By Nolan Bostic and Nathan Bostic
Trojan Tribune Staff
Photo courtesy of Filmschoolrejects.com
The 46th annual Super Bowl will kick off at 6:30 EST on Feb. 5. The much anticipated matchup between the two talented franchises is expected to come down to the wire. For the New England Patriots, this is a revenge bowl, as they will try to get back at the New York Giants, who defeated them in the 2008 Super Bowl. While Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are chasing their fourth Super Bowl ring together, Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin are looking to win their second. Going into the playoffs as the number four seed, the Giants knocked off the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers. The Patriots went into the playoffs as the number one seed. They crushed the Denver Broncos and then topped the Baltimore Ravens by three.
While New York wasn’t a favorite coming into the playoffs, the franchise played solid ball and took advantage of the opportunities they were given. 
The regular season didn’t go exactly as planned, but nevertheless, they defeated the Dallas Cowboys in week 17 to win the division and come into the playoffs strong. Though their regular season record was a lousy 9-7, the Giants knew that with the talent their team consisted of, they were capable of beating anyone. Team leaders offensively during the regular season were Eli Manning, Ahmad Bradshaw and Victor Cruz. Manning threw for 4,933 yards and 29 touchdowns, finishing with a quarterback rating of 92.9. Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for 659 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging about 3.9 yards per carry. Victor Cruz had 82 receptions for 1,536 yards and nine touchdowns. Defensively, the Giants were led by Antrel Rolle, who had 96 tackles and Jason Pierre-Paul, who had 16.5 sacks.
New England was definitely a favorite coming into the playoffs. As a number one seed, many NFL fans and analysts expected them to go deep into the playoffs. The Patriots have questionably the best offensive unit in the league, but as an old saying goes: ‘defense wins championships.’ This is an obvious weakness to the franchise, but in the playoffs, their defense has played exceptionally well. In the regular season the franchise went 13-3 and won their division by a large margin. Offensive leaders for the Patriots during the regular season included Tom Brady, BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Wes Welker. Brady passed for 5,235 yards and 39 touchdowns. He had a quarterback rating of 105.6. Green-Ellis led the Patriots in rushing yards with 667 yards and 11 touchdowns. Welker had 122 receptions for 1,569 yards and nine touchdowns. Defensively, the leaders for the Patriots were Jerod Mayo and Andre Carter. Mayo had 88 tackles, and Carter had 10 sacks.
There are some key players to watch in the Super Bowl for both teams. For the Giants, they are their quarterback Eli Manning, and their receivers, Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham. New York has three exceptional pass rushers up front as well: Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul and Osi Umenyiora. New England’s key players to watch are the quarterback, Tom Brady, and the two tight ends, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. The Patriots also have two key receivers: Wes Welker and Deion Branch. Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo are two players to keep an eye out for on the defensive side of the ball.
