Giants vs. Patriots Predictions: Win by Tom Brady Would Be Good for NFL

When the Patriots and Giants rematch Super Bowl XLII, the road to redemption for Tom Brady would be the best story for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

You’re all football fans. You know the story of Tom Brady leading the Patriots to an undefeated season, and challenging the fates of history in the process, as the ’72 Dolphins felt more threatened than ever. After eventually going 18-0, the Patriots were upset in one of the most exciting and stunning finishes to a Super Bowl of all time, including the “Immaculate Reception” by David Tyree. When the two teams match up in Super Bowl XLVI, a victory for Tom Brady would be the best thing that could happen to the NFL.

Generally speaking, the NFL is a market that (unlike the NBA) seems to be a little short on superstars and marque athletes. With apparent revolving doors of injuries and talents that quickly go from greatness to nothing (how quickly did the likes of Shaun Alexander and LaDainian Tomlinson go from elites to nobodies?), there is a consistency to becoming a legend.

After missing an entire season to a severe neck injury, Peyton Manning became but another NFL star to go from the football spotlight to the physical sidelines in a matter of minutes.

Without Manning, the image of the NFL is significantly damaged and at the very least altered.

That’s why another victory for Tom Brady—while potentially boring in the moment—would be the best thing that could happen to football. When fans look back at football of today, they will look at history. That’s the nature of sports. We will talk about just how great the greats were. We will talk about just how polarizing the flashy were. We will talk about just how winning the most successful were. That’s what Tom Brady is. He embodies the soul of all of that.

If you look at the history of the Super Bowl, you can appreciate the complexity of how impressive he has been in postseason play.

It’s rare for an NFL quarterback to have the success that he has had in his career. Of every quarterback who has ever played in the NFL, only 18 have ever played in more than one Super Bowl. This will be Brady’s fifth, tying John Elway for the most appearances ever.

In that class, it’s even more rare to win the big game. NFL legends Peyton Manning and Brett Favre, for instance, are both only 1-1 in Super Bowl games. Manning, Favre and Warner are a combined 3-4 in Super Bowl appearances. Even Elway, however, was 2-3 in Super Bowl play.

If Brady is able to defeat the Giants, he will tie the record of Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana for most Super Bowl Victories of all-time at a total of four.

History is remembered in eras. A fourth Super Bowl victory (and a fifth appearance, his loss being in a season that his team went 18-0) would help define this generation of football as the Tom Brady Era.

If there was ever a question, Tom Brady lives under the guise of greatness. His play in this postseason has helped solidify that assertion, as he has thrown six TDs, 602 yards, 68.6 percent completion percentage, and a 105.8 passer rating (on par with his 105.6 passer rating through the 2011 season).

In his route against Denver, Brady threw for six touchdowns, 363 yards, 76.5 percent completion percentage, and a 137.6 passer rating. This comes against a team that had a historically good season the defensive side of the ball.

Sports are one of the few media in which “who wants it more?” is a legitimate question to define who might come out with the better result.

Playing the Giants in the Super Bowl for the second time in four years is one clue that the Patriots will be the team that truly wants it more. They have more to prove, as this rematch can help erase one of their most gruesome moments in franchise history (the David Tyree catch).

Each team is coming off an exciting finish decided by a field goal in the conference championship game, and each team is riding the hype of impressive seasons by their football teams.

But for Eli Manning and the New York Giants, the sheer force of Tom Brady’s offense will be too much to handle and the Patriots will come out victorious, helping brand Brady as the best of the generation.

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