guardplay320

Mostly optimistic I'd say from a Giants fans point of view, but most view this as practically a tossup. You have some really ****y fans, but we clearly see that from both fanbases based on this and some other threads. I'd say the mindset of both fanbases is very similar in terms of confidence level. The majority of fans for both teams seem to have a guarded optimism but think this will be a close game.

PatsGirl2011

I agree with this. 2007 was so much fun even if you hated the Pats. Just all the drama, the crazy wins, and the blowouts...Def my favorite Pats team!

PatsFanSince74

Yeah, that week off really hurt the Giants in 2008...

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It is what it is. It wasn't what it wasn't.

TriplecHamp

they're betting odds, It just means vegas expected money to go on the Pats.

PATS16N0

You'll never be the '07 Patriots - you're just the team that upset them in the Superbowl. It doesn't matter who you are or where you're from - when you think of 2007 you think of the New England Patriots.

And this game is about as important as the last. We're going to crush two Mannings with one stone.

Is there a more fitting place for Brady to be crowned the greatest ever but in Indianapolis?

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PatsGirl2011

Some fans are starting to disgust me..Like seriously, just jump on the Giants bandwagon and ride it until they crash.

PatriotSeven

I know, I'm starting to think there's more Giants fans than Pats fans around here.

Fact is, this time around we're going to show why they don't really belong. We messed up in 2007. But this year they took a greater legacy away, and that was from Brady taking down the QB of the next generation, Aaron Rodgers.

Montana may have faced Elway, but he never faced Brady in a Super Bowl. Brady would have had his chance of taking down 2. Peyton and Rodgers. Eli's not getting his jacket this year.

It's not that easy. Gotta learn how to do it for 14 wins a year first. Besides the only reason Eli's getting as much hype as he is, is because he played against Brady in a Super Bowl and won. Ben's already done much more than Eli and doesn't get half the fame Eli gets.

Not this time.

AzPatsFan

Yes better!

They ended up with a 13-3 record. Their LBs are much better. The Pats Defense plays a much more fundamentally sound defense. The Pats yielded less points then the Giants did.

What other measure would you like? Or need?

PatriotSeven

I only smoke cigarettes so I'm not sure that's going to help you much. How about I share with you some basic football knowledge I have instead?


Yards per drive:
Patriots 32nd: 37.49
Giants 21st: 31.78

What it means:
On average the Patriots defense allows ~6 extra yards per drive compared to the Giants(note this is not enough for a first down).

Special teams defense:
Patriots: #2 24.06 yard line
Giants: #19 28.56 yard line

What it means:
NE special teams pins opponents about 4 yards further back on average following kick-offs or punts. One of the reason why Patriots defense "allows" more yards per drive.

Total yards:
Patriots: 61.55 yards per drive
Giants: 60.34 yards per drive

What it means:
In reality the Patriots total defense(special teams + defense) only gives up about 1 extra yard per drive compared to the Giants defense.


Points allowed:
Patriots: 11th 20.7 point per game
Giants: 21st 23.1 points per game

What it means:
Patriots defense is usually good for keeping teams to one less FG per game compared to the Giants defense. This is ultimately more important than yards.

True total defense efficiency:
Patriots #2 19.4 yards per point
Giants #14 15.9 yards per point

What it means:
Opponents must travel 135 yards to score a touchdown against the Patriots.
Opponents must travel 111 yards to score a touchdown against the Giants.

Using the total yards from above:
135/61 yards = 2.19 possessions
111/60 yards = 1.85 possessions

So sometimes an average offense needs two possessions to score a touchdown against the Giants. An average offense will need two possessions to score a touchdown against the Patriots most of the time.

But the true advantage comes here: 21 points:
Patriots: 407.4 yards/61 yards per drive = 6.67 possessions
Giants: 333 yards/ 60 yards per drive = 5.55 possessions.


In games over 21 points an average offense would need an extra possession to put up the same amount of points against the Patriots defense. Likewise, the Patriots defense, by itself, will give its offense 1 extra possession in a 21+ score game.

Combined with the fact that the Giants offense is rated average in efficiency, while the Patriots offense is #4 in efficiency, this gives the Patriots offense an even greater advantage thanks to their defense.

They will outscore you.

On average the Patriots special teams pushes offenses further back, so defense gets more stops or keeps teams to 3 points per drive thus earning the more efficient Patriots offense an extra possession so they can put up 3 or more points. This is the ultimate goal of a defense, therefore........Patriots defense > Giants defense. Easily.

Now....would you like a cigarette?