Giants vs Patriots: Can New York Stop Tom Brady This Time Around?

The New York Giants are hoping that history repeats itself on Sunday when the team takes on the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl for the second time in four years.

In their first meeting, which closed out the 2007-2008 season, the Giants bested the then-undefeated Patriots, 17-14. This time around, the score won't likely be as low, but the outcome can easily be the same. It's just going to take a concerted effort by the Giants in all phases of the game to do so.

Most importantly, the Giants will need to control Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, the font from whom flows win after win for his longtime team.

In 2011, Brady was one of three quarterbacks to throw for more than 5,000 yards, with 5,235 yards and 39 passing touchdowns to 12 interceptions. That's well over the yards he put up in his team's undefeated 2007 regular season in which he threw for 50 touchdowns.

If Brady was on the top of his game in 2007, then he's clearly not dropped off in any noticeable way over the years, despite his offense undergoing so many changes during that time.

Instead of Brady continuing to rely on big-play wideouts to catch his passes, he now has a pair of tight ends and slot receiver Wes Welker as his primary targets.

With a new offensive philosophy, the Patriots have remained one of the most dangerous teams in the league. They've proven extremely adept at adaptation, a key ingredient to fielding a winning team season after season.

But Brady and company aren't invincible; they've lost three regular-season games this year and barely defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game. There's a way to stop him and, of any team, the Giants certainly have both the talent and the knowledge to do so.

Brady, like any quarterback, doesn't like pressure. However, when he's faced with it, he easily becomes frustrated. He relies on his progression and maintaining a rhythm, and he's better than most quarterbacks in doing so.

But the Giants have one of the best pass-rushes in the NFL, and there's no way their defensive line will be anything but at the top of their collective game on Sunday. To stop the Patriots from scoring means controlling Brady, and that means bringing pressure consistently and intelligently.

We've all seen teams bring the house up front only to be burned by a quarterback with just one long-enough second to get the ball out, completing a pass for a huge gain with receivers left practically wide open.

If they bring pressure too often and too predictably, the Giants will find themselves susceptible to Brady's intelligence in reading defenses, so they'll have to parse out their pass-rush with that in mind.

That means striking a balance between getting in Brady's face and keeping his receivers well-covered. The Giants have themselves somewhat of an advantage in this week's meeting, with high-scoring tight end Rob Gronkowski hobbled with a high ankle sprain that will reduce his effectiveness.

But even will a full-strength Gronkowski, the Giants can still hold down the Patriots' offensive production. Think back to the teams' Week 9 regular-season meeting—the Giants had success in that game by keeping Brady off-balance and forcing turnovers.

Brady did manage to throw for 342 yards in that game, but he was picked off twice, he fumbled the ball once and the team converted just five of their 15 third downs. The Giants didn't succeed in keeping Brady off the field as they would have preferred, but they didn't allow him to make much of his possessions, either.

Brady has some serious weapons at his disposal, not to mention the level of skill that has made him a future Hall of Famer well before this season even began. But few quarterbacks can escape a defense playing at its very best, and that's clearly what the Giants are going to be doing on Sunday.

With 48 regular-season sacks, 20 interceptions and 16 forced fumbles to their names in the regular season, it's clear the Giants' defense can make Brady play poorly.

Brady has proven stoppable both in the regular season and in the playoffs, and the Giants have a major defensive advantage. If they play as well as I think they will, then Brady is going to struggle more than he's going to be successful in Sunday's Super Bowl.