Will the 1 week "BYE" hurt the Giants momentum....

[Double TE]

What I don't understand is how are the Patriots favored? Its crazy. I hope we win but Brady will have to have an A+ game. Meaning more than two punts, otherwise it will be a loooooooong day.

I am just curious, are the Giants fans nervous or mostly confident?

 

[Satchboogie3]

If you asked the vast majority of Patriots fans in 2007 if they would have preferred a Super Bowl victory with multiple losses to an undefeated season with the chance of winning a Super Bowl at the end, they would have taken the SB victory. I know because I was here and there was a poll asking precisely that.

I agree with you that it won't be revenge but on the other hand, a SB victory here salves the wound, and the wound wasn't about lost perfection, it was about a lost Super Bowl.

As true as most of us would have traded the 18-0 start with a 16-3 championship, I can't help but be pleased with the season overall. We were the best team for 18 weeks of a 19 week season, shattered records, and had a blast. As much as losing one tough, close game sucked, it was an incredibly fun ride. Anyone who argues that losing the Superbowl somehow completely makes that 18 game ride pointless doesn't understand the point of life. Only 1 team wins the superbowl every year, just because you aren't that team doesn't mean you can't enjoy the other 18 possible games.

I look back on the '07 team with a lot of respect, great memories, and joy. Yes, the end result sucked, but the good FAR outweighs the bad. For all those who just can't handle the "yeah, but 18-1", "you lost", etc etc, grow a pair. It's life. They had the guts to go for immortality and came INCHES from doing the impossible. I'm proud of that team, regardless of the outcome and what others might say. They didn't choke. You know who choked? The '11 Green Bay Packers. They are lucky they lost to the Chiefs.

 

[Satchboogie3]

What I don't understand is how are the Patriots favored? Its crazy. I hope we win but Brady will have to have an A+ game. Meaning more than two punts, otherwise it will be a loooooooong day.

I am just curious, are the Giants fans nervous or mostly confident?

Pats were much better in the regular season both on offense, defense, and results.
Pats have been just as good in the playoffs.
Pats have the better QB.
Pats have the better coach.
People forget Brady had a monster game against the Broncos just 2 weeks ago and didn't play as poorly as people want to believe last Sunday, not to mention the fact that he ALWAYS has trouble with the Ravens. He DOESNT have trouble with the Giants. He's put up points and had great games against them before and their defense isn't as good right now as it has been in the past. Superbowl 42 was a complete breakdown of the offensive line and we still were inches from winning the game. That was also a completely different Giants team vs a different Pats team and the Giants defense is NOWHERE near as good now as it was then.

 

[PatriotSeven]

What I don't understand is how are the Patriots favored? Its crazy. I hope we win but Brady will have to have an A+ game. Meaning more than two punts, otherwise it will be a loooooooong day.

I am just curious, are the Giants fans nervous or mostly confident?

Because they are the better overall team on all sides? Defense, offense, special teams? They have outscored their opponents by a crazy amount of points. They are consistent. Have now a 17-3 record. They have faced a tough team that ALSO played them tough, making very few mistakes, with the exception of the missed FG, and Pats beat them despite a - turnover margin.

The Giants are also playing well, but their opponents looked nothing like their regular season counterparts. They are actually the ones that turn out to be the untested team going into the Super Bowl, despite them playing what everyone expected to be the tougher opponents in the playoffs.

The Ravens, oth, looked exactly like the regular season Ravens. The Ravens made two costly mistakes. An interception by Flacco and the missed FG. Outside of that they played a very good game.

The 49ers, GB, and Atlanta....like chickens running with their heads cut off out there. Watch the lowlights, not just the highlights.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

If the Super Bowl was this week the Giants would have had another advantage....

Gronkowski would most likely have been out for the game.....I doubt his ankle would have been ready for Sunday and that would make the Giants secondary relax much easier.

Gronkowski's availability to me is the biggest 'hurt' the Giants will have by having this week off

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Because they are the better overall team on all sides? Defense, offense, special teams?They have outscored their opponents by a crazy amount of points. They are consistent. Have now a 17-3 record. They have faced a tough team that ALSO played them tough, making very few mistakes, with the exception of the missed FG, and Pats beat them despite a - turnover margin.

The Giants are also playing well, but their opponents looked nothing like their regular season counterparts. They are actually the ones that turn out to be the untested team going into the Super Bowl, despite them playing what everyone expected to be the tougher opponents in the playoffs.

The Ravens, oth, looked exactly like the regular season Ravens. The Ravens made two costly mistakes. An interception by Flacco and the missed FG. Outside of that they played a very good game.

The 49ers, GB, and Atlanta....like chickens running with their heads cut off out there. Watch the lowlights, not just the highlights.

The Patriots are better on defense?.....Give me some of that stuff you are smoking

 

[Double TE]

Because they are the better overall team on all sides? Defense, offense, special teams? They have outscored their opponents by a crazy amount of points. They are consistent. Have now a 17-3 record. They have faced a tough team that ALSO played them tough, making very few mistakes, with the exception of the missed FG, and Pats beat them despite a - turnover margin.

The Giants are also playing well, but their opponents looked nothing like their regular season counterparts. They are actually the ones that turn out to be the untested team going into the Super Bowl, despite them playing what everyone expected to be the tougher opponents in the playoffs.

The Ravens, oth, looked exactly like the regular season Ravens. The Ravens made two costly mistakes. An interception by Flacco and the missed FG. Outside of that they played a very good game.

The 49ers, GB, and Atlanta....like chickens running with their heads cut off out there. Watch the lowlights, not just the highlights.

I feel better, thanks.

 

[Double TE]

The Giants smoked Atlanta, which I get. But they also smoked a very good GB squad. They are hot at the right time. Does their secondary stink? Please say "YES".

 

[Ric_Flair]

The Giants smoked Atlanta, which I get. But they also smoked a very good GB squad. They are hot at the right time. Does their secondary stink? Please say "YES".

Listen. The Giants are more lucky than good.

They played a GB team who was completely inept all season defensively. Worse than even the Pats.

Their QB had TWO WEEKS off. And he played like it. That's why smart coaches don't sit their QB's before the playoffs. Because he was COMPLETELY out of rhythm.

Then they beat a 49'ers team who couldn't score points to save their LIVES...despite that, they were in PRIME position to win that game. Until Williams gaffs not once, but twice...in plays that didn't even INVOLVE a Giants player.

You give the ball to ANY offense on the ten yard line, up by 10, and you're going to lose.

Giants haven't proved ANYTHING to me personally, other than they are luckier than ANYTHING. It's the luck that terrifies me.

All things the same, the Pats SHOULD win this game, but I have an eerie feeling that luck is going to play into this game far more than I'd like.

 

[NSPF]

I don't understand the premise. What momentum?

The Giants are on about as little of a roll as you can possibly be going into the Super Bowl, given the fact that to get there you need to win 2-3 straight games against elite opponents. They couldn't move the ball to save their lives last week. Their second half scoring drives both started within the opponents' 30 yard line, and it wasn't even because their defense was creating turnovers, but because the opponents backup kick returner couldn't hold onto the ball. They scored on a quick strike on one of the drives, and the other time they didn't need to move the ball and so took the game-winning field goal. Out of the TEN other offensive drives after half time, they scored ZERO points. How is this momentum? How is this Manning being "elite" and being "clutch" in the fourth quarter? I don't think momentum having backup special teams players make catastrophic mistakes is the type of momentum people usually talk about.

Their defense was playing lights out though, I'll concede that.

 

[guardplay320]

What I don't understand is how are the Patriots favored? Its crazy. I hope we win but Brady will have to have an A+ game. Meaning more than two punts, otherwise it will be a loooooooong day.

I am just curious, are the Giants fans nervous or mostly confident?

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]

As true as most of us would have traded the 18-0 start with a 16-3 championship, I can't help but be pleased with the season overall. We were the best team for 18 weeks of a 19 week season, shattered records, and had a blast. As much as losing one tough, close game sucked, it was an incredibly fun ride. Anyone who argues that losing the Superbowl somehow completely makes that 18 game ride pointless doesn't understand the point of life. Only 1 team wins the superbowl every year, just because you aren't that team doesn't mean you can't enjoy the other 18 possible games.

I look back on the '07 team with a lot of respect, great memories, and joy. Yes, the end result sucked, but the good FAR outweighs the bad. For all those who just can't handle the "yeah, but 18-1", "you lost", etc etc, grow a pair. It's life. They had the guts to go for immortality and came INCHES from doing the impossible. I'm proud of that team, regardless of the outcome and what others might say. They didn't choke. You know who choked? The '11 Green Bay Packers. They are lucky they lost to the Chiefs.

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...

 

[TriplecHamp]

What I don't understand is how are the Patriots favored? Its crazy. I hope we win but Brady will have to have an A+ game. Meaning more than two punts, otherwise it will be a loooooooong day.

I am just curious, are the Giants fans nervous or mostly confident?

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

 

[PATS16N0]

Oh and the Tyree catch WILL NEVER GO AWAY, even with a loss. The Perfect Season will never be completed.

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?

 

[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]

The Patriots are better on defense?.....Give me some of that stuff you are smoking

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]

The Patriots are better on defense?.....Give me some of that stuff you are smoking

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?