Super Bowl 2012: Previewing New England's D-Line vs. Eli Manning

Most of the attention heading into Super Bowl 46 is on whether the New York Giants will once again succeed in battering Tom Brady into submission, like they did four years ago. But the real key to the game could be the play of the New England Patriots' defensive line.

Teams that have beaten the Giants this season have done it one way and one way only: they've gotten to Eli Manning. If the Patriots can do the same, they can triumph and lift their fourth Lombardi trophy.

But what are New England's chances of getting to Manning? Actually, the Patriots can feel pretty confident in their ability to pressure Big Blue's signal-caller. Their defensive line has come through at crucial times during the season and New England has the strength and depth to cause the Giants serious problems in the trenches.

Size is the crucial factor in the success of the Patriots' defensive front. Bill Belichick can call on a tackle rotation comprised of hulking trio Vince Wilfork, Kyle Love and Gerrard Warren. He can also freshen things up in obvious passing situations by introducing 6'4", 305-pound Brandon Deaderick and 6'5", 290-pound veteran Shaun Ellis.

Belichick's fondness for the 3-4 has created a line rotation filled with natural 2-gappers. But rather than be limited by their lack of athleticism, the Patriots have designed a pass rush built on straight ahead brute force and pushing the pocket backwards.

This is where New England can make life particularly difficult for Manning. New York's front five has struggled against powerful defensive interiors this season. In a Week 11 home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Giants were routinely overpowered inside. The same weakness was evident in the NFC Championship against the San Francisco 49ers.

The strength and height of the Patriots D-line enables them to force blockers back into the face of a quarterback and prevent him from stepping up and achieving a clean release of the ball. Manning has always been an instinctive passer, but as his game has become more refined, rhythm and timing have become vital to his success. Disrupting his mechanics will be critical for New England's defense.

The Patriots should run a high number of stunts, twists and line games in Super Bowl 46. Offensive lines may have become better at identifying stunt combinations, but these games can still confuse and eventually wear down a blocking scheme.

The Giants have struggled to handle speed-rushers who take a hard move inside. Aldon Smith wreaked havoc in the NFC Championship by repeatedly executing a simple X-stunt with his defensive tackle.

An X-stunt is simply when a defensive end steps inside his defensive tackle and rushes up the middle, while the tackle slants to the outside. The Patriots have the personnel to make this basic technique very effective against the Giants.

Edge-rushers Mark Anderson and Rob Ninkovich can twist inside to threaten the cumbersome middle of the Giants' offensive front. The Giants often used a man-blocking scheme to pick up stunts and twists, and it's a reasonable bet that Ninkovich and Anderson will be too quick for Kevin Boothe, David Diehl and center David Baas.

Manning frequently throws from a stationary position from a straight line behind the center. The threat posed by Wilfork, Warren and Love will draw the attention of the guards and create that extra second for the Patriots speed-rushers to get to Manning. 

Another basic game that the Patriots could have a lot of success with is the tackle-tackle game in obvious passing situations. New England can use this game to split the focus of the Giants center and dismantle New York's drop-back pass protection.

The Patriots would be wise to team Ellis with either Wilfork or Warren for this game. Wilfork would go first and make a direct slant move across the center. Ellis would follow, disengaging his blocker and using his extra quickness to loop around Wilfork and get in Manning's face.

The use of multiple line games combined with their superior strength and height, can help New England's D-line cut off Manning's vision. This will force the Giants passer to second guess himself in the pocket and will also reduce the effectiveness of New York's over-the-middle slants to Victor Cruz.

The Giants use a lot of soft sets in pass protection and stunts and twists could catch them cold. Manning is often in the shotgun and takes lots of five- and seven-step drops. This gives the Patriots the time needed to execute various line movements.

In the end, sacks will not be the key for the Patriots' defensive line. If they can apply constant pressure to the pocket and use movement and exchanges to interfere with Manning's line of sight, they can contain the Giants offense.