First off, congratulations to the New York Giants and their fans that was yet another great game between these two teams and I don’t know what else the New England Patriots have to do to win one of these games but I’d like them to figure it out.
Secondly this Super Bowl loss doesn’t hurt as much as the loss in Super Bowl XLII for a lot of reasons. Mainly this team was no where near as good as that one and they got carried by a handful of different guys through the season.
Different players picked up the ball at different times and got the team to a 13-3 regular season and past Denver and a very tough Baltimore team in the AFC Playoffs.
But they just were not able to get past the New York Giants for the third time in a row and the second time in a Super Bowl.
The New England Patriots will be back again next year as they are every year. They’ll have a new offensive coordinator, who is the old offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Hopefully they’ll have a defensive coordinator seeing as Matt Patricia already has most of those responsibilities already.
On offense they need a deep threat receiver, someone along the lines of what Randy Moss gave them. I’m not sure if there’s another Moss out there, but someone who could become some of what he was would be nice. And they need to sign Wes Welker to a nice contract. If they can’t come to terms he will surely be franchised keeping him here under the CBA rules on a one-year deal.
Defensively they need secondary help. Kyle Arrington, Patrick Chung and Devin McCourty are here to stay after that who knows, although Sterling Moore appears to be a workable piece. I think they also need some linebacker help as well. After Jerod Mayo, Brandon Spikes and Rob Ninkovich they aren’t very deep. It’s hard to keep relying on special teams players to play in big situations at linebacker and in the secondary.
The team had a good season while I had predicted them preseason to win the Super Bowl as the season progressed as I wasn’t so sure of that based on the play of the defense. They were still able to will themselves to the Big Game and based on how this franchise is built after 5 Super Bowl trips in 11 seasons I don’t expect it that to change much in the future.
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Super Bowl Gamebook. This includes the box score, all the stats, play by play, drive charts and more.
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Turning Point(s) of the Game
Patriots having to punt ball to Giants with just under 4 minutes to play in the game leading 17-15 after failing to convert on third down.
Offensive Player(s) of the Game
Giants QB Eli Manning was 30 of 40 for 296 yards, 3 sacks, 1 TD and 0 INTs. He was the named MVP of Super Bowl XLVI.
Defensive Player(s) of the Game
Giants LB Chase Blackburn had 6 tackles (4 solo), 1 pass defensed and 1 INT.
Game Notes
Starters for the Patriots were:
Offense:
LT: Light
LG: Mankins
C: Connolly
RG: Waters
RT: Vollmer
TE: Gronkowski
WR: Branch
WR: Welker
QB: Brady
RB: Green-Ellis
RB: Woodhead
Defense:
DE: Love
NT: Wilfork
DE: Deaderick
LB: Mayo
LB: Spikes
LB: Ninkovich
LB: White
CB: McCourty
CB: Arrington
S: Chung
S: Ihedigbo
Starters for the Giants were:
On Offense:
Offense:
LT: Diehl
LG: Boothe
C: Baas
RG: Snee
RT: McKenzie
TE: Ballard
WR: Cruz
WR: Nicks
QB: Manning
RB: Bradshaw
RB: Hynoski
Defense:
DE: Tuck
DT: Joseph
DT: Canty
DE: Pierre-Paul
LB: Boley
LB: Blackburn
CB: Webster
CB: Ross
S: Phillips
S: Rolle
S: Grant
Inactives for the Game:
Patriots
1. QB Ryan Mallett
2. RB Kevin Faulk
3. RB Shane Vereen
4. LB Gary Guyton
5. T Donald Thomas
6. G Nick McDonald
7. DE Ron Brace
Giants
1. WR Ramses Barden
2. RB Da’Rel Scott
3. LB Mark Herzlich
4. C Jim Cordle
5. DE Justin Tratou
6. DT Jimmy Kennedy
7. T James Brewer
Patriots won the coin toss and deferred. It was the first time the AFC team won a Super Bowl coin toss in 15 years.
This was the fifth rematch in Super Bowl history and the third with the same starting quarterbacks.
It was also the fifth match up between coaches who have previously won a Super Bowl title.
It was the first Super Bowl in which the opposing quarterback’s had previously won the Super Bowl MVP Award.
This was the fourth Super Bowl title for the Giants.
The spread (Patriots MINUS 3) WAS NOT covered. The over/under (54) WAS NOT COVERED. I GAVE the POINTS and TOOK the OVER. I am now 11-7-1 vs. the spread and 13 of 19 calling the under/over.
The Giants lead the all-time series 6-5 including the two Super Bowl victories.
In the series the Giants are 2-0 in neutral site games having previously won Super Bowl XLII in Glendale AZ, 17-14.
The Giants have won the last three meetings between the teams including two Super Bowls.
This was the Patriots 7th Super Bowl appearance as a franchise, they are 3-4 in Super Bowl games. The seven appearances rank second most in history after Dallas (5-3) and Pittsburgh (6-2), which both have been 8 times.
Overall in the playoffs they are 23-16.
PATRIOTS PLAYOFF RECORD BY ROUND
- First Round 0-1
- Wild Card Round 4-3
- Divisional Round 9-6
- AFC Championship 7-1
- AFL Championship 0-1
- Super Bowl 3-4
New England is MINUS 4 in playoff turnover differential. The offense has given up 4 INTs and 2 fumbles, while the defense had 1 INT and 1 fumble recovery. They finished the regular season as a PLUS 17.
The Patriots were 6 of 12 in 3rd down efficiency and 1 for 1 on fourth down attempts.
New England was 2 of 3 in the red zone and 0 for 0 in goal to go.
The Patriots are the first team to lose a Super Bowl in four different decades (1986, 1997, 2008 and 2012).
This was the Patriots first indoor game this season.
Bill Belichick is 2-5 vs. the Giants in his career. He is 2-3 against them as the head coach in New England and that includes two Super Bowls (0-2).
Belichick’s 192 wins are good for 9th all-time. Chuck Knox, who coached the Rams, Redskins and Seahawks, is 8th all-time with 193.
He is 17-7 in the playoffs, 16-6 as head coach of the Patriots in the post season.
Belichick is 3-2 in Super Bowls as a head coach.
This is Tom Brady’s 12th NFL season he is 2-3 vs. the Giants including 0-2 in the playoffs.
Brady is now tied with John Elway for most Super Bowl appearances by quarterback with five. He is 3-1 in the previous games.
He is now 16-6 in the post season and is tied for most all time post season wins with his idol Joe Montana.
Brady has the 3rd most post season TD passes all-time with 38. Brett Favre is 2nd with 44 TD passes in the post season. Montana is first with 45.
Late in the first half Brady set the all-time post season record for most completions breaking Brett Favre’s record of 482.
Brady was not sacked at all in the first half. Justin Tuck sacked him for the first time in the game with 6 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.
Brady sets Super Bowl record with 16 consecutive completions. Joe Montana held the previous record with 13 in Super Bowl XXIV.
WR Wes Welker now has catches in 101 consecutive games including playoffs, 84 as a Patriot. The last time Welker did not have a catch in a game was 12/24/05 as a Dolphin.
Patriots charged with a safety on first possession when Brady throws ball to no one down field from end zone. It was the first Super Bowl safety since Super Bowl XXV and only the sixth in Super Bowl history.
Too many men on field for Patriots defense nullified a strip by Sterling Moore and recovery by Brandon Spikes in the red zone. Led to Giants first TD.
TE Rob Gronkowski didn’t have a catch until there was just less than 3 minutes left in 1st half.
Patriots go 96-yards for go ahead TD to end the 1st half on a Brady to Danny Woodhead 4 yard TD pass (tied record for longest drive in Super Bowl history).
This was the Giants 5th Super Bowl appearance as a franchise they are 4-1 in the games.
When New York beat New England in Week 9 at Gillette Stadium it snapped a 20-game home winning streak for the Patriots. Today they snapped a ten game win streak that started after that last game.
The Giants are the first team to win a Super Bowl in 4 different decades (1987, 1991, 2008 and 2012).
New York is PLUS 6 in playoff turnover differential. The offense has given up 1 INTs and 0 fumbles, while the defense had 2 INT and 5 fumble recoveries. They finished the regular season as a PLUS 7.
The Giants are 5 of 11 in 3rd down efficiency and 0 for 0 on fourth down attempts in the playoffs.
New York was 2 for 3 in the red zone and 2 for 2 in goal to go.
This will be the Giants 4th indoor game this season. The others were at Dallas (W 37-34), at New Orleans (L 49-24) and at Arizona (W 31-27).
Tom Coughlin coached teams are 4-4 vs. New England including 2-1 in the post season.
He is 12-7 in the playoffs with two Super Bowl victories.
Eli Manning is 3-1 vs. the Patriots in his career including the Super Bowl.
He is 8-3 as a starting quarterback in the post season.
Giants TE Travis Beckum tore his ACL in 2nd qtr did not return
Giants TE Jake Ballard injured his right knee did not return
Super Bowl Officials were:
- Referee – John Parry
- Umpire – Carl Paganelli
- Head Linesman – Tom Stabile
- Line Judge – Gary Arthur
- Field Judge – Gary Cavaletto
- Back Judge – Tony Steratore
- Side Judge – Laird Hayes
The temp at kickoff was 71 degrees (climate controlled) played in retractable roof stadium with roof closed.
Attendance – 68,658 at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis IN
Post Game Interviews
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Patriots QB Tom Brady post game press conferences via patriots.com.
Super Bowl XLVI MVP Eli Manning talks to the media after leading the Giants to their fourth Super Bowl win in franchise history.
NY Giants Super Bowl Championship Merchandise
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Photo credit: Reuters Pictures
