Super Bowl XLII: It's in the Cards for the NY Giants

Remember in The Simpsons episode where Bart was playing bartender at Fat Tony's club and circled the table during a poker game, only to realize that every mobster was playing with a hand full of aces?

I sure hope the New York Giants were taking notes.

Don't get me wrong—the Giants could very well win this game. I mean, why else would they be playing in it? But in order to be the ones to hoist the Lombardi Trophy at the final whistle this Sunday, they'll need some divine intervention.

One quick question: Did anyone else think that the "divine intervention" thing was going against the Giants in the NFC Championship games?

Lawrence Tynes missed two field goals (one with four seconds left), the Packers won the OT coin toss, and Brett Favre (who has to be hanging onto God's belt loop or something) was set up to launch the Packers into the Super Bowl that would have destroyed North America? 

Now I don't want to start a religious debate here on Bleacher Report (at least not until Jon Kitna's season starts again) so I'm not going to make divine intervention a necessary to win this game. I'll leave it at this—If you believe in said intervention and they win, then they were a dangerously undervalued team that got a little push from the hand of God.

If you don't believe in interventions (not the show on A & E), they're just a dangerously undervalued team.

Now that we've played the religon card, in turn making me feel less guilty about not going to church Sunday morning (I'll be making chili instead), we'll get down to the aspects the Giants can control if they hope to win...

Ace of Spades—Eli Manning

If you listen closely you can hear about 5.8 million people simultaneously saying "obviously." Well, no matter how often this is mentioned—whether it's on Pardon the Interruption, Oprah, Fox Sports, CBS Sports, The View, Best Damn Sports Show, Dr. Phil, or the Naked Chef—it doesn't change the fact that Eli has to play like the illegitimate love child of John Elway, Steve Young, and Roger Staubach.

(I nearly included Barry Sanders in that list for some reason, like it wasn't strange enough already. Then I got to thinking: What would happen if Eli started running like Sanders? 6-1 odds on the World Ending. You heard it here first.)

The scary thing with Eli is that he hasn't gotten better over the past few games. People talk of the Patriots slowing down, but since playing the Patriots in Week 17, Manning's touchdown totals (2, 2, 0) and his completion percentage (74%, 66%, 53%) have decreased each round in the playoffs. (His yardage was the only stat that didn't drop each game as he went 185, 163, 251.)

People are going to "but he hasn't thrown an interception" or "yea but he's been winning games."

Although that is true, think about this: Chad Penning (twice), Ben Roethlisberger, and Cleo Lemon all played games against the Patriots in which they didn't throw an interception. David Garrard didn't throw an interception until the 4:17 mark of the fourth quarter against the Pats in the playoffs...and lost.

It just doesn't seem enough for Eli Manning to play " flawlessly"—he'll have to blow out the lights on the score board.

Ace of Hearts—Jacobs, Bradshaw, and Droughns

Are three heads better than two? For the Giants, they'll have to be.

Like Eli Manning, the Giants running backs are going to have to concentrate more on wearing out the Pats defense throughout the first part of the game, rather than finessing the ball.

Use Jacobs to break up the middle linebackers and tackles, Bradshaw to work the edges (ends, outside linebackers, ect.), and then have Droughns come in when the other two tire.

For the running game to be effective on Sunday, the Giants will have to run strategically and prove that their trio can outdo the performances of Jones-Drew and Taylor, Turner, and Sproles.

Ace of Diamonds—23-17

Akin to the running backs, the Giants receivers are going to have to work together (much like the Pats receivers do) to stretch the Pats thin.

Steve Smith is going to have to play like, well, Steve Smith. Amani Toomer will have to morph into the Amani Toomer of 1999-2003 and Plaxico Burress is going to have to keep his hot streak from last week going.

Plax will most-likely have a fairly strong game, but it will probably take stronger numbers than the 42 and 25 receiving yards that Toomer and Smith posted in Green Bay to beat the Patriots.

Ace of Clubs—Bruschi, Seau, and the Patriots Defense

I know I said these are all aspects that the Giants can control, however, if the Pats defense shows up to the dance just one rung-on-the-ladder lower than they've been playing all season, that could be the biggest factor in the Giants chances of winning this game...and the opening they need for the previous three tactics to take hold.

It won't be easy to catch this defense on an off day. Despite apparently "losing ground" on offense (maybe you should try throwing for 400 yards in the middle of January, it ain't so easy), they've more than made up for it on defense.

This squad also has the experience to deal with the anticipation of the big game—something the Giants lack for the most part.

Aside from those four things, the weather, New York's defensive line, winning the special teams battle, and catching Tom Brady and the Pats offense on an off-day could be some other aces to pay dividends in this high-stakes game.

It just depends how many aces Coach Coughlin can fit up his sleeve on game day.