Super Bowl Predictions 2012: Why Big Game Will Be a Shootout

Tom Brady and Eli Manning combined to throw for more than 10,000 yards and 68 touchdowns during the regular season. In addition to that, the New England Patriots and New York Giants possess shaky defenses that ranked near the bottom of the NFL in yards allowed. On Sunday, when the two teams meet in Super Bowl XLVI, I expect an exciting, high-scoring shootout.

Brady threw for a career-high 5,235 yards this season, and his passer rating of 105.6 ranked third in the NFL. The Patriots finished the season ranked second in total offense league-wide, averaging 428.0 yards per game. New England also finished second in passing yards per game with 317.8. 

During the Patriots' current 10-game winning streak, they are averaging a ridiculous 35.9 points per game. 

On Sunday, they will line up across from a Giants team that finished the year ranked 27th in the NFL in total defense (allowing 376.4 yards per game) and 29th in passing defense (allowing 255.1 yards per game). 

Despite New York's stellar pass rush, I expect Brady to move the ball all over the field to his litany of offensive weapons. 

When the scenario is flipped, the Giants bring the league's eighth-ranked offense to the table—a unit that averaged 385.1 yards per game. New York did have the NFL's worst rushing attack during the regular season (averaging just 89.2 yards per game), but Manning and company boast the league's fifth-best passing attack (295.9 yards per game).

The Patriots struggled defensively all season. While things have improved, they still finished 31st in total defense (411.1 yards per game) and had the league's second-worst pass defense (293.9 yards per game). 

With receivers Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham all healthy, Manning should be able to move the ball against New England's suspect secondary.

Looking at the numbers, it appears that Sunday's big game could be a whole lot of fun to watch if you love offense.