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OT may well decide Super Bowl winner
Source: Agencies |
February 4, 2012, Saturday
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IN their four previous trips to the Super Bowl with Bill Belichick as coach and Tom Brady at quarterback, the New England Patriots threatened to go into overtime.
They eked out wins in 2002, 2004 and 2005 and lost by three points to the New York Giants in a 2008 classic.
When New England and New York face off again at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Sunday (Monday morning Shanghai time), the Patriots will be favored by three points.
And there's a high chance that margin will be decided in an unprecedented overtime.
Each team is on a roll, with the Patriots winning all 10 games since a home loss to the Giants in November. New York went into a funk after that victory, losing four straight and five of six before turning it around with closing victories against the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys to win the National Football Conference East division.
The Giants have won five in a row, including over Atlanta, defending champion Green Bay and San Francisco in the playoffs.
In 2008, the Patriots were unbeaten and seeking the National Football League's first perfect season in 35 years until the Giants stunned them. Again, New England has the better record and the Giants took the long route to the big game.
"It's the same teams, but in our mindset, a lot of new players," said Giants quarterback Eli Manning, one of the heroes of the 17-14 win four years ago. "We had 16 guys and New England only has seven guys who were on that team. A lot of guys who are going to be key factors in this game did not play in that last Super Bowl.
"We have the mindset that this is a new game. It's the same teams, but a lot of different makeup. What happened in the last Super Bowl doesn't matter. What happened in the last game of the season doesn't matter. It's about what we do on Sunday and what we do in this game."
What the Giants must do is get a pass rush on Brady. They had five sacks and at least nine hits on him in the 2008 game, and they pressured him throughout the regular-season win last November. If they can make Brady uncomfortable and rush his throws, it ruins the tempo of New England's no-huddle offense.
"They can force the quarterback into some bad decisions and some bad throws," Brady said. "We had too many of those the last time we played them, and we're not going to be able to win the game making mistakes."
"It wouldn't be the Super Bowl if they weren't talking about coming to knock me down and trying to knock me out. That's what I expect."
They eked out wins in 2002, 2004 and 2005 and lost by three points to the New York Giants in a 2008 classic.
When New England and New York face off again at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Sunday (Monday morning Shanghai time), the Patriots will be favored by three points.
And there's a high chance that margin will be decided in an unprecedented overtime.
Each team is on a roll, with the Patriots winning all 10 games since a home loss to the Giants in November. New York went into a funk after that victory, losing four straight and five of six before turning it around with closing victories against the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys to win the National Football Conference East division.
The Giants have won five in a row, including over Atlanta, defending champion Green Bay and San Francisco in the playoffs.
In 2008, the Patriots were unbeaten and seeking the National Football League's first perfect season in 35 years until the Giants stunned them. Again, New England has the better record and the Giants took the long route to the big game.
"It's the same teams, but in our mindset, a lot of new players," said Giants quarterback Eli Manning, one of the heroes of the 17-14 win four years ago. "We had 16 guys and New England only has seven guys who were on that team. A lot of guys who are going to be key factors in this game did not play in that last Super Bowl.
"We have the mindset that this is a new game. It's the same teams, but a lot of different makeup. What happened in the last Super Bowl doesn't matter. What happened in the last game of the season doesn't matter. It's about what we do on Sunday and what we do in this game."
What the Giants must do is get a pass rush on Brady. They had five sacks and at least nine hits on him in the 2008 game, and they pressured him throughout the regular-season win last November. If they can make Brady uncomfortable and rush his throws, it ruins the tempo of New England's no-huddle offense.
"They can force the quarterback into some bad decisions and some bad throws," Brady said. "We had too many of those the last time we played them, and we're not going to be able to win the game making mistakes."
"It wouldn't be the Super Bowl if they weren't talking about coming to knock me down and trying to knock me out. That's what I expect."
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