Super Bowl 2012: Predicting the Top 3 Performers in Giants vs. Patriots

The New York Giants face off against the New England Patriots on Sunday in Super Bowl XLVI. It should be a remarkable game between two of the hottest teams in the NFL, and it should feature a ton of clutch performances by key players.

Here are three players that will be huge on Sunday.

1. Jason Pierre-Paul

I think Jason will have a huge game in the Super Bowl and will be the deserving MVP if the Giants win. He is one of the best defensive players in the entire league and will step up in a big way in the biggest game of his career.

I think Pierre-Paul will have at least two sacks and make a play to create a turnover. Whether it's a forced fumble, an interception or a quarterback pressure that leads to an interception, look for a turnover forced by Paul on Sunday.

2. Eli Manning

I think Eli Manning will likely win the MVP on Sunday if the Giants win because he will have to play huge for the Giants to prevail, and the NFL loves to award its quarterbacks. 

Manning should throw for at least three touchdowns against one of the worst defenses in the NFL. If I were to make a statistical prediction, I would say Manning will throw for 375 yards and four touchdowns. 

3. Wes Welker

Wes Welker will have to step up for the Patriots with Rob Gronkowski hurt. While Gronkowski is going to play on Sunday, he still will be hampered by his injury, and Tom Brady should be looking to go to Welker more often than usual (if that's even possible).

I look for Welker to have at least 10 catches and 100 yards receiving. He will probably also catch a touchdown for the Patriots because Gronkowski can't hog all the red-zone targets on Sunday when he's playing hurt.

In conclusion, I like the Giants to win this game today. They have a better defense and they are the hotter team. The only reason the Patriots could win this game is because Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are outstanding together. If Belichick isn't able to pull something out of thin air, I like the Giants to win this game.

Giants, 41-31.