The Super Bowl, also known as the biggest and most anticipated championship game in the United States, continues its long standing tradition on February 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
This year the contest is between the AFC (American Football Conference) Champions, the New England Patriots, and the NFC (National Football Conference) Champions, the New York Giants.
The distinct thing about this year’s Super Bowl is it’s a rematch of the 2008 Super Bowl XLII when the Patriots and the Giants faced off for the title at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The game came down to the final seconds when Giants quarterback Eli Manning threw a touchdown pass to former Giants receiver Plaxico Burress to win the game 17-14.
The Patriots are a “no surprise” team in this year’s Super Bowl. After a 13-3 regular season record, the Patriots won AFC East and clinched the number 1 seed in the playoffs. The Patriots are looking for their fourth Super Bowl victory. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had a career season this year passing for a career high 5,246 yards (the second highest total in NFL history) and 39 touchdown passes, with just 12 interceptions. Key contributors for the Patriots this season included: Wes Welker, who led the NFL with 122 receptions 1,569 yards and 9 touchdowns; Rob Gronkowski, who set new tight end records for receiving with 1,327 yards and touchdown catches with 17; and Aaron Hernandez who caught 79 passes for 910 yards and 7 touchdowns, while also rushing for 45 yards. The Patriots are headed by Bill Belichick who’s in his 12th season as the coach for the Patriots.
Then, of course, there’s our Nebraska hero, Danny Woodhead, who graduated from nearby Chadron State College and is playing in his first career Super Bowl for the Patriots. So far this season, Woodhead gained 351 yards on the ground and also contributed with 437 yards returning kickoffs.
The New York Giants got here the hard way. With a 9–7 record during the regular season, the “G-Men” returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2008, when they won the tough NFC East and finished the season as the NFC’s number 4 seed and they’re looking for there fouth Super Bowl. The Giants offense is led by quarterback Eli Manning. Manning set new career highs in nearly every statistical category in 2011, throwing for a franchise record 4,933 yards, 29 touchdowns and giving him a 92.9 passer rating. Eli’s top target, Victor Cruz, caught 82 passes for a franchise record 1,536 yards and 9 touchdowns. Running back Ahmad Bradshaw was the team’s leading rusher with 659 yards and 9 touchdowns. Brandon Jacobs also contributed with 571 yards and 7 touchdowns. The Giants are headed by Tom Coughlin, who’s coaching in his 11th season as the coach of the Giants.
My prediction has most signs pointing toward a Patriot’s victory. Tom Brady is going to down as one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of NFL, and the last thing he wants is a tarnished reputation against the Giants in the Super Bowl. That being said, Brady will have a near-perfect game and the Patriots offense will overpower the great defense of the Giants. Final score: Patriots 34, Giants 21.
The Super Bowl game is set kickoff at around 4:30 p.m., and it can be seen on NBC with Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth bringing you the action.
