Super Bowl 2012: BenJarvus Green-Ellis Must Be MVP for Patriots to Beat Giants

New England Patriots running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis must be the team's MVP on Sunday night if the AFC champions are going to have any shot of knocking off the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI (6:29 PM ET, NBC). 

The Giants used a devastating defense to top the Pats four years ago in Super Bowl XLII, holding New England to just 274 total yards and 14 points. Earlier this season New York's defense gave up more than 430 total yards to New England, but allowed just 20 points in a bend-but-don't-break defensive effort.

The Patriots will need a run game, and a dominant one at that in order to turn the tide on Big Blue. It starts with New England's offensive line first and foremost, obviously. That group needs to find success early against Chris Canty, Linvall Joseph and New York's powerful defensive front.

If their goal is to simply protect Tom Brady and his 5,000-yard right arm, then they are going to fall to the Giants for a third straight time. 

Why?

Because the Giants' fierce pass rush will get to Brady, especially with his second-favorite weapon running on a busted ankle—tight end Rob Gronkowski, who caught 90 passes in 2011 for a whopping 17 touchdowns.

Brady threw for 332 yards back in the Week 9 matchup between the two teams, but he threw two interceptions, results of the Giants' pressure.

Four years ago in Super Bowl XLII, Brady threw for 266 yards without any mistakes, but he threw 19 incompletions as and averaged just 5.5 yards per attempt as a result of the Big Blue defensive pressure.

The Patriots only rushed for 45 yards in that Super Bowl, they ran the ball just 16 times to New York's 26 attempts. Although the Giants didn't run the ball particularly well in that game, their added carries resulted in more than twice as many rushing yards as New England, proving a critical factor in splitting the time of possession down the middle, roughly 30-30.

Green-Ellis has certainly been a contributor this season for the Patriots, averaging 3.4 yards per carry during the postseason and scoring a crucial touchdown in the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens, but he will need to be the contributor on Super Bowl Sunday if the Pats are to be celebrating come Sunday night.

Green-Ellis had just 12 carries back in Week 9 against the Giants and turned them into 52 rushing yards. He will need nearly twice as many touches in Super Bowl XLVI if New England is to win its fourth Super Bowl title in 10 years.

A strong running game will wear out the Giants' pass rush, limit New York's time of possession and keep Brady safe and comfortable in the pocket. Each element of Sunday's Super Bowl will be key for the Patriots, as they head into a matchup with a familiar and often overwhelming foe.