Super Bowl 2012: How Will Tom Brady Fare Against the New York Giants' Pass Rush?

The New York Giants have one of the best defensive lines in football. They had 48 total sacks in the 2011 regular season, good for third-best in the league, and have notched nine sacks in the postseason.

The key to stopping the New England Patriots from scoring is by stopping quarterback Tom Brady. While there are a number of ways to do this—having his receivers well-covered, for example—the first priority for the Giants should be putting pressure on him as often as is feasible.

Clearly, a team cannot rush the passer on every play or they are liable to get burned. However, the Giants will have to put forth a concerted effort to get in Brady's face to at least throw him off balance, hurry up his throws and, ultimately, get more than a few good hits on him on Sunday.

Brady isn't immune to pressure; he was sacked 32 times in the regular season, good for 13th most in the league. He isn't immune to getting frustrated when faced with pressure, either, as Justin Tuck pointed out on Tuesday.

When the Giants and Patriots met in the regular season, the Giants sacked Brady twice. They ended up winning that game in the final seconds, but may not be so lucky in this Sunday's Super Bowl, especially if they can't get to Brady more often.

The Giants need to focus on getting to Brady's right side, where he is protected by rookie right tackle Nate Solder. Solder will be responsible for fending off defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul and Osi Umenyiora, which is a difficult task for even the most veteran tackles.

It's not likely that Solder's protection will hold up play after play. If the Giants defense can consistently attack on that end, it's likely that Brady will find himself on the turf well more than the two times he did in Week 9.

Pierre-Paul is the Giants' sack leader with 16.5 in the regular season, while Umenyiora has the most sacks for the Giants in the postseason with 3.5. No matter who will be taking on Solder on a play-by-play basis, it's likely to mean trouble for Brady.

There's little chance the Giants defense can be successful enough in the Super Bowl to make Brady a non-factor. However, they have more than enough talent to hold his effectiveness in check.

Look for New York's defensive line to be playing at a higher level than we've seen all season in an attempt to win their second Super Bowl in four years.