Super Bowl 2012: Why This Game Is Sure to Be a Shootout

The New England Patriots take on the New York Giants in this year's Super Bowl in a rematch of their 2008 meeting in which the Giants ruined the Patriots' perfect season by defeating them 17-14.

Though the quarterbacks and head coaches are the same, much has changed about the Giants and Patriots since 2008, and it's not likely that this Super Bowl will end with both teams scoring so few points.

Much like in 2007, the Patriots were one of the highest-scoring offenses in the league. In their undefeated regular season, they had 12 games in which they scored 30 or more points. They scored 30 or more points in 12 of their games this year, including 31 points in their Week 3 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

The Giants have been effective on offense this year themselves, with quarterback Eli Manning throwing for nearly 5,000 yards, but they've had just four games in which they scored 30 or more points, as compared to the eight games with that many points in the 2007 season.

Through those statistics alone, it seems like it would be a lopsided Super Bowl rematch in which the Patriots put up the majority of the points. However, that's only part of the picture.

The Patriots fielded the 31st-ranked passing defense in 2011, allowing 293.9 passing yards per game in the regular season. At the same time, their own passing offense was No. 2 on the season, with Brady averaging 327.2 yards per game.

With Manning's help, the Giants also had a top passing offense this year, ranking fifth with an average of 295.9 yards per game.

Though they ranked dead last in average rushing yards per game with 89.2, they've looked stronger on the ground in the postseason and should find some success against a Patriots run defense that gave up 144 yards rushing to the Denver Broncos in the divisional round and 116 to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship game.

The big difference between this year and 2008 has been defense. The Giants have gotten tougher as the season wore on, and a number of injured players began returning to the active roster and looked impressive against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game.

However, they haven't been as consistent as they'd like and have been beaten by big passing offenses a few times this season. Further, the Niners were one of the most red zone-challenged team in 2011, which likely helped the Giants keep them out of the end zone time and time again.

The Patriots defense isn't anywhere near what it was in 2008, but their offense is just as good. It shouldn't be hard for Manning or Brady to throw nearly at will and it will take some serious red zone defense to keep either squad from scoring this time around.

This game is about two elite quarterbacks and which one has the ball in his hand in the final drive.

The one who is fortunate enough to be in that position has a good chance of winning what is going to be a high-scoring and close contest, and it's more than possible that both the Giants and the Patriots score well more than four touchdowns apiece.

In a year when big-play offense seemed to displace defense, the conference championship games were won because of impressive defensive stands by the Patriots and Giants.

However, when the two meet in the Super Bowl, the focus will yet again shift to offense, and the Giants and Patriots should find themselves with at least 30 points each when all is said and done.