year. 3 of the 4 starters in New York's defensive backfield have Super Bowl experience (Corey Webster, Aaron Ross, Antrell Rolle). These men should certainly be able earn respect back in the Super Bowl. Tom Brady will be gunning for them and someone will need to make a play.

It is very difficult to say the secondary that ranked 29th against the pass this season has an advantage, but remember the Patriots ranked 31st. I think that the experience of the Giants secondary gives them an edge. Webster, Ross, and Rolle have all been here before. Receivers will get open in this game, and yards will be had. But with all things considered, I think the G-Men are more capable of getting a big play out of their secondary than the Patriots are.

Advantage - NY Giants