Super Bowl Predictions 2012: Why Eli Manning Will Be Super Bowl MVP

For the second time in four seasons, the New York Giants are set to meet the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. Should the Giants win yet again, then it will be quarterback Eli Manning who wins the game's Most Valuable Player Award.

Manning was the MVP in the teams' first Super Bowl meeting, throwing for 266 yards, two scores and an interception. He threw the game-winning touchdown pass with 35 seconds remaining, clinching both the game and the MVP title with that one act.

However, this time around, Manning is set to have an even more impressive performance. In the 2007 season, no one expected very much from Manning; the Giants relied heavily on their run game and defense to earn them wins, while Manning was tasked with trying not to make too many mistakes.

This year, Manning has been the main reason for the Giants' success. Injuries on defense and a league-worst running attack threatened to tank New York's season game after game, but Manning remained consistently good.

Manning led the Giants in six game-winning drives and five fourth-quarter comebacks in 2011, which kept the team in playoff contention even when it seemed they couldn't have a chance to overcome their four-game midseason losing streak.

Thanks to Manning improving in the intervening years, the Giants' offense is now his—there are no running backs to bail him out and there are no excuses when he cannot hit one of his receivers.

But Manning has taken well to the pressure, as evidenced by his career-best 2011 season that saw him complete 61 percent of his passes for 4,933 yards, 29 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He only gotten better in the postseason, with 923 passing yards, eight scores and just one interception in three games.

While the Giants' defense is strong, and only getting stronger as the postseason wears on, it will be Manning and his arm that will make the biggest impact on the Giants' Super Bowl performance.

If he can take full advantage of the Patriots' secondary—which ranked 31st in passing yards allowed in the regular season—he should have very little trouble moving the ball down the field at will and putting up enough points to outscore the highly productive Patriots offense.

While any win or loss in the NFL is a team effort, Manning will contribute more than any of his teammates in Sunday's Super Bowl.

Should New York win, there's little chance that any other player than Manning will be named MVP. He's been the most valuable player on the Giants roster all season long, and he will likely be just that on Sunday as well.