Super Bowl 2012: 5 Reasons the Patriots Have the Edge in This Rematch

The much anticipated showdown in Indianapolis is less than two weeks away.

This next week-and-a-half is probably going to seem like an eternity for all you football fans so here's something to keep yourselves occupied.

We'll take a look at five reasons why Tom Brady and the New England Patriots have the edge over Eli Manning and the New York Giants in this historic Super Bowl XLII rematch.

1: Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez

Is it even fair to have two guys like this on the field at the same time? Gronkowski and Hernandez combined for 2,237 receiving yards this season, each catching 90 and 79 balls respectively.

The pair of 22-year-old tight ends simply cannot be covered when they are at their best, and this postseason they definitely have been.

In the last two games, Gronkowski has 15 catches to go along with three touchdowns. Hernandez has 121 yards and a touchdown in the playoffs, but he also runs the ball now. Why? How could the Patriots have figured out that this could work? I have no idea but he's averaging 8.8 yards per carry.

It's hard to believe that Antrelle Rolle, Deon Grant and company will be able to keep this never-before-seen combination at bay while still accounting for Wes Welker as well as the running game.

2: Vince Wilfork

Vince Wilfork has managed two-and-a-half sacks to go with nine tackles in these playoffs against two very formidable offensive lines. He's been able to disrupt the running game as well as wreak havoc on the timing and consistency of the passing game.

Having Wilfork in the middle of your defensive line is huge. It's like parking a Smart car right in front of the center's face and asking him to open up a hole. Except this Smart car benched 225 pounds 36 times and ran a five-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.

New York Giants Center David Baas has had his hands full the last two weeks against Isaac Sopoaga and B.J. Raji. On top of that, Baas seems to always get hurt. Seriously. Almost every single game.

The New England nose tackle will definitely throw his weight around, all 325 pounds of it, giving the Patriots a much needed advantage.

3: The Linebackers

Rob Ninkovich, Jerod Mayo and Brandon Spikes have combined for nearly one third (44) of the Patriots 150 postseason tackles. The three of them finished in the top five on the team against both the Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens. 

During the regular season, Mayo led the team in tackles with 95, with Ninkovich coming in at fourth with a very respectable 74. Spikes was oft-injured this season and played in only half the Pats' regular season games in 2011. This, however, is not a testament to how well they have played during the playoffs for this suspect New England defense.

The Patriots will have the best linebacking corps on the field on February 5th, with Spikes being able to contain the Giants running game and the other two flying around the field doing whatever evil scientist Belichick deems fit.

4: The Patriots Aren't the Team with the Pressure on Them This Time

Back in the 2007-2008 postseason, the Patriots were the team that had to shoulder the load of pressure. Pressure from the media, pressure from the fans, pressure from themselves, pressure to complete the first 19-0 season. That's not the case this time.

I was shocked when the betting line came out for this game, with the Giants listed as three-point underdogs. Plenty of sports analysts all over the country fully expect the Giants to come out of the gate and take control of this game from the get go. There are also plenty of people who think otherwise.

However, this New York Giants team plays their best when they have their backs against the wall. Victories in must-win games against the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys followed by three straight playoff wins against teams with combined records of 38-10 show just how good the Giants play when their season is at stake. 

The problem for the Giants in this game is that too many people expect them to win. Tom Coughlin has his players at their best when he can build upon the fact that nobody thinks they have a snowball's chance. But it's in games where they have too much confidence (swept by the Washington Redskins, home losses against Seattle and Philadelphia) that this team seems to fall short.

That will definitely work in the New England Patriots favor come Super Bowl Sunday.

5: Tom Brady

Let me start this slide off by saying that I recently heard that a Patriots player said Tom Brady would eat his own child to win the Super Bowl. That is insane. Not only do I believe that he would do it, I believe that he's planning to go Abraham on his kid in the land of Moriah just to hold the Lombardi Trophy one more time.

While eating his own children wouldn't give him a leg up on the Giants defense, Brady seems to have an innate ability to win. Not just to win in big games, but to win when it matters to him the most.

Tom Brady has lost his last three playoff games, two of which came at the hands of New York teams, which makes me think that he's coming back for blood this time around.

Against Baltimore, Brady put himself in a position to get absolutely pulverized by jumping over the goal-line pile in the fourth quarter, then got up and started screaming and fist-pumping. Don't forget that Ray Lewis did everything he could to shatter Brady's spine into a million tiny little pieces right as he crossed the goal line too, plunging his helmet into the small of Brady's back.

Is this man human? Is he an android? I do not know for sure, but we'll see what he and his teammates can do at Lucas Oil Stadium next Sunday.