Like it or not, Pats' offense will get the job done Sunday
I would love to see the New York Giants' pass rush clean Tom Brady's Movado clock and wipe the smug smirk and the Stetson cologne off his pretty-boy face.
And it would be just as enjoyable to see surly, arrogant, cheating Bill Belichick get his comeuppance. But I just don't see any logical reason to believe the Giants can defeat the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Can the Giants cover the 12-point spread? Sure, but winning the game is a different story.
Can the Giants take Randy Moss out of the game? Probably, but only at the cost of allowing Wes Welker, Kevin Faulk, Donte Stallworth, Jabar Gaffney and Benjamin Watson to roam freely over the remainder of the playing surface, where they can await precise passes from Brady.
Can the Giants, who led the NFL with 53 sacks, get pressure on Brady? At times, yes. But at other times Brady will find the hot receiver with an advantageous matchup, or Laurence Maroney will maintain ball control by running for more than 100 yards, as he's done in four of his last five games.
The Patriots have been criticized for their unimpressive manner of victory in recent weeks, but five of their last six wins have been by 9 points or more, including both playoff games.
The Patriots postseason wins -- by 11 points over the Jaguars and by 9 points against the Chargers -- weren't blowouts by any means, but neither game was played in ideal weather conditions, and adverse elements tend to neutralize superior talent, which the Patriots possess.
Weather will not be a factor Sunday in Glendale, Ariz., where the average temperature for Feb. 3 in 71 and where a retractable roof stands at the ready to shield the competitors from the elements.
The Patriots' offense, the highest scoring in NFL history, wasn't operating at peak efficiency in inclement weather, but it will have a fast, firm, dry track Sunday.
There is almost no chance Brady will play as poorly as he did in the AFC title game, when he threw 3 interceptions.
On the other hand, there's no reason to expect that Giants quarterback Eli Manning will continue to play practically flawless football as he has the past four games. Manning has taken great strides in the past month or so, playing out of this world. But all streaks come to an end, and what better time for a return to earth than against a Belichick-coached team that has had two weeks to prepare a game plan designed to befuddle a young quarterback.
Despite Manning playing way over his head, the Giants haven't scored more than 24 points in any of their playoff games, and it's going to take more than that to outscore New England on a fast track.
Granted the Giants will try to do the same things to confuse Brady, but who do you suppose will be able to better handle the pressure and the many different defensive looks? Brady, who's played in 16 playoff games and won 14 of them, or Manning, who's played in five?
Because the Patriots are so loaded at wide receiver, they have used three or four wideouts on approximately 75 percent of their snaps this season. Those alignments weren't as effective in recent weeks in the wintry weather of the Northeast, but they should prove much more dangerous in the desert.
On paper, the Giants' secondary doesn't match up well with Patriots' deep and talented crew of receivers. Because of minor injuries and inconsistencies, four different cornerbacks -- Sam Madison, Corey Wester, rookie Aaron Ross and former Bear R.W. McQuarters -- have started in the past four games.
While all of them are capable, none of them are exceptional.
The New England offense is.