Super Bowl Predictions 2012: Why Eli Manning Will Best Tom Brady Again

If Tom Brady is expecting to enact revenge on Eli Manning for the crushing defeat in Super Bowl 42, he can think again. Eli Manning will get the best of Tom Brady for a second time. 

First, in order to fully understand why the New York Giants will prevail again, we must erase the idea that this outcome will have anything to do with their past Super Bowl showdown. The key players are different. No David Tyree to save the day, no Randy Moss to give that Giants secondary nightmares and no previous matchup for both teams to study and learn from. 

These are two different teams going into a brand new Super Bowl. 

Still, the more things change, the more they stay the same. 

This is a New England Patriots team who, at their worst, are the same Patriots team that allowed 32 sacks of Brady this season. It’s the same secondary that is suspect enough to be ranked 31st in passing and 31st in total defense. It’s the same offensive line that looked frazzled last year when the New York Jets applied pressure and pummeled Brady time and time again. 

This Giants team is tout on their offensive line and they’ll certainly force Brady outside of the pocket, and that’s a place that he’s never comfortable going. For all that Brady is good for, moving outside the pocket isn’t his strength. 

For the Patriots, the key for them will be using their dangerous two tight ends to open up room for them to run. 

On the flip side, the Patriots pass defense is going to be up against a trio of wide receivers in Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks. They will be a much more formidable opponent than the Denver Broncos could pose, and they’ll have a big-game quarterback in Manning, who is far more adept at connecting with them than Joe Flacco was for the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. 

No, there are no sure things in football and neither quarterback will be thinking about the ghosts of Super Bowls past—but when the dust settles, it will be Eli Manning standing with the Lombardi Trophy again.