The NFL Picks Column: Super Bowl XLII Edition

But that’s hard to do because Jacksonville has a better running game than New York and only had a so-so game against the Patriots. Not only that, but I’m not sure there’s a correlation between rushing yards against the Patriots and your ability to outscore them. Just look at the Steelers game earlier this season.

I’ve tried to convince myself that Eli Manning is playing his best football, which is bad news for the Patriots. 

But can Eli get away with playing error free, big-play free football like he did against the Packers and still score enough to beat the Patriots? 

Once the Patriots decided to pressure Eli in week 17, he fell apart, throwing the eventual game-deciding interception. 

When the Patriots played the Panthers in the Super Bowl, I went into the bye week thinking the Pats were going to destroy them. 

As the game got closer, I convinced myself it would be a close game.

When the Patriots played the Eagles in the Super Bowl, I went into the bye thinking it was going to be an easy Patriot victory. 

By game time, I was convinced the Eagles were going to win.

This Super Bowl week has been entirely different. 

I entered the bye week thinking it was going to be a relatively close game. Now I’m wondering if people outside of New England will still be watching when the fourth quarter starts.

The Patriots offensive “slow-down” coincided perfectly with the weather in New England going to crap. The weather this weekend will be picture-perfect.

The Patriots beat the Giants by three points in week 17. To keep the game within three points, the Giants had to run a kick back for a touchdown and score a garbage-time TD late in the fourth quarter.

The Patriots came into week 17 with a lackluster gameplan and were clearly taken off-guard by the Giants’ intensity.

Neither of those things will happen this weekend.

I expect a close game for about 10 minutes, then the Patriots will turn on the burners and won’t look back. 

This game will not be pretty.

Prediction:  Patriots 42 – Giants 17

I'm SeanMC. 

SeanMC is a Columnist at Bleacher Report. His archive can be found here. You can find everything he writes, including articles for other publications, here. 

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