#1 Will Brady and Belichick let the Giants beat them in the Super Bowl again?

This is the biggest question of them all. The Giants match up well with the Patriots. They have a high powered offense that can throw on their weak secondary, as well as a scary pass rush that seems to be the only thing that can stop Brady. However, with the kind of player Brady is and the kind of coach Belichick is, it’s hard to imagine them letting the Giants beat them in the Super Bowl again. The duo is the best quarterback-coach tandem in the NFL, and they have created some magical seasons together. It is not very often that the Patriots lose two games in a row, but they did lose back-to-back games this season, the second coming against the Giants. Now, knowing what happened in Super Bowl 42 and what happened earlier on in the season, Belichick and Brady will surely know that things must be done differently in order to beat the Giants. Like I said, the Giants match up well with the Patriots, but the killer B’s will do everything in the power to stop them. The Patriots will need to get crafty to this win, so we’ll see if Belichick has one more trick up his sleeve.

Check back tomorrow for my final Super Bowl Preview!

#2 Can the Giants pass rush get to Tom Brady like they did in Super Bowl XLII?

The Giants have a similar pass rush to that of the Super Bowl 42 champions; Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora are still both there, and they have Jason Pierre-Paul now instead of Michael Strahan. The key to winning that Super Bowl was getting sacks and pressuring Tom Brady, and it will be no different now. The Giants have recorded nine sacks this postseason, with 3.5 coming from Umenyiora. It’s no secret that putting pressure on Brady changes the way he plays, but the question is how much pressure the Giants will have to put on Brady in order to beat him. Brady will certainly be making throws and scoring points on a weaker New York secondary, so the key is to get to him before the receivers get open. New England has a pretty good offensive line, so the Giants’ pass rush will surely have to rely on their cornerbacks and safeties to give them enough time to get to the quarterback. The Giants must hit early, often, and hard. They will probably need to record at least four or five sacks on Brady to truly take him out of his game.

#3 Will it come down to who has the ball in their hands last?

Many are expecting a high scoring affair because two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL are attacking two of the weaker secondaries in the NFL. Brady has been a monster this season, leading his team to some late-game wins. However, no one has been as clutch in the fourth quarter as Manning. He has so many touchdowns in the final period this season, many being game clinchers. The teams have the potential to make this a shootout, so it could very well come down to who has the ball in their hands last. Tom Coughlin and Bill Belichick are going to have to do some great clock management in order to avoid having their defense on the field at the end of the game. In the last Super Bowl, Brady had an outside chance to come back, but the Giants’ defense stopped him. This year, with the way the two quarterbacks are playing, I have a feeling that the player who has the ball last will guide his team to victory.

#4 Is the game more important for Brady or Manning?

It may not sound like this will be a factor in the actual game, but if you really think about it, it will. Brady and Manning are two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, so it’s really going to come down to who wants it more. Manning is trying to silence his critics. After a Super Bowl ring that was won mainly by a dominant Giants defense, he has put together a season (and postseason) in which he has carried his team and truly developed into an elite quarterback. A win for Eli would go a long way towards shaping his legacy. Having multiple Super Bowl rings is something that not many quarterbacks can boast, including his brother Peyton. Manning knows that he has a chance to go down in history here and really make his mark on the position of quarterback. As for Brady, the game couldn’t be bigger. A win for him would not only give him his fourth Super Bowl ring, tied for most by quarterbacks with Joe Montana, but he will also surpass Montana in the category of playoff wins for most all-time. Brady also is going to be out for revenge on the Giants. They ruined his perfect season, so he is going to aim to end their magical run. With all of the accolades that Brady has received, it is very possible that with a win here, he can be considered the greatest quarterback of all time, and, although he’s gotten older, he is still playing his best football, so he could make another run at the Super Bowl. I believe that the game is more important for Brady, but it is extremely crucial for Manning’s career too.

#5 Has Eli lost his magic in the fourth quarter, or was the NFC championship game just a fluke?

During the game against San Francisco, the stage was set for Manning. He had the opportunity to take his team on a drive at the end to win it, something he has done so many times this year, and to my surprise, he was not successful. Manning actually had about four or five of those opportunities in the fourth quarter and overtime in which he did not lead his team down the field to win the game, and the Giants lucked out by having Kyle Williams fumble the ball. Although Manning has had a lot of success in the playoffs, he has yet to be put in a situation where he needs to win the game and came through. Eli has done it so many times this year, once against the Patriots, so I find it hard to believe that he has lost his magic. I would chalk it up to him playing against a stingy and disciplined defense that brought a lot of pressure and knocked him around all day. Nonetheless, Manning is an elite and clutch quarterback who should thrive against the Patriots, especially in the fourth quarter. Don’t be surprised if we see Super Bowl XLII all over again.

#6 Is Another Choke in Store?

The theme of championship weekend was who could choke the game away. With two incredibly close and competitive games, it came down to two big plays that were blown by two individuals. Billy Cundiff shanked a chip shot field goal that would have sent the Ravens into overtime, while Kyle Williams muffed two punts, leading to ten points for the Giants. One of the punts gave the Giants the field position for their winning field goal in overtime. Both the Patriots and Giants are teams that have mental toughness and good coaching, so one would not expect a choke to happen. But did anyone expect these chokes either? The Ravens and 49ers are coached by the Harbaugh brothers, two coaches that preach discipline and fundamentals. While you can’t necessarily blame it on the coaches, it was still a shock. It’s a shame that the two games ended the way they did, so hopefully it doesn’t happen. But who knows, maybe Cundiff and Williams are foreshadowing the ultimate choke?

#7 Who is more deadly: Victor Cruz or Rob Gronkowski?

The two biggest weapons on both teams lie in Cruz and Gronkowski. Cruz, a super quick and slippery wide receiver, has been on an absolute tear since Week 3. Starting with that game against the Eagles, Cruz has had at least 70 yards each game in all but three of them, including the playoffs. He has also collected nine touchdowns. The most dangerous attributes that Cruz possesses are his hands, his ability to get separation, and his big play potential. As the season has gone on, Cruz has rarely dropped a ball and does an excellent job of getting himself open, making things easier on Manning. What you need to watch for in Cruz is if he can get a long touchdown. During the last two games of the regular season, the Giants were in must-win territory. Cruz responded with 9 catches for 342 yards and two touchdowns coming from 99 and 74 yards out.

Gronkowski is a whole new element. As a tight end, he is naturally physical and hard to tackle, but his speed gives him something that most tight ends don’t have. Gronk is pretty much impossible to cover, especially in the red zone. He has broken multiple tight end records this season and has only had four games where he had less than 60 yards. In their previous meeting, both players shined; Cruz has six catches for 91 yards and Gronk recorded eight catches for 101 yards. Both players also have an elite counterpart, Hakeem Nicks for Cruz and Wes Welker for Gronk, that takes some pressure off of them. The Giants and the Patriots both have a weak secondary, so I expect the two players to succeed. However, Cruz is the more dangerous one, because his speed and big play ability can completely change a game with a long touchdown.