Super Bowl Predictions 2012: Why Patriots-Giants Will Prove to Be a Shootout

Super Bowl XLII was supposed to be a high-scoring, point-accumulating shootout, right?

With the historic New England Patriots, their 36.8 points per game, Tom Brady's 50 touchdown passes and Randy Moss' 23 touchdown grabs, we at least were bound to witness offensive fireworks from the Pats. 

Wrong. 

New England scored only 14 points, their lowest total of the year. 

However, the offensive-lovers out there will get their wish when the Patriots and New York Giants square off this time around. 

There's no way Eli Manning and his deadly offensive attack doesn't flourish against an improving but, ultimately, bad New England defense.

Over their last eight games, in which they've gone 7-1, they're averaging more than 28 points per contest. That includes a stunning 28-10 loss to the Washington Redskins in Week 15.

Manning has tossed 11 touchdowns to only one interception in his last four contests.

Hakeem Nicks has 23 catches and five touchdowns over that span.

Victor Cruz, the undrafted player-turned superstar and salsa-dancing extraordinaire has 23 catches, too.

They've done it all against some of the NFL's best and most ferocious defenses.

The Dallas Cowboys finished 14th in total defense. The Falcons ended the year in 12th. Then, after exposing Green Bay's secondary on the road, they totaled a respectable 352 total yards and 20 points in San Francisco against the NFC's toughest defense.

Why wouldn't they explode on a fast track against New England?

As for Tom Brady, despite coming off one of the worst performances we've seen from him all year, the Patriots offense is still good. Crazy good.

They averaged 34.0 points per contest in 2011.

Tom Brady, playing in the "shadow" of Drew Brees' record-setting 5,476-yard campaign, also surpassed Dan Marino's single-season passing yard mark of 5,084 with 5,235 yards of his own.  

Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez have formulated the more terrorizing and hard-to-cover tight end tandem that they NFL has seen in quite some time, if not ever. 

With these two matchup nightmares emerging into the spotlight, the diminutive Wes Welker went about his business, leading the league with 122 receptions and finishing second with 1,569 yards. 

They, too, can score it. 

So, while you hear about the progression of the Patriots defensive unit and the Giants' premier pass rush, remember; New York and New England got it done with offense in 2011 and will provide us with an epic Super Bowl shootout on February 5th.

Follow @ChrisTrapasso