Allison Dean is guest writing for Chat Sports in anticipation of Super Bowl XLVI
It’s that time of year, folks. Another NFL season has led us to the most exciting NFL event of the year: The Super Bowl. Leaving Packers, Saints, Ravens, and Texans fans (I know, I’m one of them) in disappointment, we’ll all have déjà vu as we watch the New York Giants and the New England Patriots battle it out on February 5th ; but only one can be Super Bowl XLVI’s reigning champion.
After meeting at Super Bowl XLII 4 years ago, the question on everyone’s mind is, “Will this year’s Super Bowl be a repeat of Super Bowl XLII?” In case you need a recap, the Patriots lost in a sweat-inducing 17-14 game. During the regular season, the Patriots went undefeated, barely pulling it together in the last game of the season with a 38-35 Giants’ defeat; meanwhile, the Giants that season, considered a wild-card team, had a 10-6 record. Everyone knew when the Patriots and Giants became Super Bowl XLII’s contenders that it was going to be a teeth-clenching, nail-biting, sore-hamstrings-from-repeatedly-jumping-out-of-your-seat game, and that it was.
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Now, all we can do is look at the stats and speculate. This season, the Giants went 9-7 while the Patriots went 13-3. Interestingly, each of this year’s Super Bowl contenders have the same head coaches and QBs that accompanied them to the Super Bowl in 2008; the Giants have their head coach, Tom Coughlin, and QB, Eli Manning, while the Patriots have head coach, Bill Belichick, and QB, Tom Brady.
However, there are some blatantly obvious differences between the 2007-2008 and 2011-2012 seasons that could render whole different Super Bowl outcome this year:
First, while the teams’ regular season match-up resulted in another close game, it did so with a different outcome: The Giants experienced a 24-20 win over the Patriots.
Second, the Giants’ have some new, young receivers to be feared. Compared to the 2007-2008 seaon’s receivers (Amani Toomer, David Tyree, and Plaxico Burress), this season’s Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, and Victor Cruz may just have what it takes to change the tide in the upcoming game.
Third, the Patriots do not still have the defensive and offensive game they did in the 2007-2008 season. The retired Randy Moss, who made a serious showing with Brady in the 2007-2008 season, will noticeably be missing. There’s no denying that the Patriots’ offense has got some serious game this season, but they don’t quite have the passing-touchdown game they had in the 2007-2008 season.
Also, the Patriot’s defense is simply not what it was in the 2007-2008 season. Sure, they have Anderson, but can their defensive line truly impede on all that is Eli Manning?
We can speculate all we want, but we’ll have to watch the excitement to find out. Kickoff time, at present, is scheduled for February 5th at 6:30EST / 5:30 CST on NBC.
Allison Dean is a writer bringing to us the things you need to know about Super Bowl XLVI. Allison also writes about medical malpractice lawyers.
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