On what he considered a bad day in terms of his performance, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady got his wish.
Super Bowl XLVI will give Brady a chance to rectify his only Super Bowl loss, the 2008 edition in which Eli Manning bested Brady with a game-winning fourth-quarter touchdown drive that featured numerous big or clutch plays. It was in that game the New York Giants took the fear factor away from the three-time Super Bowl champs.
The Giants tipped off to the rest of the world that the Patriots can be beaten. The Giants slowed New England's offensive weapons with man-to-man coverage. They got pressure around the feet of Brady to make him uncomfortable in the pocket. The Giants were able to crack holes in the Patriots' defense.
What followed was a three-year run in which the Patriots failed to win a playoff game. Though the Pats breezed through a 2011 schedule in which they didn't beat a team with a winning record until the AFC Championship Game, they will go to Indianapolis knowing how difficult it is to win playoff games and Super Bowls, something they were starting to take for granted.
"It's hard to win these games,'' Brady said. "It's hard to win games in the NFL because every team is very talented. We did enough here the last 10 weeks to win these games. I'm sure this next game is going to come down to the end and hopefully we have enough plays.''
What's great about this Super Bowl is both teams might be considered the hottest going to Indianapolis. Despite a 9-7 season, the Giants got healthier during the playoffs and played their most complete football. The Pats enter with a 10-game winning streak and the chance to be favorites in the Super Bowl -- again.
But as the Giants proved four years ago, being the favorites doesn't mean much when the game starts. It's how you finish that counts.
1. What is the history between these franchises? Including the Super Bowl, the Patriots lead the series 5-4, but the Giants have won the past two games. They shocked the world by beating the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, but they also won the regular-season game this season -- 24-20 in New England.
That game was classic Brady-Manning, almost like a Peyton Manning-Tom Brady game. The game was scoreless at the half. The Giants led 10-3 after three quarters. Then each quarterback exchanged scoring drives. Brady threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Hernandez to tie the game and led a field goal drive to take a 13-10 lead. Manning completed an 83-yard drive with 3:03 remaining by hitting Mario Manningham with a touchdown pass to give the Giants a 17-13 lead. Brady needed 90 seconds to drive 64 yards and hit Rob Gronkowski with a 14-yard touchdown pass to put the Pats ahead. With 1:36 left, Manning executed an 80-yard, eight play drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jake Ballard to win the game with 15 seconds left.
Super Bowl XLVI will give Brady a chance to rectify his only Super Bowl loss, the 2008 edition in which Eli Manning bested Brady with a game-winning fourth-quarter touchdown drive that featured numerous big or clutch plays. It was in that game the New York Giants took the fear factor away from the three-time Super Bowl champs.
The Giants tipped off to the rest of the world that the Patriots can be beaten. The Giants slowed New England's offensive weapons with man-to-man coverage. They got pressure around the feet of Brady to make him uncomfortable in the pocket. The Giants were able to crack holes in the Patriots' defense.
What followed was a three-year run in which the Patriots failed to win a playoff game. Though the Pats breezed through a 2011 schedule in which they didn't beat a team with a winning record until the AFC Championship Game, they will go to Indianapolis knowing how difficult it is to win playoff games and Super Bowls, something they were starting to take for granted.
"It's hard to win these games,'' Brady said. "It's hard to win games in the NFL because every team is very talented. We did enough here the last 10 weeks to win these games. I'm sure this next game is going to come down to the end and hopefully we have enough plays.''
What's great about this Super Bowl is both teams might be considered the hottest going to Indianapolis. Despite a 9-7 season, the Giants got healthier during the playoffs and played their most complete football. The Pats enter with a 10-game winning streak and the chance to be favorites in the Super Bowl -- again.
But as the Giants proved four years ago, being the favorites doesn't mean much when the game starts. It's how you finish that counts.
1. What is the history between these franchises? Including the Super Bowl, the Patriots lead the series 5-4, but the Giants have won the past two games. They shocked the world by beating the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, but they also won the regular-season game this season -- 24-20 in New England.
That game was classic Brady-Manning, almost like a Peyton Manning-Tom Brady game. The game was scoreless at the half. The Giants led 10-3 after three quarters. Then each quarterback exchanged scoring drives. Brady threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Hernandez to tie the game and led a field goal drive to take a 13-10 lead. Manning completed an 83-yard drive with 3:03 remaining by hitting Mario Manningham with a touchdown pass to give the Giants a 17-13 lead. Brady needed 90 seconds to drive 64 yards and hit Rob Gronkowski with a 14-yard touchdown pass to put the Pats ahead. With 1:36 left, Manning executed an 80-yard, eight play drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jake Ballard to win the game with 15 seconds left.
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