The New England Patriots verses The New York Giants
I’m going to compare the two head coaches and their teams that will play in Sunday’s Super Bowl XLII. First I want to take a look at Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin, then I’ll go through the pertinent statistics these teams have posted during the 2007 regular season and on their playoff journeys that led each to their Super Bowl berths. I’ll point out which team I believe holds the edge, if any, in each phase of the game.
The Head Coaches
Bill Belichick
The New England Patriots were stung in the playoffs last year. They were in their normal position of holding a good lead in the AFC Championship Game against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts when disaster struck. The Colts erased an 18 point deficit and won going away 38-34 in the biggest comeback victory ever in an NFL conference championship game. Head Coach Bill Belichick had lost in the playoffs for the second year running after his Patriots had won back to back Super Bowls in 2003 and 2004. He and the team’s management went right to work trying to upgrade the team’s receiving corps and they literally struck gold as they were able to trade a fourth round draft pick to the hapless Oakland Raiders for one of the premier receivers in the game, Randy Moss. This was just for starters as they also brought in one of the Miami Dolphins’ top receivers, Wes Welker, by way of a trade and then signed another good wideout in free agent Donte’ Stallworth. The Patriots had finally given their quarterback a group of receivers that knew what to do downfield. The Patriot’s continued feeding their mix of veteran players and youthful draft picks while Belichick molded them into a smooth running machine based upon teamwork. They hit the deck running at the start of the 2007 season despite what became known as “Spygate”. The Patriots were found to be following the illegal practice of filming an opposing team’s sideline coach’s hand signals they use to transmit play calls to their players on the field. The Patriots wanted to know what their opposition’s signals meant, giving them a distinct advantage. The opposing New York Jets’ coach, Eric Mangini, a former Patriots assistant, told NFL officials what was going on and as a result, the Patriots along with their head coach were heavily fined by the new league Commissioner, Roger Goodell. This seemed to draw the already closely knit Patriots team even closer together and it was as if they went on a mission to prove to everyone that they didn’t need to use illegal tactics to win in this league and so they did. The supreme schemer of the modern era NFL, Bill Belicheck maneuvered his team with precision. He left his starters on the field when holding large leads and listened to his opponents and their fans rail at him for using such dirty, unsportsmanlike methods, but when the Patriots found themselves behind late in games during the year, Belichick’s well-honed charges rose to the occasion and beat down any attempts to knock them from their undefeated perch. The final regular season game was one such occasion as the Patriots traveled to the New Jersey Meadowlands to play the New York Giants. The Giants nearly defeated Belichick’s boys, but nearly wasn’t good enough as the Patriots ripped the victory away from the Giants. The home field advantage in the playoffs saw the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars enter Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium and leave with their tails tucked. Next came the injured but game San Diego Chargers who played well but couldn’t overcome the juggernaut. Coach Bill Belichick and his staff did a masterful job leading the Patriots once again to the threshold of the Promised Land, and for his work, Coach Belichick was named NFL Coach of the Year.
Tom Coughlin
The New York Giants’ Tom Coughlin is in his 12th season as an NFL head coach. In 7 seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars his teams won the AFC South Division twice and placed second twice. Not bad for a first time head coach with a new expansion team. They were the surprise of the league. The Jags played in two AFC title games but lost both while posting a 4 win and 4 loss overall playoff record. Coughlin’s stay in northeast Florida ended after the 2002 season. Tom, who was known for his tough, boot camp approach to coaching, next surfaced in 2004 with the team he coaches today. He was given a mandate to bring discipline to a Giants team that seemingly enjoyed playing to the New York media and sniping among themselves. With Tom Coughlin being a disciple of former Giants head coach and two-time Lombardi Trophy winner Bill Parcells, a task master in his own right, it became obvious that the Parcells tough love approach to coaching was what the Giants’ management craved. The team’s players let it be known they didn’t like this style almost immediately, but Coughlin was able to hold the line while engineering a path that lead the Giants to the NFC East title in 2005 only to lose in the first round of the playoffs. In 2006, the Giants went backwards, but still made the playoffs as an 8-8 wild card team. Once again they lost in the first round. Now there were cries from players and fans alike to bring in a new, player friendly coach. The New York media was whipping up a rebellion as the Giants’ star running back left the team and moved to a bully pulpit where he tore down the Giants and their young quarterback. Through all this, and to their credit, the Giant’s management stood by their coach. During the off season after 2006, Tom Coughlin must have been going through a lot of soul searching because it was a different, more mellow coach that the Giants’ players found when training camp began last summer. There were still a couple of characters on this talented team that apparently would rather freelance than be a true teammate, but by and large the players began to accept the new and improved Coughlin. He guided the team through an up and down season that finally resulted in enough ups to once again land a wild card berth in the playoffs while fighting it out in the tough NFC East. Their last regular season game was played against a team coached by an old friend of Coughlin’s and another Parcells disciple, Bill Belichick and his undefeated New England Patriots. It didn’t matter whether the Giants won or lost that game as their place in the playoffs was secure, but with the knowledge that a nationwide television audience would be tuning in to see if the Patriots could actually run the table and win every game in the regular season for the first time in 34 years, Tom Coughlin started his first team players and stuck with them throughout the game. These ne’er do well Giants hung right with the mighty Patriots and actually held a two touchdown lead in the third quarter before the wheels started rolling on the Patriot offense. The Pats ran off 22 unanswered points to take a 10 point lead, but the Giants weren’t done as they closed the gap only to fall just short. What had happened? It appears that the Giants, to a man, finally bought in to this new/old coach of theirs. Things actually started to click for the G-men and they took the momentum gained from that home loss to the Patriots on the road with them where they ran off three straight playoff victories against the season’s best NFC teams to reach the Super Bowl! Tom Coughlin has led this team on one of the greatest playoff runs in the history of the NFL, there’s no denying it. What do these Giants get for their efforts? They get a chance to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, win the ring that tells the world they are world champions as they drink from the sport’s Holy Grail. All they have to do is defeat that same undefeated New England Patriots team that sent them off on this improbable journey in the first place… Tom Coughlin and these Giants wouldn’t have it any other way!
2008 Postseason – 599 yards on 62.4% completions for 4 TD’s and 0 interceptions – QB Rating – 99.1 – In 3 games.
Experience wins out here despite Eli Manning’s postseason statistics.
Large Quarterback Edge – New England Patriots.
Running Game –
New England Patriots –
Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, Heath Evans, and Tom Brady accounted for 1,997 yards rushing in 463 attempts for an average per carry of 4.31 yards. The Patriots scored 16 rushing TD’s. All running statistics are from both the regular and postseason.
New York Giants –
Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, Reuben Droughns, Ahmad Bradshaw, and Eli Manning accounted for 2,469 yards rushing in 556 attempts for an average per carry of 4.44 yards. The Giants scored 19 rushing TD’s. All running statistics are from both the regular and postseason.
Yards per carry average keeps this close.
Slight Running Game Edge – New York Giants
Receiving Game –
New England Patriots –
Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Donte’ Stallworth, Jabar Gaffney, Benjamin Watson, Kevin Faulk, Laurence Maroney and Kyle Brady accounted for the majority of 5,330 yards receiving in 451 attempts for 11.82 yards per reception and 55 touchdowns or 1 TD for every 8 attempts.
New York Giants –
Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer, Jeremy Shockey, Sinorice Moss, Derrick Ward, Brandon Jacobs, Kevin Boss and Steve Smith accounted for the majority of 3,975 yards receiving in 355 attempts for 11.20 yards per reception and 27 touchdowns or 1 TD for every 13 attempts.
Quality receivers on both sides but the man throwing the ball and the offensive line play tips the scale toward New England.
Receiving Game Edge – New England Patriots
Kicking Game –
New England Patriots –
Stephen Gostkowski – 22 FG’s in 26 attempts with a long of 45 yards (84.62%) & 81 of 81 extra points for 147 points.
New York Giants –
Lawrence Tynes – 27 FG’s in 33 attempts with a long of 48 yards (81.82%) & 48 of 50 extra points for 129 points.
Kicking Game Edge – Even
Return Game –
New England Patriots –
Kickoffs – 23.7 yard average on 66 attempts (2 TD’s).
Punt Returns – 9.5 yard average on 34 attempts (0 TD’s).
New York Giants –
Kickoffs – 23.8 yard average on 78 attempts (1 TD).
Punt Returns – 7.7 yard average on 50 attempts (0 TD’s).
The punt return game favors the Patriots while kick returns are virtually even.
Slight Return Game Edge – New England Patriots
DEFENSE
New England Patriots –
Tackles - Total – 1,006, Solo – 760, Ast – 246, Sack – 47, Tackle for loss – 38.
Yards allowed – 4,880, 1,563 rushing & 3,317 passing (7th in NFL). Points per game allowed – 21.9 (17th in NFL)
Fairly close here. Without the turnover difference and points allowed per game, I’d call this even, but turnovers make the world go around and there’s over a field goal difference in average points allowed.
Defense Edge – New England Patriots
Punting Game –
New England Patriots –
Chris Hanson – 2,011 yards on 49 punts for a 41 yard average with 91 return yards for a net average of 39.2 yards. 14 punts were dead inside the opponent’s 20 yard line.
New York Giants –
Jeff Feagles – 3,476 yards on 86 punts for a 40 yard average with 187 return yards for a net average of 38.2 yards. 28 punts were dead inside the opponent’s 20 yard line.
Based upon the net averages and inside the 20 numbers, the punting is what it is…
Punting Game Edge – Even
* * *
On paper, the play on the field isn’t really that far apart between these two teams. The quarterback difference is indisputable during the regular season, while I’m sure the Giants’ fans will all point to Manning’s postseason numbers as evidence that their leader has arrived. I guess the question is can Eli maintain that rhythm in the biggest game of his life? There have been other young quarterbacks in the same bright glare of the Super Bowl. Some have performed adequately, some poorly, and a very few have risen to the occasion and led their teams to an improbable victory. In fact, the man playing this position for the Patriots is one of them. Tom Brady has started and won three of these championships, all before the age of 28. In two of them he was named the Most Valuable Player. Will Brady remain as cool and collected as we’ve seen him in the past?
To Summarize:
Coaching - Edge – New England Patriots
Quarterbacks – Large Edge – New England Patriots
Running Game – Slight Edge – New York Giants
Receiving Game – Edge – New England Patriots
Return Game – Slight Edge – New England Patriots
Defense – Edge – New England Patriots
Punting Game – Even
Kicking Game – Even
In a year when, for the first time in decades, an undefeated team enters the Super Bowl, will the obvious take place and a coronation occur after this game? Can the Patriots bring the 2007-08 NFL season to a resounding crescendo and win it all?
We all know that anything can happen in this game. The football has a way of taking funny bounces sometimes. Will one of the greatest storylines in NFL history play out with yet another astounding New York Giants victory?
Here are some of the stories found around the country's sports pages today.
Tom Osborne Accepts the Bear Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award
University of Nebraska Athletic Director, former State of Nebraska Representative to the United States Congress and former Head Football Coach with the Cornhuskers, Tom Osborne was given the Bear Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award last Friday evening at a banquet in Houston, Texas. Cathy Schembechler, the widow of former Michigan Head Coach Bo Schembechler, who was awarded the honor posthumously last year, made the presentation while being aided by twelve of Osborne’s former players at Nebraska.
Norm Chow a Bruin!
Norm Chow has accepted the position of offensive coordinator with UCLA. Now both sides of the ball for the Bruins will be coached up by former USC coordinators as Chow will be joining DeWayne Walker, UCLA's defensive coordinator, who decided to stay on with new Head Coach Rick Neuheisel. UCLA seems to be following the USC blue print to success.
Bills DE Hargrove Suspended for a Full Year!
The Buffalo Bills defensive end, Anthony Hargrove has been suspended for the entire 2008 NFL football season after violating the leagues substance abuse policy for a third time which triggers the automatic one year suspension without pay. Here's hoping this young man can get his life back on track.
There’s a lesson here MLB…
Seahawks Assistant Head Coach Jim Mora to Stay On
New Seahawk Head Coach?
Jim Mora, fresh from being interviewed for the open Washington Redskins head coaching position, has announced he has decided to stay on with the Seattle Seahawks citing the importance of his family living in their home area. With Head Coach Mike Holmgren currently vacationing in Arizona where he is said to be contemplating whether to fulfill the remaining year of his contract with the Seahawks, this could possibly be a sign of Holmgren’s decision.
Star Quarterback Recruit Terrelle Pryor Remains on Fence
Jeannette, Pennsylvania’s nationally rated number one high school football prospect, quarterback Terrelle Pryor, remains firmly entrenched in indecision concerning which school to attend. Big Ten powers Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State all claim to be in the running while Oregon, Florida and new-comer LSU also are vying for the young man’s attention. Pryor’s high school quarterback coach described him as flustered and not sure which recruiter to trust… Maybe he should Duck the issue and go to Oregon!
Selig Considers Punishing S.F. Giants’ Owner?
An article in the San Francisco Chronicle claims that MLB Commissioner is contemplating punishing the Giants owner Peter Magonwan for his allegedly willful refusal to deal with Barry Bonds’ former trainer Greg Anderson. What exactly Mr. Selig might do about this is up to discussion but some believe the punishment may come in the form of awarding the San Jose south bay area, what has always been considered Giants territory to the Oakland Athletics as they continue to look for a new stadium site. I guess there's more than one way to skin an owner!
Paula Abdul to Perform at Super Bowl XLII!
American Idol judge and singer Paula Abdul will perform a new song produced by fellow judge Randy Jackson at some currently unknown point during the Fox telecast of Super Bowl XLII, February 3rd. Paula will be joining American Idol’s most recent winner Jordon Sparks who will sing the National Anthem as well as the rock groups Counting Crows and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Here’s hoping Paula doesn’t pull a Janet Jackson stunt…
NFL Announces the Finalists for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award
Jason Taylor Hines Ward
The only NFL award that recognizes a players off the field contributions to society, The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, will be awarded to one of the following four finalists announced Sunday, January 20th: Jason Taylor, DE, Miami Dolphins, Hines Ward, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers, Brian Waters, OG, Kansas City Chiefs, and Jason Witten, TE, Dallas Cowboys. The winner will be announced during the Super Bowl Pregame show on February 3rd.
I'm a sports fanatic living on the west coast of Florida. I'm a rare bird that moved here from the left coast a couple of years ago. I advocate an even playing field in all of life's endeavors.
best slot
Super Bowl XLII
prospect, quarterback Terrelle Pryor, remains firmly entrenched in indecision concerning which school to attend. Big Ten powers Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State all claim to be in the running while Oregon, Florida and new-comer LSU also are vying for the young man’s attention. Pryor’s high school quarterback coach described him as flustered and not sure which recruiter to trust… Maybe he should Duck the issue and go to Oregon! 
