Super Bowl Predictions 2012: 3 Reasons Why the New England Patriots Can Win

The following three reasons are why the New England Patriots can beat the New York Giants at Super Bowl XLVI this Sunday in Indianapolis.

1. Peaking at the right time

The Patriots defense gave up a ton of yards in 2011, and if New England wins Super Bowl XLVI, it will likely rank as the worst pass defense ever to win the big one.

But yards only tell a part of the Patriots' defensive story. New England was No. 15 in points allowed and forced more turnovers than 29 other teams this season. Bill Belichick would tell you that those two numbers mean infinitely more than yards allowed.

New England is also playing its best defense right now, as the Patriots have allowed 30 points and have eight sacks in two playoff games. The front seven is creating pressure and stopping the run better than it has all season.

So while the onus is certainly on that unit to continue playing as well as it has in the postseason, there's reason to believe that the Giants won't just be running up and down the field like some expect.

2. Controlling the tempo

In theory, offenses have a limited number of things they can do to help slow down a pass-rush like the Giants possess. But one way that works well and that the Patriots run effectively is the hurry-up offense.

By utilizing this tempo, quarterback Tom Brady can eventually tire out the edge rushers by eliminating the opportunity for the Giants to make subs as often as they like. Few teams have the depth along the line that New York does, so this could be a huge factor for the Patriots to take advantage of. 

Earlier this season against New York, the Patriots didn't use the hurry-up as much because they were still attempting to work Chad Ochocinco into the offense. Now, he'll be watching Brady from the sidelines if he's not up to speed.

On Sunday in Indianapolis, the Patriots should use it freely. 

3. Place your bets

Yes, these Giants beat the Patriots just four years ago in the NFL's biggest game. But you're still taking a risk in betting against arguably the best quarterback-coach combination in NFL history in a game they've now prepared for five different times.

While it might not be their last chance at winning a Super Bowl, you better believe these two understand how limited these opportunities are now. With a win on Sunday, both Belichick and Brady would cement their status among the pantheon of football greats.