Giants vs. Patriots: The Top 10 Most Influential Players in the 2012 Super Bowl

There are a handful of players from both teams whose play and countenance will be the catalyst that drives their Super Bowl fortunes for good or for ill. 

These men bear the weight of having a strong influence within the confines of their locker room, on the sidelines and inside the huddle.

The New York Giants and New England Patriots will have had two full weeks to prepare for one another. Combined with the fact that they have also played one another already this season, there will be absolutely no excuses for these teams to not be fully prepared for just about every single eventuality that will occur in Super Bowl XLVI.

This makes these men of influence all the more responsible to set the proper tone for their teammates as to how the game will be fought and won. 

These are the generals, and they will test one another in this upcoming battle of the wills.

10. Matt Light, LT (New England Patriots)

Matt Light has been protecting Tom Brady's blind side for the past 11 years, and he has anchored one of the best, most consistent offensive lines in the NFL since that time.

Light will have his hands full on Super Bowl Sunday, as the Giants' defensive line has been one of the primary reasons for their ascension to the top from a position of perceived doom only two months before.

Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul are known to line up all over the place, and you can be sure Light will face each of them before the battle is over. Light will need to provide an example of controlled determination against the Giants' non-stop assault for his rookie teammate on the other side, Nate Solder.

If Tom Brady is protected by Light and his compatriots on the line, the Patriots will have a tremendous chance to win the game. 

9. Victor Cruz, WR (New York Giants)

Hakeem Nicks has been the touchdown-maker in the playoffs for Eli Manning and the Giants, but Victor Cruz is the man who drives the offense when everyone else is struggling.

Cruz was brilliant against the San Francisco 49ers. The amount of respect I have for his game can't adequately be put down in words. The man is a warrior in spirit, and that spirit will carry the Giants to a Super Bowl victory celebration if he can continue to stay within the eye of the storm.

Cruz's quickness, combined with hands as soft as melted butter and the acrobatic abilities of a gymnast, have turned him into one of the most explosive wide receivers in the NFL. It has also turned the Giants' aerial attack into one that rivals the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers.

A big game from Cruz would fan the flames of a Lombardi revival on the sidelines for the Giants.

8. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB (New England Patriots)

In my mind, the thing that sets the New England Patriots apart from the Green Bay Packers is that they have an effective running game, predicated on the underrated, determined efforts of BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

Green-Ellis was a force to be reckoned with in the Patriots' AFC Championship victory over the Baltimore Ravens. In a rare show of humanity, Tom Brady failed to throw a single touchdown pass, and Green-Ellis' touchdown run in the second quarter was one of the key plays in that game.

The New York Giants have shown they are vulnerable to a persistent rushing attack; San Francisco gained 150 yards against them in the NFC Championship Game. If Green-Ellis comes out with another strong performance in Super Bowl XLVI and allows the Patriots to run a balanced offense, it could be a long day for the G-Men.

7. Corey Webster, CB (New York Giants)

In his seventh year out of LSU (they have been known to put out some good cornerbacks—or so I've heard), Corey Webster is the most senior member of the New York Giants' secondary.

He and his younger teammates will have their hands, feet, eyes and brains full against the New England Patriots' varied and dangerous passing attack.

Webster has completely dominated his competition throughout the playoffs.

In fact, the Giants' secondary needs to be commended as a whole.

They, along with the ferocious front four providing the pressure, have managed to hold their three playoff opponents (Atlanta, Green Bay and San Francisco) to an average of 220 yards in the air. 

Webster will have his hands full in Super Bowl XLVI. Deion Branch, Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez will all make their way in his direction at some point, and he'll need to continue his strong, disciplined play for the Giants to succeed.

Another stellar effort by Webster and his crew could earn the Giants another championship in 2012.

6. Brandon Spikes, MLB (New England Patriots)

Brandon Spikes has turned into somewhat of a playmaker for the New England Patriots' defense in the playoffs. In two games, he's compiled 15 tackles, a sack and an interception.

Not bad for a guy many considered too slow to be an effective playmaker in the NFL.

If I could have three wishes for what I'd like to see during Super Bowl XLVI, one of my wishes would be that Brandon Spikes and Brandon Jacobs meet in the hole "mano y mano." Spikes will most likely get his opportunities to lay the smack down on the big man who likes to dance around.

A few bone-crushing hits from Spikes will be just what the Patriots' defense needs to keep the momentum going. After legitimately earning the label that they were one of the league's worst defenses in the regular season, suddenly Spikes and the Patriots are balling.

5. Brandon Jacobs, RB (New York Giants)

Ahmad Bradshaw is the No. 1 running back for the New York Giants, and for good reason. But Brandon Jacobs has the ability to be much more influential on this team with a stellar performance, and a focused effort against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI could be the thing that gets the Giants over on the Patriots for a second straight time.

Jacobs, at 6'4" and weighing in at 264 pounds, has the ability to demoralize a defense over the course of a long game. This is contingent upon if he decides to run through defenders like the beast that he is or if he shrinks from contact and tries to dance around as if he were Deion Sanders.

Jacobs was quite effective in the Wild Card round against the Atlanta Falcons. He failed to reproduce that effort in the two games since then, though. The Giants will need the aggressive, decisive Jacobs to show up against the revamped and suddenly competent Patriots front seven, or it could be a long day for Eli Manning and the Giants.

The Giants need the thunder, and Jacobs is the man to bring it.

4. Vince Wilfork, DT (New England Patriots)

Vince Wilfork has shrugged off any thought or concern for his safety or well-being during the Patriots' postseason run, and he has been as a man among boys in the trenches during their two playoff victories.

Wilfork's dominance is just as impressive to me as what Justin Smith was doing for the San Francisco 49ers. He has recorded 2.5 sacks in his last two playoff games, and another strong effort by him in the middle of the Patriots' defense will go a long way to secure a victory for his team.

His relentless pursuit of the ball, wherever it may be on the field, has been a source of inspiration to his teammates to play with the same passion and determination. Wilfork has been a true leader for the Patriots this year.

3. Justin Tuck, DE (New York Giants)

If there is one player that represents the heartbeat of the New York Giants it is Justin Tuck.

"We can definitely make a lot of noise in this run. We're only going to go as far as our quarterback and D-line take us," Tuck rightly said in a recent interview.

Tuck, along with Osi Umenyiora, has struggled all year long with his health. They are peaking at just the right time, though, and their playoff push has been phenomenal to witness.

One more heroic effort by Tuck could be enough to propel the Giants to their second NFL championship in five years. 

The task will require all the physical and mental focus he has, though. Tuck will be facing a good New England offensive line that has been outstanding in their two playoff games, surrendering only one sack combined to the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens—two of the best pass-rushing teams in the NFL.

Another big game from Tuck and the defensive line of the Giants will cause me to believe that they belong in the conversation of the best front fours in the history of the NFL playoffs.

2. Tom Brady, QB (New England Patriots)

Tom Brady is one of the best competitors I've ever seen on the gridiron. He is one of the most battle-tested leaders in the NFL, and his competitive fire was enough to surprise one of his teammates in 2011, Chad Ochocinco:

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"Every ... single ... day. That's what it's like around here. Everybody is pushing for perfection and they're pushing hard. I've never seen anything like it in my whole career. You understand why this team is where it is. ... Tom is on you about the littlest things, that you were a step off where you should be or the angle is wrong or whatever it is. Really, he has me walking on eggshells and I haven't done that since I was a rookie.

 

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Brady's leadership and competitive edge will have to guide the New England Patriots one way or another on Super Bowl Sunday. 

Brady is still hot about his last Super Bowl appearance in 2008 when Eli Manning and the Giants destroyed the Patriots' perfect season with a last-minute touchdown to Plaxico Burress. He is the lead general for his team, and at the end of the day, the outcome will most likely fall to him to decide.

1. Eli Manning, QB (New York Giants)

Eli Manning has in front of him an opportunity to build upon a legacy that very well may become more impressive than that of his elder brother by the time his career is all said and done.

Manning's ability to overcome seemingly impossible odds time after time, year after year, leads me to believe that he is the single-most influential player who will set foot on Lucas Oil Stadium Feb. 5, 2012.

I watched in amazement as Manning deftly avoided the incessant pressure that the San Francisco 49ers' defenders were bringing in the NFC championship Game. Never had I seen such incredible calm under pressure as what I saw from Manning in that game.

I can't see any situation that Manning and his receivers would be incapable of overcoming. I expect to see another masterful performance by him in Super Bowl XLVI, and I'm picking the Giants to beat the New England Patriots as a result of his continued brilliance.