Belichick, Brady in cheerful mood as Patriots arrive in Indy for Super Bowl week

Even the usually dour Bill Belichick was joking around as the New England Patriots arrived in Indianapolis for Super Bowl week.

At his opening news conference Sunday night, Belichick was asked if he expected some Hoosier hospitality.

“I never had too much hospitality here,” he said, noting that the Patriots aren’t exactly popular in Colts country, “until I went for it on fourth-and-2.”
His gamble on that play at the New England 28 with 2:08 to go failed and led to the Colts’ winning field goal in a 2009 regular-season game.
“Fans greeted us lots more and were awfully friendly” after that, he added.
All-Pro receiver Wes Welker wasn’t familiar with the term when asked the same question.
“What is Hoosier hospitality? What does that consist of?” Welker asked to laughs before getting a full explanation from a local television reporter. “I think it will be a little strange practicing at the Colts’ facility. I don’t know how many people like that, but we’ll be calm and polite and not try to rub it in, so I hope everyone is appreciative of it.”
Belichick, dressed in a suit — no hoodie for the coach this time — also said All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski is “day to day” with a high left ankle sprain for next Sunday’s NFL title game against the New York Giants. Gronkowski has been wearing a walking boot since being injured in the AFC title game.
“You’ve got to prepare for every one of these situations that come up,” quarterback Tom Brady said of the possibility Gronkowski will be limited or sidelined. “You always have to have some contingency plans.”
Brady knows the Giants will bring lots of heat with their pass rush, but for now he was more comforted by not having to face a local rival who frequently has put Brady on his back.
“I see Dwight Freeney’s picture up there (on the stadium),” Brady said. “When you come to Indy and don’t have to play him, we are very fortunate for that.”
The Patriots drew about 25,000 fans to Gillette Stadium earlier Sunday for what Brady termed “a pep rally.” Team owner Robert Kraft, who has had an emotional year — his wife passed away last July and he was instrumental in resolving the NFL’s lockout of the players — was thrilled by the turnout.
“We had 25,000 people come to our stadium today to send the team off,” Kraft said. “At the stadium today it was so special, the time we are in now, to have 25,000 of our fans cheer our team is a very emotional experience.”
This is Kraft’s sixth Super Bowl as owner, and he vividly recalled the days when the team was lucky to draw 25,000 for a game.
“I sat with those crowds. I sat in the stands for 34 years and we had one home playoff game, in 1978, which we lost to Houston,” Kraft said. “And last Sunday, we were privileged to host our 15th playoff game.”

In Super Bowl XLVI, NY Giants and New England Patriots meet again as hunter is now the hunted

The theme of the last two weeks of the playoffs for the Giants was “revenge,” but that’s not what they’re seeking this time. They’ll arrive in this Super Bowl city on Monday afternoon having already proven they’re good enough to beat the Patriots.
The trick now is to do it again.

As the Packers and 49ers found out the last two weeks, beating the same team twice in a season isn’t easy. Against a Hall of Fame-bound coach like Bill Belichick, it can be especially hard.

“Knowing Coach Belichick and their staff they’ll have a new game plan, they’ll have some new wrinkles in there,” said Eli Manning. “They’re a great staff and great coaches. They’ll be well prepared. Just from watching one of their games it seems like they’ve already changed up a little bit.”

“Bill is an outstanding football coach who has his finger on everything that goes on there and does an exceptional job of planning,” Tom Coughlin added. “Therefore, it presents outstanding problems. And just as important is that they are a very, very good team.”

In fact, the Patriots team that touched down in Indianapolis on Sunday evening is riding a 10-game winning streak that dates back to their last loss on Nov. 6 24-20 to the Giants in Foxborough. When the Giants beat them, the Patriots were scuttling along at 5-3, looking like a fading dynasty.

Since then they’ve won their 10 straight games by an average score of 36-19.

Maybe most importantly, the Giants had no choice but to show their full hand in that regular-season meeting. It was a big game they needed to win to keep their momentum rolling as they began a difficult stretch of their schedule. They couldn’t hold anything back.

That makes this different than it was in 2007, when the Giants narrowly lost to the Patriots in the regular-season finale, only to beat them five weeks later in Super Bowl XLII. Years later, former Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo admitted “there was a little bit of a pullback there” in that game because they didn’t want to show their entire game plan, in case they met again.

This time they are much more exposed.

“I think any time you play the Patriots they're always going to have something new for you,” Manning said. “The last time we played them they showed a lot of different looks, some different schemes on defense things that they have not shown before. When we played them in the Super Bowl four years ago they had some new things for that game. They tend to have a theme of the game and it changes from week to week.

“So you have to be prepared for a lot of different things. They do a great job of disguising things and showing different looks. We have to be prepared for it all.”

Of course, the same is true for the Patriots. They know the Giants got a good look at what they like to do with receiver Wes Welker (nine catches, 136 yards in that game) and their dangerous tight end duo of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez (12 catches for 136 yards and two touchdowns combined). They saw how to attack the NFL’s second-worst defense, which they beat for 361 yards, even without receiver Hakeem Nicks and running back Ahmad Bradshaw.

That familiarity makes this game an intriguing chess match between Belichick and Coughlin and their staffs. The Giants know how to beat them. The Patriots have two weeks to study that film to figure out how to stop them.
It’s why, after all the studying and scheming, some players are convinced that what happened in the first game won’t really matter at all.

“Those games mean nothing,” said linebacker Michael Boley. “That game was so long ago. A lot has changed not only with their team but with ours.”

“Means absolutely nothing,” added safety Antrel Rolle. “It’s a totally different team, totally different mindset, two teams going head to head. Whatever it takes.”

Giants vs. Patriots: How Tom Coughlin Can Outsmart Bill Belichick

The 2012 Super Bowl will provide the professional pigskin viewing public with another opportunity to witness the latest installment in the war of coaching strategy between Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin.
This coaching matchup sustains its intrigue not because of the distinctly disparate tactical approaches of the sideline front men but rather through some of the characteristic similarities, in addition to the coaching lineage that directly links these two Bill Parcells proteges.
However, if a certain degree of discipline and rigidity in game plan management represents the common hook that both men hang their hats on, there still remains an underlying sentiment that it will be Tom Coughlin taking on the underdog role of trying to out-coach his former stablemate.
Thus, a look at five suggestions as to how Corporal Coughlin might approach such an aspiration.

Super Bowl 2012: Second Ring Would Put Eli Manning in Hall of Fame Discussion

At the start of the 2011 season, nobody viewed New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning as a future Hall of Famer. In fact, we all laughed when he dared to say he was in the same class as Tom Brady.
Manning then proceeded to shut us up by having the best season of his pro career, and now he's just a week away from playing in the Super Bowl for the second time in his career.
So that future Hall of Famer idea? It's not looking too outlandish right about now. On the contrary, it's an idea we should start coming to grips with.
As things stand right now, Manning is not a Hall of Famer. His win in Super Bowl XLII is a huge feather in his cap, as is his Super Bowl MVP, but the rest of Manning's resume is lacking. His career passer rating of 82.1 is not impressive, and the fact that he has twice led the league in interceptions is not a good thing at all.

Manning at the Pro Bowl in 2009.

Pro Bowl selections don't mean as much as we think they do, but Manning has only been selected to the Pro Bowl twice in his eight seasons, once in 2008 and again this year. That's a pretty good indication of how up and down Manning's career has been. And indeed, there have been more downs than ups.
So as great as Manning was in 2011, his resume is not that of a Hall of Fame quarterback. Nothing is being decided today, but Manning would not be a Hall of Famer if we were.
The big picture could be significantly different a week from today. If Manning leads the Giants to a win over the Patriots on Super Sunday, we're going to be looking at his career in an entirely different light.
There are only a small handful of quarterbacks in NFL history who have won more than one Super Bowl. Most of them are in the Hall of Fame, and some are going to get there some day. Tom Brady will be a Hall of Famer, and Ben Roethlisberger probably will be too.
At the very least, a second ring would put Manning in the discussion. The debate will be heated, but rest assured this is a debate people will have. Compared to where we stand with Manning right now, that's a step up.

The scary part is that, win or lose, there's a lot more to come from Manning. He's only 31, meaning he has a few seasons left in him. The possibility exists that he will get a couple more cracks at the Super Bowl. Even if he doesn't, he's going to continue to build on his numbers.
As strange as it may seem, we could eventually come to see Eli as the better of the two Manning brothers. He already has as many rings as Peyton, and Eli is going to catch up to him numbers-wise in the coming years. Right now, I'm already willing to bet that Eli is going to have more rings when all is said and done.
So one way or the other, Manning is going to be in the Hall of Fame discussion. He'll be there right away if he's hoisting the Lombardi Trophy a week from today, but he'll be there eventually even if he isn't.

2012 Super Bowl: New England Patriots Sent Off By 25,000 Fans At Gillette Stadium

With an exactly one week separating us from Super Bowl XLVI, the New England Patriots set foot in Gillette Stadium one final time before an estimated 25,000 fans for a final send-off rally before boarding a plane to Indianapolis, Indiana where they will face the New York Giants on Super Sunday
The rally began at approximately 10 a.m. in Gillette Stadium, with fans dawning Patriots gear and cheering as loud as they have throughout the playoffs.
The only player that was absent from the send-off rally was tight end Rob Gronkowski, who continues to nurse a reported high ankle sprain. Gronk has been frequently spotted in a walking boot, but it is believed that he will play in the Super Bowl next Sunday night. He was reportedly seen with the same walking boot when he got off the plane in Indianapolis Sunday afternoon.
For the exception of Gronk, entire Patriots team and coaching staff was in attendance including team owner Robert Kraft. Kraft, whose been through a very emotional year after losing his wife Myra to cancer, has been very appreciative of the fan support him as well as his team. As Kraft knows, there is one hurdle left to clear before capping off a season dedicated to Myra right.

"I want to thank you all for coming here today and giving us the warmest welcome in the history of this team," said team owner Robert Kraft, addressing the crowd from a stage set up along the Patriots' sideline. "(It's) our send-off to Indy, where we intend to do business." (via ESPN Boston)

As for head coach Bill Belichick, this Super Bowl will be his fifth in New England. For him, it's all business and it's been that the whole season and was reflective in his comments on Sunday.

"It's a great honor to be representing the AFC and New England in the Super Bowl," Belichick said. "We're really excited about the trip. (We) appreciate the support. I'm sure we'll see some of you out in Indy. Go Pats." (via ESPN Boston)

As for the leader of the Patriots, Tom Brady, he is looking to redeem himself in a performance where he admitted he "sucked". Brady was brief in his comments on Sunday, and was very appreciative to a fanbase he call "the best fans in America".

"We're going down there for one reason," Brady said. "We're going to give it our best and hopefully we'll have a lot more people at our party next weekend." (via ESPN Boston)

Super Bowl 2012 Date and Time: Giants vs Patriots, Location, Line, Spread and prediction

Super Bowl 2012 Date and Time: Giants vs Patriots, Location, Line, Spread and prediction
Super Bowl 2012 is not today. Waking up in the wrong side of the bed. In the process of time, the New England Patriots and New York Giants will be vying for the Super Bowl 2012 title at the Lucas Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana. As all other teams dropped their chances of being in the Super Bowl, only two teams remain – the AFC Champion and the NFC Champion.
The story is being portrayed as part two of their previous game this season or the 2008 Super Bowl which is considered by many as the best of all time. Call it either way, the Giants vs Patriots are the teams still standing until the Super Bowl 2012 starts and the winner is declared. The fact that these two teams met in one of the most contentious Super Bowl ever makes sense for the entire NFL supporters to anticipate greatly the Super Bowl 46. Yes, the Patriots emerged as the AFC champion despite many tumultuous challenges dismantling Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs. The Giants also proved that playing on the road will not be the hindrance in reaching the Super Bowl winning five road games already in getting into two Super Bowls.
Expectations are still high for the Patriots to win this game. The truth is that Las Vegas oddsmakers lifts the Patriots into 3.5 line spread favorites. In the eyes of Vegas experts, the Patriots are the favorites. True to them but not to all. If your remember the odds in the Super Bowl 2008, the Patriots were overwhelmingly favored by 14 points because of the way they won all their games and beating also the Giants in their season finale. This time around, a slim spread that favors the Patriots. Why are the Patriots still getting the nudge of the experts. The presence of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick will always be the determining factor as far as the Patriots success is concerned. Being the favorite to win the Super Bowl 2012, Brady’s offensive game and Belichick’s mind of the game will have the Patriots the edge.
However, there are other people that select the Giants because of quarterback Eli Manning making considerable improvements in anchoring the Giants offense. Manning faced the stingy defense of the 49ers in the NFC Championship game but he didn’t falter to deliver that passes when needed. Manning has been extremely great in playing his best in tough times. He can be now considered as one of the elite quarterbacks. Manning can make the case again and again if he wins this Super Bowl. Also, the Giants have the defense that can surely contain the offense of the Patriots. To compare the Ravens and Giants defense is not right at all. Giants will take the Ravens book and apply it in a given plays. Absolutely, the Giants may have seen something that they can explore defensively from the previous game. They found out the reason why Tom Brady didn’t play well at all.
In laying out the case of which is a better football team, other factors can be in the spectrum of adding into considerations. The Patriots are nursing a problem of whether the number one receiver tight end Rob Gronkowski will play the Super Bowl or no because of ankle injury. Leaving Aaron Hernandez, Wes Welker, and Deion Branch as the remaining receivers left for the Patriots. This will be a major adjustment on Brady on how he will distribute his passes in the most efficient way without Gronkowski.
Giants will not have the service of Plaxico Burress who caught the winning touchdown in Super Bowl 2008, but Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz are ever better in getting along with Manning in the passing game. Absolutely, these two receivers will be the main focal points of Manning and his offense as they try to extricate the defense of the Patriots.
Patriots didn’t have the defense in the regular season yet they survived and stopped the offense of the Broncos and they limited the offense of running back Ray Rice by allowing him only 67 yards. Patriots defensive package is unpredictable as experts believe that Belichick has the mind and game plan to tame the Giants offense. For the Giants defense, getting into Brady will be the main focus. To sack Brady more than five times will surely alter the complexion of the game in favor of the Giants.
Super Bowl 2012 Date and Time is on February 5, 2012 at 6:30 PM ET. The Super Bowl 2012 television coverage is on NBC. As for the Super Bowl 2012 prediction, New England Patriots will win this game.

Super Bowl 2012 Schedule: Patriots Arrive In Indy Sunday, Giants Monday

It is officially the Sunday before Super Bowl Sunday, and that means one thing: The arrival of both the New York Giants and New England Patriots is less than 24 hours away. On Sunday, the Patriots (13-3) will arrive in Indianapolis (see picture below of New England loading its team buses Sunday afternoon), while the Giants touch down Monday.

via p.twimg.com
The biggest story lines of the week will revolve around the rematch of the 2008 Super Bowl, which will feature a lot of highlights of former Giants wide receiver making "The Helmet Catch" that helped New York down the Patriots, 17-14; the injury status of Patriots All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowksi, who's battling a bad ankle; and the comparison of the two featured quarterbacks -- Eli Manning (Giants) and Tom Brady (Patriots).
On Tuesday, both franchises will hold media days, as the Patriots will begin theirs at 10 a.m. ET, while the Giants will have theirs at noon. Both teams will hold their regular practices during the week in preparation for next Sunday's 6:30 p.m. ET kick off time. The game will be televised on NBC.