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January 31, 2012
Jacob Taber, Sports Editor
We meet again. For all of those who wanted a Harbaugh Bowl, we all apologize for the disappointment. A missed field goal for Baltimore, and San Francisco with an overtime loss on Sunday. At least Tom Brady will get another chance at Eli come Super bowl 43. It was different back in 2008 though. Eli, the clutch choker trying to find his first ring, and Tom Brady, being Mr. Unstoppable with a perfect 16-0 record. Brady was on his way to making history, and trying to make more in the Super Bowl.
This time, each team has suffered from that Super Bowl game. None have made it to the big stage since then. This year, the Giants clinching a playoff berth in their win against the Cowboys Week 17, and the Patriots dominated with a 13-3 record. Tom Brady is having his second try at his fourth Super Bowl ring.
The New York Giants have hit their stride, two dominating wins over the Falcons and the Packers. As they got to San Fran, it was an overtime win, with the 49ers fumbling the opening kickoff in OT. Then Lawrence Tynes hit the game winning field goal, sending them to their second Super Bowl in four years. They have fired on all cylinders, their defense facing huge challenges, and Eli leading his team through an uphill battle. This will be his toughest test yet, and it will be hard to beat a team twice, in a season and in a recent Super Bowl.
And now for the Patriots. They have done great all season, finishing with a 13-3 record and home field advantage. One of their three loses were against the Giants though, with Ballard scoring for the Giants with less than 90 to clinch the victory, 24-20. A very scary offense, with many weapons including two stud tight ends, Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski, are the best duel threat tight ends in NFL history. They are huge, fast for their size, and have above average hands. Tom Brady did struggle against the Ravens though, throwing two INT’s and a quarterback rating of 57.5. Their defense did make a stand against the Ravens, playing pretty well.
So what is the pick? Not one team has a huge advantage in this one. Will it be the strengths that win the game or will the weaknesses lose it? It won’t be either, but a collective game will win the game, not one aspect of it. So what is it going to be? Patriots or Giants? Tom wins his fourth, 34-24. The defense will understand the importance of themselves in this game, and will stop Eli enough to earn the victory. Whether this happens or not, one thing is guaranteed, Super Bowl 43 will be one to remember.
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