Giants vs. Patriots: Drawing Up New York's Super Bowl 2012 Game Plan

Assuming New England's Rob Gronkowski is his usual dominant self, the biggest task for the New York Giants is figuring out a way to handle him while keeping Aaron Hernandez and Wes Welker in check. 

If I am Tom Coughlin, I would put Webster, my best cover corner, on Hernandez. Webster's size and physicality make him a good matchup for a bigger guy like Hernandez. Meanwhile, I would double Welker in the slot and try covering Gronkowski with Michael Boley. 

As good as the Giants' defensive line is, I would use a healthy amount of blitzes to confuse the Patriots' protection schemes and prevent them from getting into any sort of rhythm early in the game. Letting Tom Brady settle into a game with simple schemes is a recipe for disaster. 

On offense, as tempting as it is to want to throw the ball all over the Patriots' secondary, maintaining balance is crucial. The Giants have been effective at getting big plays all season long, and a lot of that has to do with keeping defenses honest with commitment to the running game—even if they don't get a ton of yardage in the process. 

Belichick is going to take away at least one target, which will probably be either Hakeem Nicks or Victor Cruz in the slot. Eli Manning must take what the defense gives him, because he will have a lot of opportunities to get the ball to his receivers.

However, it is imperative that the Giants find a way to block Vince Wilfork. He is the Patriots' best chance of slowing down the Giants' passing game with pressure up the middle. As good as Eli has been at eluding the rush and buying time, pressure up the middle is almost impossible to avoid because you can't step up into the pocket. 

If the Giants can neutralize Wilfork, they should have their way in the passing game and have a great chance at bringing another Lombardi back to New York.