10 Biggest Unanswered Questions of Super Bowl XLVI

One of the best things about the Super Bowl is that there are so many things that are unknown heading into the game. It seems like every year something happens that no one saw coming, despite the 18 hours of pre-game coverage on Super Bowl Sunday.

Click through to see a list of the biggest questions that are unanswered heading into this Super Bowl between the Giants and Patriots.

Can Julian Edelman Hold Up Against the Giants?

There is no doubt that Bill Belichick is one of the smartest coaches in this history of the game. This season he has taken Julian Edelman, a receiver, and made him into a pretty effective nickel corner. There are not many coaches out there that could actually pull that off.

Edelman will face his toughest task of the season in this Super Bowl. The Giants have three receivers in Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham who are just as good as any trio in the league. You can bet that Eli Manning will be looking to see who Edelman is lined up on before the snap.  

Will Edelman be able to stop Eli from picking on him?

Will Tom Brady Have Time to Throw the Ball?

The Giants have one of the best front fours in all of football. They are relentless rushing the passer. This gives the advantage of not having to send extra guys in order to get pressure on the quarterback.

Will the Patriots offensive line be able to hold up well enough to give Tom Brady time to throw the ball? New England does not rely on a lot of deep routes in their passing game. That bodes well for Brady here, but he will still need to make his reads quickly when he has the ball in his hands.

Will the Patriots Try to Establish a Run Game?

The Patriots' bread and butter is throwing the football. There is no doubt about that, but Bill Belichick might want to use a little different game plan in this game.

New England is very limited on defense. They are going to give up points against Eli Manning and this Giants' offense. It would be a good idea for the Patriots to hand the ball off a little more than usual in this game.

That would slow down that front four of the Giants. It would also keep the Patriots' defense on the sideline—where they cannot give up any points.

Can Eli Manning Do It Again?

Eli Manning has proven to be a big-game quarterback in his career. You do not have to look any further than this year's playoffs to see that.

Does he have one more huge game left in him to give the Giants another Super Bowl title? He rose to the call the last time these two played in the Super Bowl.

Manning has a lot of things going for him in this game. He gets to face a New England defense that is not very good, and he has the best group of receivers he has ever had in his NFL career.  

It sure looks like the stars are aligned for Eli to win another Super Bowl MVP.

Can Tom Brady Do It Again?

While it looks like Eli Manning has everything going in his favor in this game, it looks like Tom Brady has an uphill battle. Can he put the Patriots on his back and carry them to another Super Bowl title?

A lot of people do not give the Patriots much of a chance in this game. That is a mistake because they always have a chance as long as No. 12 is under center. There has been more than one occasion where he has been able to will his team to a win.

It is going to take an extraordinary performance from Brady in this game for his team to come out victorious, and it is never a good idea to bet against him.

Who Will Be the Star of the Game No One Has Talked About?

It seems like there is always a player who steps up in the Super Bowl that no one saw coming. Just look at David Tyree when these two teams met in Super Bowl XLII. He was not a guy all of the analysts were pointing to before the game, saying he would be a difference maker.

The Super Bowl can make a star out of any player, even if it is the only time he makes a big play in an NFL game. Who will be the guy from this Super Bowl who people are talking about for generations to come?

What Wrinkle Will Bill Belichick Put In?

The Hoodie is one of the best game planners in the history of the league. You know he has heard everyone talking about all of the reasons the Giants are going to win this game. There is no way he has not come up with something new that New York has not seen on film.

It is probably going to take something like that for the Patriots to win this game. Keep in mind that the Patriots were pretty heavy underdogs heading into Super Bowl XXXVI. That was the game that really put Tom Brady and Bill Belichick on the map.

Who Will Forever Be Known as a Choker?

Just as the Super Bowl can make a no-named player a star for life, it can take a pretty good player and make him a choker for life. Scott Norwood knows that feeling all too well. His field goal that sailed wide right in Super Bowl XXV will forever have him known as a choker.

This is not something that happens in every Super Bowl, but can be disastrous for a player's career if it does. The most likely player to have this happen to him is a kicker, but it could be a receiver who drops the ball or a defender who misses a tackle.

Why Is Madonna Performing at Halftime?

The NFL has been extremely careful in choosing their halftime acts for the Super Bowl after Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction." For a few years they went with people who were really old. Last year they went a little bit younger with The Black Eyed Peas.

This year, for some reason, they decided that Madonna would be a good choice. Not only is Madonna old and irrelevant, she is just crazy enough to pull another stunt like Janet Jackson did and land the NFL back in hot water.  

Where Does Eli Manning Rank Historically If the Giants Win?

With a win in this game, Eli Manning would join an elite club of quarterbacks to win multiple Super Bowls. Right now that club consists of John Elway, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman, Bob Griese, Ben Roethlisberger, Bart Starr and Jim Plunkett.

Manning does not really even come up in the conversation of the best quarterbacks in the game today, much less when you are discussing the greatest quarterbacks of all time.  

Does a win in this game change that?