5 Questions: Aftermath of Super Bowl XLVI

CB Antwuan Molden was no match for WR Hakeem Nicks.

1. If Eli Manning stopped playing football today, would he be a Hall of Famer?

I don’t think so.  Well, not yet at least.  Eli had a phenomenal season winning his 2^nd Super Bowl MVP and breaking many season and Super Bowl records in the process, but I think he needs to be more consistent in multiple seasons in order to be inducted with the greats.  This is the only season in his career in which he was able to carry the Giants on his back and be that game changer.  In previous seasons, he has only been mediocre.  I mean, he did throw like 20 plus picks two seasons ago.  If he can continue to be the difference maker for the Giants and show more consistency in his numbers, then yes, he will be a Hall of Famer regardless if he ever wins another Super Bowl or not.

2. The New England Patriots haven’t won a Super Bowl since spy gate.  Would you consider their previous three titles tainted?

I’ve been hearing this on the radio for the past couple of hours and I don’t believe New England’s past two Super Bowl losses to New York will hurt their legacy at all.  Even though they haven’t won the big game since 2004, there have made two more Super Bowl appearances.  Many other teams wouldn’t hesitate to be in that kind of position.  This is a franchise that also went 16-0 in the regular season in ’07.  I think they are doing something right, don’t you think?  People can hate about the Patriots and spy gate all they want, but in the end it came down to execution and New England flat out won.

3.  Does the loss of Super Bowl XLVI fall on Wes Welker or Tom Brady’s shoulder?

This has been the story of the day as everyone continues to point the finger, but I don’t think it’s either of their faults.  People criticize Brady’s throw, but he put the ball where it had to be.  There were three DBs in the area and he had to make sure he threw the ball away from safety Kenny Philips.  Wes just couldn’t make the play.  What can I say?  He’s human.  But besides that, the Patriots as a team didn’t make enough play to win.  I think the biggest factor was the inability for NE to force any turnovers.  The Giants put the ball on the turf three times, but the Pats were unable to recover any of them.  The ball just didn’t fall their way that is why they lost.  To go out and blame Wes Welker and call him the “Bill Buckner” of football is just absurd.  His stats speak for himself.

4. Who is the better Manning?

Although Eli has one more ring compared to Peyton, I still don’t believe Eli is in his field yet.  Peyton has done this for many of seasons.  This is the first time in Eli’s career he can call himself an elite quarterback.  Peyton’s been elite for years.  I think the fact that Eli has one more Super Bowl than Peyton is because of his supporting cast.  Until this season, Eli has never been successful of putting an entire team on his shoulders.  Peyton’s been doing that for who knows how long.  Just look at the Colts now.  They can barley win a game without the guy.  Peyton’s a type of quarterback that comes around every decade.  He hasn’t had the type of rough seasons Eli has had.  I still think Eli has a ways to go if he wants to be the best quarterback in the family.

5. Did Tom Brady play in his last Super Bowl?

Tom still has a lot of football left, therefore no.  He’s been playing at the highest level for multiple seasons and I don’t see him slowing down, barring injury.  He once again put up MVP like numbers this season.  He was even able to his team to the Super Bowl that lacked a defense, running game, and receivers (except Welker).  If he can do that, then there’s no telling what he can do with a complete team.  This being said, the Pats are already Super Bowl favorites for next season.  Before Tom’s career is over, I think he will win one more matching Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw.

What are your five answers?

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7 Predictions for Super Bowl XLVI: New England Patriots v. New York Giants

Will the New York Giants once again get the better of Tom Brady?

We are finally down to the last game of the 2011-’12 NFL season and, I honestly cannot wait.  I’m not the type of guy that usually gets too “over-hyped” for a Super Bowl, but with this match-up, how can you not?  Even though it is a rematch, the duel between Tom Brady and Eli Manning can’t get any better.  Both the New England Patriots and New York Giants have been at each other since Super Bowl XLII, creating a little rivalry.  With this being said, here are my five bold predictions for Super Bowl XLVI.

1) Patriots WR Wes Welker will have more than 10 catches.

New England likes to use the short-passing game, and with New York’s attention on their dynamic tight-end duo, I expect Wes Welker will see a lot of targets his way.  If you don’t recall, the last time they met in the Super Bowl, Welker ate them up for 11 receptions for 103 yards.  I expect a similar output from the Texas Tech grad.

2)  Giants WR Victor Cruz will get his first post-season touchdown.

Cruz surprisingly hasn’t had a touchdown reception yet this post-season.  He’s arguably been the biggest surprise all season with his big play ability.  With Hakeem Nicks getting all the touchdowns lately, I am waiting for Cruz to break out of his drought and I think this will be his moment.

3) QBs Tom Brady and Eli Manning will pass for over a combined 700 yards and five touchdowns.

Both of these quarterbacks have been slinging the ball all season long and I expect to see that in the Super Bowl.  They have had nearly two weeks to prepare, and these two guys are the one of bests at execution.  The fact the Brady and Manning both just set franchise highs for single season passing yards should say enough.

4) Eli Manning will turn the ball over more than once.

Manning has been stellar all season and I have a feeling he’s going to make a few costly mistakes in this one.  Not many people have talked about the Patriots defense, but they too, have playmakers that can force turnovers.  I expect New England to come into this game with a game plan that will force Eli into some mistakes.  If you recall watching the San Francisco game, Eli should have thrown at least three interceptions, but the Niners’ defensive backs were unable to haul in the football.

5) The New York Giants will not have any more than one sack.

The past two times the Giants have beaten the Pats, they recorded two and five sacks.  New England understands that if they want to win this time, they must keep Brady upright.  I think they will have a set game plan that will help with blocking schemes and use their short passes.  If they continue to get to Brady like in previous meetings, the Giants will prevail.

6) TE Aaron Hernandez will be the better tight-end.

The ankle shouldn’t slow Gronk down, but I see the Giants doing their best to eliminate him, opening things up for Hernandez.  I’ve always liked Hernandez better because of his athleticism and the things he can do in space after the catch.  He is really shifty and can make turn a small gain into a big gain.  Hell, at times the Patriots have him play tail back.  I have a feeling that Hernandez is going to have a big night.

7) New England Patriots win Super Bowl XLVI 31-24.

The Giants have beaten the Patriots the past two meetings and I just have a hard time seeing them beating the Pats three consecutive times.  Manning has outplayed Brady the past two meetings, and for that matter, I think Brady will come out firing on all cylinders.  I think he will have his best Super Bowl ever and will not allow Manning to outplay him this time.  The Giants have been talking a lot of smack during this media week and that’s going to come back to kick them in the ass.

Alex Smith…You are who we thought you were!

After watching the 49er offense sputter for four and a half quarters, it’s safe to say, Alex Smith is the quarterback we thought he was.

Where was the guy who passed for nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns against the New Orleans Saints?  The guy who completed two rallies against Drew Brees?

He was nowhere to be found.

Alex Smith was an atrocious 1 for 13 on third-down conversions and wasn’t able to convert a single third down until overtime.  Even worse?  Alex only completed one pass to a wide receiver the entire game.  Majority of his passes were ineffective dumpoffs to running backs.

He may have thrown two touchdown passes, but tight end Vernon Davis was a huge part of it.  Davis was able to beat the safety on man coverage on both occasions.  All Alex had to do was lay the ball out there.  101 of Alex’s 196 passing yards came in two big plays from Davis.  It if weren’t for Davis’s two big plays, Alex probably wouldn’t have even thrown for over a hundred yards against the New York Giant defense.

This was a typical Alex Smith performance, and those who follow Alex should know that.  Alex has never been a consistent quarterback and it showed again last night.

It baffled me that people were actually hyping up Alex Smith after his four total touchdown performance against the Saints.  The guy has one really good game then all of a sudden he is the real deal?  I don’t think so.  After watching last night’s game, I wouldn’t even consider him a franchise quarterback.

Alex isn’t the kind of guy that will make big plays under duress.  Every time the Giants got some kind of pass rush, Alex panicked and would prematurely leave the pocket.  He would repeatedly scramble to his right and throw a pass to his receiver’s feet.  He is simply just a game manager.

He lacks the ability to step up into the pocket and make the timely throws.  The only time Alex plays well is when he has time in the pocket to set his feet and that is basically every quarterback.  If you can’t convert on third down, you won’t survive in this league.

San Francisco’s dominant defense and rushing attack can only hide their quarterback’s inconsistencies for so long.   Unless you can pass the ball effectively, you will not succeed in the playoffs and the Niners were definitely exposed.  Even though Alex Smith showed progression (7 seasons later….), I still don’t believe he will be the guy to take the Niners to the next level.

Imagine if this talented Niner team had a quarterback that wasn’t as offensively challenged as Alex Smith….

2011 NFC Championship Prediction: New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers

Can Alex Smith lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl?

Let’s be honest, I don’t think many of us expected the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants to be facing each other in the NFC Championship game.

The Niners shocked the nation this past weekend, defeating the New Orleans Saints with their own replica of “the catch” 36-32.  This will be San Francisco’s first time appearing in the NFC title game since losing to the Green Bay Packers in 1998.

New York also surprised us by dismantling the defending Super Bowl Champion Packers at Lambeau Field 37-20.  This will be the Giants’ second appearance in the NFC title game in the last four years.

Both of these teams met in week 10 of the regular season, in which the 49ers won 27-20, but things will be much different this time.

The G-Men enter this game full of confidence and have a good reason to.  Their defense has been on a tear, shutting out the Falcons’ offense in the Wild Card and holding the Packers’ offense to 20 points in the Divisional Round. The defensive line has been superb as New York can relentlessly rush the passer without having to bring extra defenders.

Eli Manning has also silenced his critics after a helluva display in Green Bay.  He is finally looking like the elite quarterback he claimed to be prior to the start of the season.  It also helps with the big play receivers he has around him.  With all the attention going to Victor Cruz,  Hakeem Nicks has already gotten four touchdown receptions in the playoffs.

Although the Giants are red-hot, don’t expect the Niners to back down by no means.

San Francisco, in my opinion, are the best tacklers in the NFL, which why their defensive is so good.  Their defensive backs don’t freeze up like a deer in the headlights and can make the play.  They can also pressure the quarterback and stuff the run.

Many saw Alex Smith as the biggest question mark heading into the playoffs, but after last week’s heroics, I think he’s answered bell.  For the first time, I saw Alex Smith play like the number 1 pick that he is.  He made all the right throws, exploiting New Orleans’ man-coverage.

Even though Alex proved to us that he can sling the football, I don’t expect the Niners to change their game plan.  They will go into this game seeking to pound the ground game and play solid defense.  San Francisco leads the NFL in takeaways, therefore they will be looking to capitalize on the opposing team’s mistakes.  The Niners are one of the league’s best in protecting the football and don’t beat themselves too often.

The Giants will need to focus on stopping the run and force Alex Smith to beat you.  Yeah, Smith had a great outing last week, but let’s see if he can do that again.  The secondary will need to have their focus on tight end Vernon Davis after his stellar performance last week.

As much as I dislike the Giants, I see them going into Candlestick Park and prevailing with a win.

The Niners may have a great defense, but I don’t see them stopping Eli Manning and the Giants.  The Niners showed last week that you can throw the ball on them and score points.  Eli is looking better than his brother Peyton right now and he will outplay Alex Smith.

Smith has had a great season thus far, but he will be exploited on Sunday.  Smith has never been a great passer under heavy pressure.  The Giants won’t be afraid to test him.

The 49ers’ defense will keep it close, but Eli and Co. will pull it out at the end.

New York Giants 27 – San Francisco 24

The Rise of Eli

You can't spell elite without Eli.

If slicing and dicing the 15-1 defending Super Bowl Champions in Green Bay doesn’t consider you elite, then I don’t know what will.

Not once but twice, Eli Manning has been able to defeat one of the better teams in NFL history with the 18-0 New England Patriots being his  first victim in the Super Bowl four years ago.

It wasn’t too long ago when many of us (including me) were mocking Eli when he proclaimed to be in the same elite quarterback class as Tom Brady.

For much of Eli’s career, I never really saw him as an elite quarterback even after defeating New England in the 2008 Super Bowl.  Hell, I always saw him as an overrated quarterback getting credit because of him being a “Manning.”  Finally, after eight seasons, Manning has finally earned my acknowledgment and respect.

Being an NFC East guy, since I’ve followed Eli since his rookie season, the exact same thought would run through my mind- How many turnovers will Eli have today?  Throughout most of Eli’s career, he has  had tendencies of being reckless with the football especially last season.  In 2010, Eli had a career high 25 interceptions.

Now?

Eli is the best quarterback left standing in the NFC with an opportunity to take his team back to the Super Bowl. This is by far the best season of Eli’s career as he has quietly thrown for a franchise-record 4,933 yards and set an NFL record for most TD passes in the 4^th quarter.

The transformation Eli has made from last season to this season is simply jaw-dropping.  It’s just as great as Aaron Rodgers’s progression from year one to year three.  The biggest difference I see in Eli this season is his pocket presence and his decision-making.  Yeah, the guy isn’t flashy but he does just enough to find time to complete the pass.  Either if it’s a simple shoulder-dip or shuffle, Eli keeps finding ways to avoid the pass-rush.  He is also reading the coverage and going through his progressions extremely well.  In previous seasons, Eli would panic under duress and throw an arrogant pass off his back foot, resulting into a turnover.

You can say whatever you want about Eli, but the guy knows how to win big games.  I’ve seen him single-handedly eliminate my Dallas Cowboys from playoff contention on numerous occasions.  His playoff resume is no slouch either as he has had head-to-head wins against Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo, Matt Ryan, and Brett Favre.  As much as I dislike the Giants, I have to give credit where credit is due.   Eli is finally eclipsing his older brother Peyton’s shadow.

NFC Divisional Round Predictions: New York Giants (9-7) at Green Bay Packers (15-1)

Can the New York Giants leave Lambeau Field with a win like in '08?

The surging New York Giants are heading into the Divisional Round full of confidence after manhandling the Atlanta Falcons in the Wild Card.   This New York team possesses a lot of similarities from their 2007 Super Bowl team, which is scary.  They are set to face a huge test visiting the reigning Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers.  Lambeau Field hasn’t hosted a playoff game since the ’07-‘08 NFC Championship game when the Giants came into Green Bay and ended Brett Favre’s Packer career.  Ironically, the G-Men find their way back to Wisconsin.

It took nearly all season, but the Giants are finally clicking and are looking dangerous.  The defensive line is top-notch.  The past couple of games, New York has been able to constantly harass the quarterback.  Offensively, Eli Manning has been carrying this team all season and has now become an elite quarterback.  They have a lot of explosive weapons with Hakeem Nicks, Victoz Cruz, and Mario Manningham.  Even the running game has been coming alive as of late.  In week 13, the Giants’ skill players have already proved that they can go head-to-head with Green Bays’.  Expect New York to make some explosive plays down the field.

The Packers head into this game led by their All-Pro quarterback Aaron Rodgers.  This guy is doing things you do in video games.  Rodgers has excellent mobility and makes everything looks so easy.  He is also expected to win the NFL MVP (which he should).  The biggest question, however, is the Packer defense.  They give up a ton of point and yards, but they lead the league in takeaways per game.  The Packer defense still has enough talent to make game changing plays and if you give Rodgers extra possessions, he will make you pay.

I feel like the Green Bay Packers are heading into this game kind of under-the-radar.  They may have won 15 games, but most of the coverage I’ve seen   I think we all kind of forgot how good they are.  The Packers are going to come out with something to prove and shut the Giants up.  Aaron Rodgers is going to take complete control and will eventually overwhelm New York.

New York Giants 31 – Green Bay Packers 34

NFC Wild Card Predictions: Atlanta Falcons (10-6) at New York Giants (9-7)

Can Matty "Ice" Ryan get the monkey off his back?

After thumping the Dallas Cowboys to be crowned NFC East Champions, the New York Giants are peaking into the playoffs.  They will be hosting an under-the-radar Atlanta Falcons team, which isn’t a team to sleep on.  The Falcons will be playing with a chip on their shoulder especially after getting dismantled by the Packers in last season’s playoff run.

Both teams are red hot offensively, led by their respected quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Eli Manning.  Ryan has continued to shine during the regular season, but is still looking for his first post-season victory.  Then there is Eli, who has impressed many (including me) with his fourth quarter comebacks this season.

Either one of these quarterbacks will pick you apart if given time in the pocket, which is why the game will be won at the line of scrimmage.  Plain and simple: the team that gets to the quarterback wins the game.  That is the big reason why the Giants will prevail.

New York’s defensive line has been stout the last two games.  Jason Pierre-Paul is playing like a man possessed and then you still have Justin Tuck and Chris Canty to worry about.  Atlanta’s defensive line hasn’t been too impressive this season.  They only possess one consistent pass rusher in John Abraham.  Unless Michael Turner can get it going to establish some sort of balance, the New York defense will be in Matt Ryan’s face all night.

Eli Manning and the entire offense (especially the o-line) are coming into the playoffs playing at a high level and the Falcons will having trouble slowing them down.  Eli’s pocket presence has been remarkable and he just finds ways to make plays when you need them.  He’s playing on a different level right now.  Perhaps Tom Brady’s?

Atlanta Falcons 23- New York Giants 31