The Revenge of Tom Brady

by Matt Martel
The last game of the season. A chance for Tom Brady to get his revenge on the team that ruined his near perfect 2007 season.


This season has been strangely reminiscent of the 2007 season in which the Giants beat the 18-0 Patriots in the Super Bowl. The Giants have picked up momentum late in the season, reaching the Super Bowl with only a 9-7 regular season record.

The Patriots have held the top seed in the AFC all season long and have finally broken through their three year playoff slump. The only question is: Will the outcome be different this time around?

The Patriots have one of the most dynamic and high-powered offenses in the NFL, engineered by future Hall of Fame QB Tom Brady. This offense has changed quite a bit since 2007. This offense is more surgical and precise than that of previous years. They have been revitalized by the additions of tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, both second year players.

Gronkowski has had arguably the best season ever by a TE, accumulating 1327 yards and 17 TDs, both NFL records for tight ends. On the other side, Aaron Hernandez is impossible to defend. The Patriots do as good a job as anyone of creating matchups, and they move Hernandez all over the field. He lines up in the slot, out wide, at the line of scrimmage, and sometimes even in the backfield. Hernandez led the team in rushing against the Broncos with 67 rushing yards, a tight end.

And wide receiver Wes Welker is no slouch either. Welker lead the NFL with 122 receptions and had 1569 yards, second only to the Lions’ Calvin Johnson. Defenses can choose who they want to double, either tight end or Welker, but the others will make them pay. The Giants will have to pick their poison when facing the Pats offense.

New England is considerably more vulnerable on the defensive side of the ball. They are 31st in the league in pass defense and have been torched by opposing quarterbacks all season. However, the defense has played extremely well in the postseason, allowing only 30 points in two games. This defense is well coached and disciplined, and has leaders in every group.

Pro bowl defensive tackle Vince Wilfork is a team captain, and a leader of the defense. Linebacker Jerod Mayo is the quarterback of the defense, changing coverage’s and making sure players are in the right positions. Safety Patrick Chung, who has been injured for a large part of the season, is also a team captain, and a great player to have in the secondary. This defense is far from the best in the NFL, but they come up big in big situations, stopping offenses in the red zone and forcing turnovers.

The Giants have a very capable offense, led by Pro Bowl QB Eli Manning. New York has one of the best wide receiver tandems in the NFL, with Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz. They have the 32nd ranked rushing offense in the league, but RBs Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs have picked it up of late. They are a hot team, having had to win several games in a row just to reach the playoffs. Eli Manning is having his best season so far, and has led the Giants to a second Super Bowl in four years.

As well as the Giants’ offense has played this year, the defense has played even better. Key players have gotten healthy for the long playoff run, such as DE Osi Umenyiora and LB Michael Boley. The Giants are known for their pass defense packages, particularly when they line up four defensive ends on the line of scrimmage to pressure the quarterback. The secondary has been questionable all season, but the best pass defense is getting pressure on the QB. The Giants defense can help stop a great QB like Tom Brady.

There are several key matchups that will determine the outcome of this year’s Super Bowl. One important matchup is the Giants’ pass rush vs. the Patriots offensive line. If any O-line will be able to pick up the New York blitz, it’s the New England pass protection. Most of the Giants’ best players are on the defensive line, such as Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, and Umenyiora.

However, the same can be said of the Patriots offensive line, highlighted by All-Pro guard Logan Mankins. There is a good mix of experience and youth, with Pro Bowl Tackle Matt Light and rookie first round draft pick Nate Solder, who shows lots of potential. This matchup is the key for each team to win this game. Also, can both team’s secondary’s contain the offensive weapons on each team? It’s nearly impossible to nullify the Patriots abundance of talent on offense, featuring Gronkowski, Welker, Hernandez, and Deion Branch. However, if the Pats defense can limit the big plays of Giants’ WR Cruz, and get enough pressure on Manning, then they will win this matchup.

This game is a rematch of one of the best Super Bowls in NFL history, and expect it to be just as climactic, but with a different outcome. Tom Brady will win his 4th super bowl and break Joe Montana’s record for playoff victories with 17. This will cement his legacy as the best quarterback in NFL history (in my opinion) and make the Belichick-Brady combination the best coach-quarterback pair of all-time.

The Verdict: 30-23 Patriots.