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NEW ENGLAND vs. NEW YORK |
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GIANTS  Can QB Eli Manning lead his team to glory in Super Bowl XLII? The Giants are on a hot streak and hope to ride it all the way to a Super Bowl win. They have won their last 10 games on the road, including 3 big upset wins in the Playoffs. In the Wild Card round, the Giants took on the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay and had no trouble there. In the Divisional showdown against the Cowboys, the Giants defense pushed hard and helped them squeak out a close win. Last week in the NFC Championship, they went into Green Bay and pulled off an overtime upset of the Packers. KEY PLAYERSQB Eli Manning has been stellar in the playoffs. After throwing 20 interceptions and losing 7 fumbles in the regular season, Eli has not had a turnover in the Playoffs. He has passed for 602 yards with 4 TDs in 3 games. The RB tandem of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw has been wearing down defenses. They combined for 130 yards rushing and 2 TDs against a very good Packers defense last week. WRs Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress have been spectacular. Amani has 196 yards receiving with 3 TD in the Playoffs. Plaxico was double and triple teamed in the first two playoff games, but when the Packers tried to play him one-on-one, Plaxico racked up 154 yards receiving. Eli has had success throwing to TE Kevin Boss and WR Steve Smith in some key situations. The Giants defense has been tough. They have forced 5 interceptions, including one in the endzone against the Cowboys, which sealed the win and one against the Packers in OT to set up the game-winning field goal. They have also defended 23 passes( passes which are knocked down by the defense), which is the most for any team in the playoffs. While they have only recorded 3 sacks, the Giants have put a lot of pressure on QBs in the playoffs and forced them to make quick decisions. KEYS TO VICTORY -As a team, the Giants offense has not turned the ball over in the playoffs. They need to take care of the ball and not give the Patriots easy opportunities.
-Eli must spread the ball out to all his receivers. He’s got a talented group and needs to keep the Patriots on their heels by using all his options.
-They need to pound the ball with the running game. The offensive line has been able to open up good holesand they nee to continue this in Super Bowl XLII.
-Guard against the deep plays. With Randy Moss and Wes Welker out there, the Giants need to keep up the good work with their DBs. |
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PATRIOTS  Can QB Tom Brady get one more win and keep the Patriots perfect? The Patriots won their 18th game in a row and became the first team to go 18-0 in NFL history. After a first-round bye, the Patriots got tested when they faced the Jaguars. They were tied at halftime, but the Patriots pulled away in the 2nd half and notched their 17th win. Last week in the AFC Championship, the Chargers gave them a battle. However, the Patriots were shut out in the 1st and 3rd quarters. The Patriots defense stepped up and did no allow a single TD in the game and allowed them to grab the victory. KEY PLAYERSQB Tom Brady was he NFL’s best in the regular season and won the league MVP award. In the Playoffs, Tom had a record-breaking performance against the Jaguars when he completed an amazing 92.9 percent of his passes. In the AFC Championship game, he was picked off 3 times, but still threw 2 TDs. He also engineered a drive that lasted over 9 minutes that ended the Chargers’ chances of a comeback. WR Randy Moss was huge in the regular season, but has drawn double and triple coverage in both playoff games. Even though he only has 2 catches, he has opened up the field for his teammates to have success. WR Wes Welker has made 16 receptions for 110 yards and 2 TDs in the Playoffs. Two more of Brady’s capable targets are the speedy WR Donte Stallworth and WR Jabar Gaffney. They make big catches when the Patriots need them. RB Laurence Maroney has come up big with 244 yards rushing with 2 TDs in the Playoffs. RB Kevin Faulk has shown his catching skills grabbing 13 receptions for 114 yards over the last 2 games. KEYS TO VICTORY -Tom Brady. He is the heart of the team and can’t give the Giants opportunities with interceptions.
-Running the ball. Even though the Patriots are a passing team, Laurence Maroney has had success in the Playoffs and needs to be a part of the strategy.
-Don’t forget about defense. The Patriots can thank their defense for their last win and will need to stop the run and cover some talented WRs against the Giants.
-Win the special teams battle. The Giants have relied on their kick returners and punter Jeff Feagles to get consistently good field position. Tune in to FOX on February 3rd at 6:00 PM ET to see all the action of Super Bowl XLII! |
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