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SUBSCRIBE TODAY: Get 30 issues of Pro Football Weekly, access to exclusive online content and a PFW T-shirt for $79.95. Call 1-800-366-8225. they said it Some of the notable quotes from Giants and Patriots players heading into their matchup in Super Bowl XLVI: Patriots WR Wes Welker, when asked by the NFL Network’s Deion Sanders to state one thing that people don’t know about coach Bill Belichick: “Y’all probably know this, but he’s a terrible dresser. There was one the other day where he had ‘Team Bass Masters’ on. There was something wrong with his sweatshirt. I’ll tell you that.” Welker, when asked about his new beard, told Sanders that the idea originated on Twitter: “Somebody on Twitter told me, ‘Every time you’ve gone with the mustache, we haven’t lost a game,’ and I was like, ‘You’re right. It’s time for a playoff ‘stache.’ “ Giants LB and cancer survivor Mark Herzlich took a few moments to tweet about his remarkable journey upon landing in Indianapolis: “2 yrs ago I was told I might never walk again. Just WALKED off plane in Indy to play in The #SuperBowl.” Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski told the assembled media Tuesday that he wasn’t really worried about his status for the Super Bowl: “That’s on Sunday, and the only thing I’m worried about is today, getting better today, keep on improving today, keep on getting better today, keep on progressing today.” Giants OG Chris Snee told the New York Post Monday that he is glad that his team didn’t have a pep rally before heading off to Indianapolis, unlike the Patriots: “We want a normal departure, a normal road-game itinerary, and a pep rally is not included in that.” Giants DE Justin Tuck echoed those sentiments in the Post story, telling the newspaper that any partying could wait: “Nobody wants to talk about before the Super Bowl, everybody wants to talk about after it. If you leave this place as the winner of the 46th Super Bowl, then you can have as many parties, you can have as many pep rallies, you can do whatever you want to do after that. Until that happens then I could care less for all the hoopla.’’ Giants S Antrel Rolle expressed similar sentiments in the Post story, arguing that the Giants’ strenuous road to the Super Bowl simply cannot end in defeat: “We’re not going to be denied. We’ve come too far and this road has been way too tough for us to come up short right now. We will do whatever it takes.’’ Patriots DT Gerard Warren has played in 163 games, but as he told the Boston Herald Monday, this will mark the first Super Bowl he has ever been to, literally: “If it’s something that I can be a part of and play in, I have to find a way to get there. It’s not by coming in through the gates with a ticket stub, you know?” Patriots CB Devin McCourty, telling the Herald that veteran players like Warren, who have never been to the Super Bowl before, provide inspiration for him and his teammates: “As a younger guy, you want to play for them. You want to take advantage of this opportunity because you understand how hard it is to get there. Sometimes as younger guys, you take it for granted. But seeing those guys, how they’ve been working, you want to take advantage of it.” Patriots QB Tom Brady at a pep rally for Patriots fans at Gilette Stadium on Sunday, quoted in USA Today about New England’s Super Bowl XLVI hopes: “We’re going down there, and we’re going down there for one reason. We’re going to give it our best and hopefully we’ll have a lot more people at our party next weekend.” Patriots OG Logan Mankins, when told that Giants DE Justin Tuck had said that New England’s offensive line played dirty: “We don’t mind being called dirty or cheap or any of that stuff. That’s a compliment to us.”
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game preview Overview
Tom Brady has vowed to play better than he did in the AFC championship game.
Move over, Red Sox and Yankees. There’s a new Boston-New York rivalry brewing. Ever since David Tyree made a career-defining catch and Plaxico Burress made the game-winning touchdown catch in Super Bowl XLII, the Giants and Patriots have forged a new chapter in these great sports cities’ histories. The Patriots have won three Super Bowls under Bill Belichick and Tom Brady but are in their first title game in four seasons since losing to Tom Coughlin’s Giants. Eli Manning and Coughlin, who will be going for their second title, beat the Patriots in Week Nine — a 24-20 victory that came down to a Manning-to-Jake Ballard TD pass with 15 seconds remaining.
when the giants have the ball
Giants, Patriots set to battle By Eric Edholm Pro Football Weekly
Looking forward to Super Bowl Sunday? We get you ready for the game with a few of the top story lines leading up to the biggest day of nacho consumption in our great country: 1. Sorry to start with bad memories, but as I tweeted last week, it’s impossible not to think of some of those long, hot, summer days where suits (NFL owners and union reps) walked into hotels and meetings rooms to discuss the lockout. Why? Because the Patriots’ Robert Kraft and the Giants’ John Mara were two of the warhorses of that battle, among the most well-attended men on either side of the issues, and now they have been rewarded with their teams meeting in the Super Bowl. Of course, it has been a bittersweet run for Kraft, who lost his beloved wife (he often would refer to her as “my sweetie” in interviews) after a long battle with cancer. But Patriots players have helped heal the wounds, as RB Ben-
Jarvus Green-Ellis showed with his post-TD finger point to the “MHK” patch that sits over the players’ hearts on their jerseys. Those patches will be on the team’s Super Bowl jerseys as well. 2. Tom Brady told Kraft he would have a better game on Sunday than he did against the Ravens — and we all know the way he described his effort against the Ravens. It has been a while since Brady has had one of his vintage games against a great team, and the way the Giants are playing now, forget the 9-7 regular-season record — they are great. But Brady is Brady, and it would be just like the way he has played throughout his career to deliver one of his biggest games right after turning in a rather sub-par one (two interceptions, two more called back by penalty). Everyone expects Brady to respond, especially his teammates. “He’s a great leader in the huddle,” Patriots C Dan Connolly said. “He can get us motivated to go, and there’s not another guy I’d rather have in there marching
us down the field.” 3. Brady is gunning for history. He can win his fourth Super Bowl, which would tie him for the most among quarterbacks along with Terry Bradshaw and Brady’s boyhood idol, Joe Montana. Bill Belichick would be moving onto his right hand if the Patriots won. This would be his sixth, four with the Patriots and two with the Giants, which would put him near the top of the top, trailing only the widely forgotten Neal Dahlen of the 49ers and Broncos. History might not be what Brady and Belichick think about when they watch film this week or take to the practice field. But they’d be lying if it was not on their minds. Belichick waxed poetic during Monday’s media session in Indianapolis, talking about lessons he learned with the Browns (he thought maybe he practiced too much with full pads) and his time with the Giants (“It was awesome,” Belichick said.). His mood was relaxed, but mere hours before he had his team practicing in full pads.
All season long, Eli Manning has been the Giants’ savior. He has mostly avoided the three-interception games that defined his early career, even through much of the title-winning season of 2007. Manning has held up behind a patchwork O-line, thrived despite a spotty run game and made stars out of WRs Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz. The Patriots’ bend-but-don’t-break defense is playing its best football in the playoffs, especially up front. The Patriots had played mainly a 4-3 this season, but in the playoffs they have been using more of a 3-4, putting three big D-linemen in the middle and linebackers on the edge.
when the Patriots have the ball
The Patriots had the best record in the AFC because of their high-powered spread attack led by Tom Brady. He has pinpoint accuracy and a quick release, which decreases the chance of turnovers and gives his receivers the opportunity to make plays in the open field. Brady did seem a little off on his throws vs. the Ravens, with two interceptions. Brady also threw two picks against the Giants in Week Nine. He has the league’s best TE tandem in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. The Giants’ secondary played well against the Patriots in the first matchup, and the front four pressured Brady (two sacks, two interceptions) all game. With Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Osi Umen-yiora and three solid tackles, the Giants have numerous DL combinations to both send four-man pressures without blitzing and also stop the run.
Special teams
Both teams boast solid specialteams units — big reasons why they are playing for the Lombardi Trophy. The Giants advanced to the Super Bowl due to a recovered fumble on a punt that led to Lawrence Tynes’ game-winning field goal. The Patriots survived when Ravens PK Billy Cundiff missed his game-tying FG attempt in the final seconds. PK Stephen Gostkowski made his three FG attempts. The Patriots’ special teams, coached by Scott O’Brien, are some of the NFL’s best.
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SUBSCRIBE TODAY: Get 30 issues of Pro Football Weekly, access to exclusive online content and a PFW T-shirt for $79.95. Call 1-800-366-8225. they said it Some of the notable quotes from Giants and Patriots players heading into their matchup in Super Bowl XLVI: Patriots WR Wes Welker, when asked by the NFL Network’s Deion Sanders to state one thing that people don’t know about coach Bill Belichick: “Y’all probably know this, but he’s a terrible dresser. There was one the other day where he had ‘Team Bass Masters’ on. There was something wrong with his sweatshirt. I’ll tell you that.” Welker, when asked about his new beard, told Sanders that the idea originated on Twitter: “Somebody on Twitter told me, ‘Every time you’ve gone with the mustache, we haven’t lost a game,’ and I was like, ‘You’re right. It’s time for a playoff ‘stache.’ “ Giants LB and cancer survivor Mark Herzlich took a few moments to tweet about his remarkable journey upon landing in Indianapolis: “2 yrs ago I was told I might never walk again. Just WALKED off plane in Indy to play in The #SuperBowl.” Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski told the assembled media Tuesday that he wasn’t really worried about his status for the Super Bowl: “That’s on Sunday, and the only thing I’m worried about is today, getting better today, keep on improving today, keep on getting better today, keep on progressing today.” Giants OG Chris Snee told the New York Post Monday that he is glad that his team didn’t have a pep rally before heading off to Indianapolis, unlike the Patriots: “We want a normal departure, a normal road-game itinerary, and a pep rally is not included in that.” Giants DE Justin Tuck echoed those sentiments in the Post story, telling the newspaper that any partying could wait: “Nobody wants to talk about before the Super Bowl, everybody wants to talk about after it. If you leave this place as the winner of the 46th Super Bowl, then you can have as many parties, you can have as many pep rallies, you can do whatever you want to do after that. Until that happens then I could care less for all the hoopla.’’ Giants S Antrel Rolle expressed similar sentiments in the Post story, arguing that the Giants’ strenuous road to the Super Bowl simply cannot end in defeat: “We’re not going to be denied. We’ve come too far and this road has been way too tough for us to come up short right now. We will do whatever it takes.’’ Patriots DT Gerard Warren has played in 163 games, but as he told the Boston Herald Monday, this will mark the first Super Bowl he has ever been to, literally: “If it’s something that I can be a part of and play in, I have to find a way to get there. It’s not by coming in through the gates with a ticket stub, you know?” Patriots CB Devin McCourty, telling the Herald that veteran players like Warren, who have never been to the Super Bowl before, provide inspiration for him and his teammates: “As a younger guy, you want to play for them. You want to take advantage of this opportunity because you understand how hard it is to get there. Sometimes as younger guys, you take it for granted. But seeing those guys, how they’ve been working, you want to take advantage of it.” Patriots QB Tom Brady at a pep rally for Patriots fans at Gilette Stadium on Sunday, quoted in USA Today about New England’s Super Bowl XLVI hopes: “We’re going down there, and we’re going down there for one reason. We’re going to give it our best and hopefully we’ll have a lot more people at our party next weekend.” Patriots OG Logan Mankins, when told that Giants DE Justin Tuck had said that New England’s offensive line played dirty: “We don’t mind being called dirty or cheap or any of that stuff. That’s a compliment to us.”
Pick the winners
Get Inside the Game.
NFL news on the go with mobile apps!
ONLINE NOW
Super Bowl XLVI
Story lines add intrigue
Super Bowl coverage We’re on the scene in Indy with the latest from Super Bowl week. www.ProFootballWeekly.com
game preview Overview
Tom Brady has vowed to play better than he did in the AFC championship game.
Move over, Red Sox and Yankees. There’s a new Boston-New York rivalry brewing. Ever since David Tyree made a career-defining catch and Plaxico Burress made the game-winning touchdown catch in Super Bowl XLII, the Giants and Patriots have forged a new chapter in these great sports cities’ histories. The Patriots have won three Super Bowls under Bill Belichick and Tom Brady but are in their first title game in four seasons since losing to Tom Coughlin’s Giants. Eli Manning and Coughlin, who will be going for their second title, beat the Patriots in Week Nine — a 24-20 victory that came down to a Manning-to-Jake Ballard TD pass with 15 seconds remaining.
when the giants have the ball
Giants, Patriots set to battle By Eric Edholm Pro Football Weekly
Looking forward to Super Bowl Sunday? We get you ready for the game with a few of the top story lines leading up to the biggest day of nacho consumption in our great country: 1. Sorry to start with bad memories, but as I tweeted last week, it’s impossible not to think of some of those long, hot, summer days where suits (NFL owners and union reps) walked into hotels and meetings rooms to discuss the lockout. Why? Because the Patriots’ Robert Kraft and the Giants’ John Mara were two of the warhorses of that battle, among the most well-attended men on either side of the issues, and now they have been rewarded with their teams meeting in the Super Bowl. Of course, it has been a bittersweet run for Kraft, who lost his beloved wife (he often would refer to her as “my sweetie” in interviews) after a long battle with cancer. But Patriots players have helped heal the wounds, as RB Ben-
Jarvus Green-Ellis showed with his post-TD finger point to the “MHK” patch that sits over the players’ hearts on their jerseys. Those patches will be on the team’s Super Bowl jerseys as well. 2. Tom Brady told Kraft he would have a better game on Sunday than he did against the Ravens — and we all know the way he described his effort against the Ravens. It has been a while since Brady has had one of his vintage games against a great team, and the way the Giants are playing now, forget the 9-7 regular-season record — they are great. But Brady is Brady, and it would be just like the way he has played throughout his career to deliver one of his biggest games right after turning in a rather sub-par one (two interceptions, two more called back by penalty). Everyone expects Brady to respond, especially his teammates. “He’s a great leader in the huddle,” Patriots C Dan Connolly said. “He can get us motivated to go, and there’s not another guy I’d rather have in there marching
us down the field.” 3. Brady is gunning for history. He can win his fourth Super Bowl, which would tie him for the most among quarterbacks along with Terry Bradshaw and Brady’s boyhood idol, Joe Montana. Bill Belichick would be moving onto his right hand if the Patriots won. This would be his sixth, four with the Patriots and two with the Giants, which would put him near the top of the top, trailing only the widely forgotten Neal Dahlen of the 49ers and Broncos. History might not be what Brady and Belichick think about when they watch film this week or take to the practice field. But they’d be lying if it was not on their minds. Belichick waxed poetic during Monday’s media session in Indianapolis, talking about lessons he learned with the Browns (he thought maybe he practiced too much with full pads) and his time with the Giants (“It was awesome,” Belichick said.). His mood was relaxed, but mere hours before he had his team practicing in full pads.
All season long, Eli Manning has been the Giants’ savior. He has mostly avoided the three-interception games that defined his early career, even through much of the title-winning season of 2007. Manning has held up behind a patchwork O-line, thrived despite a spotty run game and made stars out of WRs Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz. The Patriots’ bend-but-don’t-break defense is playing its best football in the playoffs, especially up front. The Patriots had played mainly a 4-3 this season, but in the playoffs they have been using more of a 3-4, putting three big D-linemen in the middle and linebackers on the edge.
when the Patriots have the ball
The Patriots had the best record in the AFC because of their high-powered spread attack led by Tom Brady. He has pinpoint accuracy and a quick release, which decreases the chance of turnovers and gives his receivers the opportunity to make plays in the open field. Brady did seem a little off on his throws vs. the Ravens, with two interceptions. Brady also threw two picks against the Giants in Week Nine. He has the league’s best TE tandem in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. The Giants’ secondary played well against the Patriots in the first matchup, and the front four pressured Brady (two sacks, two interceptions) all game. With Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Osi Umen-yiora and three solid tackles, the Giants have numerous DL combinations to both send four-man pressures without blitzing and also stop the run.
Special teams
Both teams boast solid specialteams units — big reasons why they are playing for the Lombardi Trophy. The Giants advanced to the Super Bowl due to a recovered fumble on a punt that led to Lawrence Tynes’ game-winning field goal. The Patriots survived when Ravens PK Billy Cundiff missed his game-tying FG attempt in the final seconds. PK Stephen Gostkowski made his three FG attempts. The Patriots’ special teams, coached by Scott O’Brien, are some of the NFL’s best.
Join the Handicapping Inner Circle and let our NFL experts help you pick winners. A season-long subscription is just $89.95.
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Handicapping insights and weekly picks from the experts at Pro Football Weekly. Bears, Browns, Packers, Patriots, Vikings
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