Super Bowl Predictions 2012: Patriots' Rushing Attack Will Be Weapon vs. Giants

Conventional wisdom suggests that if the New England Patriots are going to beat you, they're going to beat you through the air.

That's what they're designed to do, of course. The Pats are built around Tom Brady, and he has some of the best pass-catchers in the business to throw to. It is no accident that the Pats had the league's second-best passing attack in 2011.

However, the Patriots know from experience that throwing too many passes against the New York Giants is a bad idea. They found that out in Super Bowl XLII, when Brady threw 48 passes and the Pats scored just 14 points, and they found it out again back on Nov. 6 when Brady threw 49 passes and the team scored just 20 points.

As a whole, the Giants' defense is just OK. The secondary is a makeshift unit, and the same is true of the linebacking corps. But it's no secret that the Giants have an extremely strong defensive line, which is led by rabid beasts like Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul. Against these three, quarterbacks are at a disadvantage every time they drop back to pass.

So the Patriots would be wise to try something a little different at the Super Bowl next Sunday. Instead of playing into the Giants' biggest defensive strength, they should avoid it as much as they possibly can.

To do that, they're going to have to run the football.

The numbers suggest this is something the Patriots don't do particularly well, but the numbers don't tell the whole truth. Yes, the Pats managed just over 110 rushing yards per game during the regular season, but that's thanks in large part to the fact they just didn't run all that often. The Pats ran the ball 438 times all season, 17th in the league.

When they want to, the Pats can run the football quite well. We saw that on numerous occasions during the regular season, and we saw it in the Pats' tilt against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game. They only gained 96 yards on 31 carries, but there was one drive in which BenJarvus Green-Ellis took over and eventually provided a touchdown.

This was against one of the better run defenses in the league, something that the Giants don't have.

The Giants can be beaten on the ground. They allowed just over 120 rushing yards per game during the regular season, and they allowed more than five yards per carry in the NFC Championship Game. Seeing as how the Giants had every excuse to key in on the run in that game, that's alarming.

It's true that running the football against the Giants will take the ball out of Brady's hands, but that's not such a bad thing. As good as Brady is, we have more than enough evidence to suggest even he is human against the Giants and their beastly pass rush. The Patriots are better off trying their luck running the ball than they are trying their luck throwing it.

Besides, it's not like the Patriots will be insulting Brady if they choose to pound away with the run. On the contrary, they'll be doing him a favor.

Prediction: 30 total rushes, 130 yards, one TD.