Super Bowl Point Spread: 53-Point Total Is Astronomical for Defensive Battle

The 53.5 point total for Sunday's Super Bowl matchup between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots, according to footballlocks.com, is way too high for what is sure to be a defensive battle for the ages.

Although both the Giants and the Patriots boasted two of the league's most wretched defensive units during the 2011 regular season, both ranking in the lower than 15th in the league in scoring defense and allowing more than 21 points per game, they have each completely flipped the table during the playoffs.

The Giants' defense went from allowing 25 points per week in the regular season to holding their three NFC playoff opponents to a measly 13 points a piece. That type of shutdown D in addition to the fact that Tom Brady's second-favorite target—tight end Rob Gronkowski, who had 90 catches and 17 touchdowns this season—will be limited with a high ankle injury means the Pats will struggle to score even half of the 32 points per game they averaged during the regular season.

On the Patriots' defensive side of the ball, the story of an evolving and strengthening defense is much the same. New England is allowing just 15 points per game in two postseason games this winter, which would have ranked them third scoring defense in the NFL during the regular season.

The Pats' horrid pass defense has also experienced a complete 180-degree spin, now allowing just 195 pass yards per game in the playoffs after giving up the most of any NFL team for the better part of the 2011 regular season.

Sure, neither squad's rushing defense is all that amazing, but they don't need to be. Both offenses revolve around the passing game and for good reason, points come out of the passing game.

Brady and the New England offense score so often because they pass so often in a pass-happy, pass-friendly league. So it's no surprise that the two teams that defended the pass the best this postseason are scheduled to meet for the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday.

Of course Brady threw for more than 5,200 yards in 2011, and Manning for more than 4,900, but those numbers mean nothing in the season's final showdown. The defenses have dictated each team's success all through the month of January and now must do it again in order to be crowned champions.

A 53.5-point total is out of the question in this game, regardless of field conditions and magnitude. The two teams combined for just 44 points back in Week 9 and just 31 points four years ago at Super Bowl XLII. 

The playoffs have brought about major change for both defenses, and Sunday's winner will have done it thanks to defense. There will be no shootout in Indy in Peyton Manning's honor on Super Bowl Sunday, but instead a defensive struggle in America's heartland.