Patriots Super Bowl Bound Again
What Are the Keys to a New England Win in Super Bowl XLII?
There are six areas in which the Patriots have to excel in order to beat the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII. New England can't approach the game as a given.
So it’s the New England Patriots’ fourth trip to the Super Bowl this decade. The Big Dance. Glendale, Arizona. Feb. 3rd. Opponent: The New York Giants. Super Bowl XLII.
Can the Patriots actually run the table and go 19-0 overall for the 2007 NFL season? Only time will tell. One thing for sure … they can’t take the upstart Giants lightly, and knowing head coach Bill Belichick’s intensity, I don’t think they will.
But, what are the essential elements that make up the Pats’ best chance to emerge with a fourth set of Super Bowl rings?
Key No. 1…
New England must mount an effective passing attack. They cannot afford another bad outing by quarterback Tom Brady, mimicking his awful performance in the AFC Championship game. Brady hit for 22 of 33 attempts — but managed to complete one, measly pass to All-Pro wide receiver Randy Moss. He’s got to be sharp, on his game, and mustn’t force passes. His three interceptions against San Diego in the AFC title tilt were more than one-third his total number of interceptions during the regular season (8). And what about his gimpy leg? Belichick isn’t saying right now, and the NFL doesn’t require an injury report until next week.
Key No. 2…
The Patriots need to balance their deadly passing game with a concerted effort at running the ball. There’s no excuse for New England not to give the ball to Laurence Maroney, Kevin Faulk and Heath Evans. All have been effective when gainfully employed throughout both the regular season and the playoffs. Again last week Maroney ran for more than 100 yards (122), and, coming off an injury, finished the year with a flourish by romping for 100+ yards several times, including two 50+ yard jaunts. One of the keys to keeping New York’s very effective pass rushers out of Brady’s face will be running the ball.
Key No. 3…
The Pats have to shut down Plaxico Burress, the “Man Mountain Dean” of pass receivers. Burress came up big in the regular season finale against New England even though the Patriots eked out a 3-point win over the Giants. He’s got surprising speed for a big man and the Pats will no doubt have to double-cover him for most of the contest. Their defensive secondary has to force NY quarterback Eli Manning to throw to Amani Toomer and the Giants’ second-line receivers. The Patriots’ best bet will be to put cornerback Asante Samuel on Burress, as he’ll be better able to contend for the ball.
Key No. 4…
New England’s defensive line and linebackers have to shut down a very effective New York running game – and still pressure Manning into making mistakes when he drops back to pass. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw have emerged as dangerous rushers. Jacobs is a bull, and Bradshaw is deceptively quick on his feet. Overall the Pats’ defensive unit is starting to show its age. They’ve got to play ageless football against these Giants, who are on a roll. Nose tackle Vince Wilfork, defensive end Richard Seymour and linebackers Mike Vrabel, Junior Seau, Adalius Thomas and Tedy Bruschi are going to have to come up big in this game.
Key No. 5…
The Patriots will have to devise a cover/blitz package to confuse Manning and force him to make mistakes. During the regular season New England’s pass defense was ranked sixth league-wide, while the Giants’ passing attack was 21st. They’ve got to have their defensive linemen stunt effectively and send their linebackers and, especially safety Rodney Harrison to pressure Manning into making bad throws, or force him to rush passes or even take a sack or two.
Key No. 6…
New England’s special team units need to make big plays against New York. The kicking and punting units must stop return specialists Randy McQuarters and Domenik Hixon, Hixon in particular. NE kicker Stephen Gostkowski has to be effective on kickoffs and keep the ball away from Hixon, while hitting on his field goal attempts. The Giants have serious momentum now and the Patriots can’t afford missed field goals. They’ve also got to pressure NY place kicker Lawrence Tynes, who was shaky against Green Bay in the NFC Championship game.
Other Thoughts…
There have been a number of Super Bowl upsets in the past, and New England can’t take this game for granted, although I think the Packers or the Dallas Cowboys might have given the Pats more of a run for their money. They managed to win several close games in the regular season, and scratched out another AFC Championship against San Diego even though Brady wasn’t the same guy he was throughout the year. The clock’s ticking…
