Giant Disaster?
It’s official, the New York Giants are going on to the Super Bowl to play the New England Patriots. Both teams have to be happy to get away from the frigid cold to the welcoming weather in Arizona. What a disaster this poses for the NFC representation in the Super Bowl.
The Giants got the better of the Green Bay Packers on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field mostly due to the inept Green Bay offense than anything else. The Packers couldn’t establish a running game and when they relied on Brett Favre to create some magic, he conjured interceptions. It was a great game to watch, but more importantly, what effect will it have on the Super Bowl?
I’m afraid a Giants victory has spelled a disasterous Super Bowl. When you take the Packers and the Giants and match them up to the Patriots the Packers have the best chance of making the game competitive. When the game is played in sunny Arizona, the Packers speedy offense with weapons like Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, Donald Lee, and Brett Favre could give the Patriots trouble. Instead we get to see Eli Manning, Plaxico Burress, Armani Toomer, and an array of back up tight ends and runnings backs. Any team would love to have Plaxico Burress but the rest of the Giants offense is adequate at best. Favre has a cool head in the pocket, but Eli has shown that he can be flustered in the pocket and make bad choices. I already have images in my head of Eli running for his life from Mike Vrabel.
The Packers defense had shut down corner backs in Al Harris and Charles Woodson, along with skilled linebackers in A.J. Hawk and good pass rushers. The Giants bring good corners and a great pass rush led by Michael Strahan, but I get the feeling like the Giants defense is a one-trick pony. They put too much faith in their pass rush getting to the quarterback. When they don’t they are picked apart. The Patriots offensive line is too good and Tom Brady too relaxed to let Strahan and company get to him.
The Patriots have shown that they can put their backs up to the end zone and prevent opposing teams from scoring touchdowns. After seeing Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes take three attempts to make a field goal you have to wonder if the Giants are in over their heads.
I have been hoping for weeks for any team to come out of the NFC that can compete and maybe even beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. First we lost the Dallas Cowboys, and now the Green Bay Packers. The NFC now has to rely on the shaky arm of Eli Manning and an overachieving Giants team that is about to take on the Evil Empire.
Eli Manning is no Luke Skywalker and Tom Coughlin is no Yoda.
The Packers loss takes away any shred of hope the NFC had to take the Super Bowl. Eli Manning will have to perform a miracle in the Arizona desert to get his brother Peyton’s trophy. I love an underdog as much as the next guy but I just can’t wrap my head around this one.
Of course, if I was a betting man I would have bet the Giants would have lost to the Cowboys and the Packers. I have been wrong before and could be again. Perhaps this Giants team has some sort of destiny that could follow them to the Super Bowl. It could also just be life laughing in the face of Tiki Barber sitting at home wondering what Arizona is like in February.