The Fan Hub

From: David Jacober
To: Craig Lowell, Sean Melia
Subject: The Super Bowl XLVI Pats-Giants 2: The Circle City Scuffle

Boys,
It’s here! The Super Bowl, and alas our teams will square off once again, this time in Indy.

Craig, you’re a Giants fan. Sean, you and I are Pats fans, so I figured a “friendly” email exchange would make for good fodder. The best part about this Super Bowl is the awesome story lines, no? I mean Freud could write another five theories off this game.

Think about this for a moment, Craig — you and most Giants fans have spent the better part of the decade defending Eli Manning, almost like he’s the red-headed stepson in the Manning pantheon of greatness. It seems like every Giants fan loves Eli, but when the you know what hits the fan, he is the first to get thrown right onto the tracks. So first question is, who has the most lose? Tom Brady and the Pats, or Eli and Giants?

What do you think is the best story line from a Giants fan perspective? Here are your choices:

1. Eli plays for his second ring, in his brother’s house, against his brother’s biggest nemesis.
2. Where does Tom Coughlin rank in coaching hierarchy now?
3. If Eli can beat Tom, where does that put him in the hierarchy of current NFL quarterbacks? Does the Brees, Brady, Rodgers, P.Manning group include Eli? Or does he still lead the second tier?

From a Patriots fan perspective I’d have to say No.1. Also, here is another question. Of all the quarterbacks in that top tier, if you had to have a QB to lead your team for one game right now, who is it?

From: Craig Lowell
To: Dave Jacober, Sean Melia
Subject: RE: The Super Bowl XLVI Pats-Giants 2: The Circle City Scuffle

First of all, let me just say that I’m not sure my heart can take this game. I watched the NFC Championship at a bar with a bunch of newly-made friends (some of whom may now be former friends), and not only had to step outside to smoke my first cigarettes in several months, but also took my heart rate at the start of the fourth quarter and discovered that it was 180.

In other words, “My name is Craig and I have a problem.”

Now as for Eli — Dave, I know that you tend to eschew NY sports talk radio, but if you think that every Giants fan loves Eli and has been defending him through the years, you’re nuts. That being said, there’s no doubt in my mind that Brady and the Pats have more to lose. The Giants handed them their most excruciating loss in franchise history four years ago when they shut the door on the 2007 Pats becoming the unquestioned Greatest Team of All Time, and this is quite possibly their last shot at revenge. I can’t imagine a win here would exorcise all of those demons, but it would at least soften the blow a bit. Meanwhile, even if the Giants lose, we’ll still always have the “18-1” response to any trash talk.

Our little boy’s all growns up. Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

From my point of view, the biggest aspect of this from Eli’s perspective has more to do with Peyton than with Brady. If he pulls out the win he will have two titles to his brother’s one, and with the clincher coming against Brady in Peyton’s house, a serious discussion must be had about Eli’s career potentially eclipsing that of his big brother. Obviously Peyton’s regular season numbers and MVPs are far out of Eli’s reach, but people remember championships and clutch play, and there’s no doubt in my mind that Eli would have the edge. That’s why, despite his regular season numbers not being quite as prolific as Brady, Peyton, or Brees, a second ring puts Eli firmly in the top 5 quarterback tier, just ahead of Roethlisberger as it stands right now.

As for Coughlin, a win makes him a sure-fire Hall of Famer. Simple as that. His success with Jacksonville and now New York makes him the second best current coach behind Belichick. And along that line, could you imagine sitting down to a dinner with those two? There would be less tension at a Barney Frank-Newt Gingrich summit.

What do you think, Sean? Could the Pats fans stomach being the stepstool for Eli to climb above Peyton?

From: Sean Melia
To: Craig Lowell, David Jacober
Subject: RE: The Super Bowl XLVI Pats-Giants 2: The Circle City Scuffle

Craig, I’m going to be honest — the only thing worse than having my favorite teams lose a big game is when they lose to a team from New York. You’re right about the demons of “18-1” there is no response to that.

The ironic part of this game is that the Pats spent the first part of the past decade making sure that Peyton Manning lost big games, and now they are faced with the task of making sure his little brother doesn’t pass him in the “Ring Count.”

I do agree that Tom Coughlin will lock up his place in Canton with a win, and some could argue that he might already be there even if he loses. Two Super Bowl appearances and an AFC Championship appearance with Jacksonville is pretty impressive.

If Eli does win this game, his place in the quarterback club will have to be reassessed. However, there is an issue with putting him in that class with Brady, Rodgers, Brees, and Peyton. Big Ben still has two rings, his career has been pretty consistent and the scope of his career is better than Eli’s. So if you put Eli in that group, then you have to make room for Ben too. He has already been to three Super Bowls, and his only loss came against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.

If I had one game to win, I take Brady. Call me a homer, but he is the one most capable down the stretch. Although, his time is quickly running out.

My question to you two is this: Does the modern day New York-Boston rivalry hinge on this game? The Yankees are on top, the Celtics are on top (for now), the Bruins are Stanley Cup Champions, and now we are faced with a Giants-Pats Super Bowl.

From: David Jacober
To: Sean Melia, Craig Lowell
Subject: RE: The Super Bowl XLVI Pats-Giants 2: The Circle City Scuffle

Sean, you think it’s bad when a Boston team loses to a New York team??? Try being a Boston fan living in New York and having to witness said victories. And not one, but two New York ticker tape parades. Do you know what the ninth circle of Hell is? It’s trying to maneuver through downtown Manhattan after a Yankee World Series victory.

What do these two have in common?

I think Brady is the second-best QB of all time only behind his boyhood idol Joe Montana, but if I need a QB for one game, I think I have to go with Eli right now. Of all the QBs I mentioned, he is the one that would I have the utmost confidence in to win one game. He doesn’t seem to get the yips anymore, and can someone tell me the last time Brady had a dominant playoff game? Denver doesn't count because that’s like congratulating your friend for taking home the chick with two broken heels from the bar.

But here is the storyline of story lines: If Brady and the Pats can avenge 2007, with this defense against a team that seems to have antidote for the Patriots, on his biggest rival’s home turf, against his biggest rival’s little brother who seems to have his number, then he becomes the BEST quarterback ever to play the game — end of debate. Very few thing in sports are definite, but that one goes right up there with the “Russell is better than Wilt” debate.

Craig, what say you to that assertion?

From: Craig Lowell
To: Dave Jacober, Sean Melia
Subject: RE: The Super Bowl XLVI Pats-Giants 2: The Circle City Scuffle

Russell-Wilt? No way. There is no one who is capable of dressing themselves in the morning who would take Wilt in that argument. And while there will be a definite case to be made for Brady as the best ever if he wins this one (and you can imagine how much it pains me to say that), it’s not as definitive as that.

The Russell-Wilt argument is more like a Montana-Marino comparison; championships vs. individual statistics. Brady-Montana is about championships vs. championships, and each will have four. Brady has the superior stats, but he also played in a much more pass-happy era. Now to be fair, Brady also never had a Jerry Rice to throw the ball to, but Montana also never had rules in place that make contact with a receiver or quarterback as taboo as touching an inmate in the Arrested Development prison visitation room. NO TOUCHING!!!

But this argument also got me thinking about the level of competition that these guys have faced. While Montana’s San Francisco teams were perennial alpha dogs, and Brady’s Pats held that same status in 2003, 2004, and 2007 (heehee), you could call Sunday’s game the Parity Bowl. We talked all year about how there was really only one team at the top (Green Bay) and then everyone else, and as the Giants showed, even that Green Bay team was extremely flawed.

“Mike, how many brain cells do you have between the two of you?”

Look at the roads that both teams have taken to get here. The Giants beat the Falcons, who do everything well but nothing great; the Packers, who had a phenomenal passing attack that masked an extremely flawed defense (much like the Patriots); and the 49ers, who may be a team on the rise, but still have Alex Smith under center. The Pats, meanwhile, beat Tim Tebow and Joe Flacco in the playoffs, which is like winning trivia night against Snooki and The Situation.

I think we’re going to be in for a phenomenal game, but whoever wins, are we looking at the least impressive Super Bowl champion in recent memory?

From: Sean Melia
To: Craig Lowell, David Jacober
Subject: RE: The Super Bowl XLVI Pats-Giants 2: The Circle City Scuffle

I think the Brady-Montana comparison is a nearly endless debate. Tom Brady has had one Hall of Fame receiver for 3.5 seasons, whereas Montana had Rice for his entire career. Montana played in a new age offense built by Bill Walsh, making every other team have to catch up. Brady, in some ways, has done the same.

Montana had a semblance of consistency during his time with the 49ers. Rice, John Taylor, Tom Rathman, Roger Craig, Brent Jones, and Dwight Clark were all guys who were with Montana for an extended amount of time. Brady has had a revolving door of receivers and offensive weapons throughout his career.

If the Patriots win on Sunday I think 4 rings, and 5 trips puts him into the stratosphere with Montana.

Between the Patriots and Giants, the only win against a team with a winning record was when the Giants won in Foxboro in Week 9.

The other thing you need to remember is that Brady isn’t done yet. Gronk and Aaron Hernandez could prove to be Brady’s “fountain of youth” (which should be their nickname). He has two guys that are going to destroy defenses for the next 10 years. Obviously all of that is conjecture.

Your second question is not based on conjecture though. They would both be unimpressive teams whose rival fans can point to some lucky strokes on their way the Super Bowl, and possibly in the Super Bowl itself. These teams do not stand out as ones that dominated on their way to the Super Bowl as they both had weak regular season schedules; between the two of them, the only win against a team with a winning record was when the Giants won in Foxboro in Week 9.

While I don’t think that the records of your opponents always add up to how challenging the schedule is (i.e. the Pats’ win over the Jets in Week 10 when both teams were competing for the division. That was a huge win on the road on national TV), I do think it does say something about the season as a whole and if the teams were challenged throughout the year.

The past 11 Super Bowl champs are listed below:

Green Bay
New Orleans
Pittsburgh
New York Giants
Indianapolis
Pittsburgh
New England
New England
Tampa Bay
New England
Baltimore

That Tampa Bay team, along with the Ravens team, stand out as “blah” teams, though you could argue the Ravens had a historic defense. But I think you would have to go back to Tampa Bay to really find an unimpressive team that won, and they beat a pretty weak Raiders team that couldn’t take care of the ball.

After all that quarterback talk, my question to you, Dave and Craig, is this: who is Eli Manning’s historical doppelganer? Statistically, stylistically, or both. You decide.

From: Craig Lowell
To: Sean Melia, David Jacober
Subject: RE: The Super Bowl XLVI Pats-Giants 2: The Circle City Scuffle

I debated whether or not I should put this in writing because if his career takes a similar path I’ll never forgive myself, but as of right now, pre-Super Bowl, I’d say Eli’s career doppelganger is Joe Theismann (though Eli’s far less of a douche). With one Super Bowl title and impressive but not Hall of Fame regular season numbers, plus being one of the best — but never THE best — in the league at his position, I think that’s as fair as I can be. Somewhat ironic, because in terms of personality they seem to be about as far apart as Kim Kardashian and Emily Dickinson.

I’m sure Archie would appreciate the Eli-Emily Dickinson comparison.

Ok, let’s get to to the game itself…what’s the biggest key for each team (i.e. if X happens, they SHOULD win)? For the Giants, this is boring and predictable, but I say it’s getting to Brady. When the Giants’ NASCAR unit of Tuck, Pierre-Paul, Umenyiora, and Kiwanuka are wreaking havoc by themselves with no other blitzes or schemes, it’s far and away the most dominating pass rush in football, and gives the rest of the defense seven guys to cover the Pats’ multiple threats.

For the Pats, I’m going with red zone defense. They’ve been giving up yards all year, and there’s no way that they’re going to stop the Giants cold given all the weapons they have. But they’ve ridden this ‘bend but don’t break’ mantra all year, so if they can force field goals instead of touchdowns and maybe get a turnover or two deep in their own territory, I think Brady and co. will be able to score enough to handle the rest.

From: David Jacober
To: Sean Melia, Craig Lowell
Subject: RE: The Super Bowl XLVI Pats-Giants 2: The Circle City Scuffle

Eli’s doppelganger? Let’s put it this way — how many times when we try comparing athletes, musicians or movie stars do we actually have a bona fide constant in the equation? On some level it has to be Mark Brunell. Both Eli and Mark have shared the same coach for their apex, and while stylistically they are as dissimilar as the Desperate Housewives of L.A. and Jackie Onassis, if you are trying to find Eli’s numerical comparison, Mark Brunell would get my vote. However, Eli’s historical comp might be essentially right in his extended football family — none other than Mr. Phil Simms. It’s getting to be impossible to compare quarterbacks across different eras, but Eli and Phil might a solid match.

On to the game…

The Giants seem to have the antidote for the Patriots offense. If they can pressure with four (or even less), then the Pats might be in hot water. Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers might as well wear signs on the chest that say “Blitz At Your Own Risk,” but the stats don’t lie. Brady has a QB rating of 115.2 on 3rd down with 1-2 yards to go, but put the Pats in 3rd down with 3-7 yards to go and his rating drops to 82.6. That's a pretty precipitous fall off. So it would appear that if the Giants can keep Tom in third and medium all day, the Pats might be in trouble.

Belichick might want to return to his roots.

Here is a prediction: in the 1991 Super Bowl the New York Giants were going up against an offensive juggernaut in the Buffalo Bills. The Hoodie implemented the “catch the ball at your peril” philosophy. I could definitely see the Patriots defensive doing something similar. Rush three or four and drop a seven or eight into coverage, putting pressure on Eli to make the tight throws into the second level, and then punishing the receivers for catching the ball.

If the Pats can keep the Giants off-balance by running out of the shotgun with Woodhead or Green-Ellis, that would help keep the Giants front four from acting like Brady is wearing a piece of raw meat around his neck.

From: Sean Melia
To: Craig Lowell, David Jacober
Subject: RE: The Super Bowl XLVI Pats-Giants 2: The Circle City Scuffle

After spending way too much time mulling this game over and comparing it to the 2008 Super Bowl, obviously I keep coming back to that Giants’ pass rush. In 2008 that pass rush surprised every single person that was not in the Giants locker room before the game. No one expected the Pats offense to be slowed by a front four like that. People assumed it would take coverage in the secondary, but the pass rush was what won the game.

That element of surprise is gone, as is Brady’s busted ankle from that game. He was in a boot (not an Ugg boot…) the week prior to that game. He never looked comfortable, but how much of that could be attributed to his ankle? He threw for 342 yards in this year’s game, hitting Welker for 9 catches and 136 yards.

The Pats running game and “keeping on schedule” with regard to down and distance will be crucial. I think if the Pats can successfully run out of some passing downs and sets, it will slow down the pass rush. Screen passes could also slow down front four. They need to treat the Giants the same way the Giants treated them in 2008; control the ball and keep the Giants offense off the field.

Keep Brady in this position and you have a chance. David Butler II-US PRESSWIRE

The Giants have to do three things to win this game. First, they need to rattle Brady (duh). Second, they need to force turnovers. The Patriots turned the ball over four times in their Week 9 meeting. And third, they have to convert more successfully on third down than they did against San Francisco (they were 7-21). Third down success will translate to sustained drives, and also more success in the red zone. The Ravens struggled to punch the ball in against the Pats. The Giants need to score from inside the 20, because the Pats will be sure to avoid allowing Cruz, Nicks, and Manningham to get behind them.

The last thing that could be very important to this game is how the refs officiate it. Both teams will want to slow down the passing games, so if they are allowed to clutch and grab it could make for an interesting game. I am not sure who it would benefit more, but with the strength of the Pats TEs, a physical game in the secondary could benefit the less-skilled Pats secondary and linebackers.

One last question. After waiting for two weeks and with the entire world working on Monday, why can’t the NFL take Super Bowl Sunday and move it to a Saturday? Maybe I’m being selfish, I have to teach 21 fourth graders who stay up late to watch this game. What’s the harm in having a Saturday night prime-time game?

From: Craig Lowell
To: Sean Melia, David Jacober
Subject: RE: The Super Bowl XLVI Pats-Giants 2: The Circle City Scuffle

Don't worry, Sean. Those 21 fourth graders will have cried themselves to sleep long before midnight rolls around. I'm more worried about their teacher, who's sure to be puffy eyed and hungover after a night of drowning his sorrows. At least you have the halftime performance to look forward to. Oh, wait…

Enjoy the game, gentlemen. Dave, I will see you in the office on Wednesday after one of us has sufficiently cooled down.