Giants vs. Patriots: Does Tom Coughlin Have Bill Belichick's Number?

Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin are two of the most respected coaches in the NFL. Both guys have accomplished so much in their careers that they are each likely to end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But while Belichick and his New England Patriots have three Super Bowl titles, he can't seem to get his team over the hump against Coughlin and his New York Giants.

On Sunday night, for the second time in four years, the Giants upset the favored Patriots in the Super Bowl. New York's 21-17 win was astonishing simply because they were able to do something that so few teams have done during the Belichick era: make the Patriots look flustered.

The Patriots dropped passes, Tom Brady misfired to open receivers and they committed uncharacteristic mental errors. New York deserves credit for forcing them into those mistakes.

This week, some have claimed that Coughlin "owns Belichick," or made similar declarations. And while the NFL's oldest head coach now boasts a 5-1 record in head-to-head matchups with the man in the hoodie, I don't necessarily think he has any special trick for besting him. 

The Giants are a team that relies on a simple formula to win games. They pressure the quarterback and keep the game close for four quarters and give themselves a chance to win late. In both Super Bowls against New England, New York has kept the game close and won on a late drive. 

The thing about Super Bowl XLVI is that anyone could have seen that outcome coming. New York and Coughlin didn't change anything. There were no huge tricks or play-calls or any alterations to the Giants' basic strategy. 

Maybe the Patriots just don't match up well with New York, or maybe Coughlin knows something that we don't, but from the looks of it, I can't definitively say he just simply outfoxed Belichick. 

The Giants won on Sunday because they were the more composed team. They came through in the clutch and played their best when it mattered. While Coughlin deserves a ton of credit for keeping his team focused and poised, I don't think he has any specific formula for besting Belichick and the Patriots.

So while some may say he "owns" the man he has now bested in two Super Bowls, I just think his team has been so consistent that the Patriots haven't been able to match them.