Giants vs. Patriots Predictions: New York's Front Four Will Be Difference-Maker

If the New York Giants fail to get pressure on Tom Brady, the New England Patriots will walk away with yet another Super Bowl win and a fourth Vince Lombardi Trophy.

It’s as simple as that.

Jason Pierre-Paul, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and a host of others will be able to get pressure on Brady, which will be the difference-maker for the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI.

That’s how you defeat the Patriots —force pressure on Brady while playing press coverage and hope you can get into Brady’s head. There is a reason why this is tough to accomplish; he’s one of the best quarterbacks the game has ever seen.

If any team can do it, New York can.

The Giants tallied 48 sacks on the season and nine throughout the postseason; they hit the quarterback 19 times. The Giants do this by simple rushing their front four.

Pierre-Paul led the way with 16.5 sacks, Umenyiora had nine and Tuck had five sacks this season.

This allows seven to drop in coverage, corners, safeties and linebackers are allowed to play press coverage on Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez which will disrupt the timing of the offense.

Other teams don’t have the luxury of this scheme; not many can get to the quarterback with four.

New England’s stylistic offense is all about timing; they love the underneath routes. For New York to disrupt that timing, their rush-four defense has to be successful in the trenches. If they can’t find success it’s going to be a long day for the Giants defense.

Watching the Giants in recent weeks can easily make you forget just how porous their pass defense was this season. New York ranked No. 29 in pass defense, allowing 255 yards per game. If Brady gets any type of protection we may be looking at a quarterback with four Lombardi Trophies.

It’s all about rushing the quarterback.

The Giants will be able to force Brady to move around the pocket more than what he likes which will disrupt his timing with his receivers and tight ends.

New York will win the Super Bowl and their front four will have plenty to do with it.

Prediction: Giants 28, Patriots 27