Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Super Bowl Déjà Vu: Giants Seek Same Results 4 Years Later
By
Peter Trinkle
Published Feb 5, 2012
Modified Feb 5, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Peter Trinkle
Published Feb 5, 2012
Modified Feb 5, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
There are lots of parallels you can draw between the 2007 Giants and the 2011 Giants. Both teams gelled late in the season. Both teams went on the road and beat the #1 seed in the NFC. Both teams won the NFC Championship in OT. And both teams went to the Super Bowl and faced the Patriots.
But, the 2011 Patriots are a different team than their predecessors. These Patriots can score like the 2007 edition, who were one of only three teams to score more than 500 points. But their defense is much more porous. The Patriots this season were one of only two teams that allowed over 6,500 yards on defense. Ironically, the other team was Green Bay, and just like the Packers, the Patriots covered up for their defensive shortfalls by forcing a lot of turnovers.
And that brings us to the biggest difference in these two teams from four years ago—Eli Manning. People mocked Manning when he declared himself an elite quarterback before the start of the season, but Eli has backed up his statement. Manning had the best season of his career in 2011, throwing for 29 touchdowns and almost 5,000 yards. He has been even better in the playoffs, throwing for 8 touchdowns and surviving a battering at the hands of the 49ers defense two weeks ago.
When these two teams met in November, Eli engineered a last-second drive to give the Giants a win. Eli and the offense produced 361 yards of offense that day, despite the fact that they were missing two key pieces, Ahmad Bradshaw and Hakeem Nicks. With those two back in the lineup and Jake Ballard almost healthy, the Giants should be able to put plenty of points on the board Sunday.
The question is, will they be able to stop the New England offense? Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots record-setting tight end, has been listed as questionable, but he is almost a certainty to play in this game. Between Gronkowski, Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez, Tom Brady will have plenty of targets to hit, if he has the time to hit them. That's where the Giants' pass rush comes in. The key to Super Bowl XLII was the Giants ability to pressure Brady and prevent him from getting comfortable in the pocket. New York has that same pass rush now and they have added Jason Pierre-Paul to the mix.
Expect plenty of points on the board in this game—and while Vegas favors the Patriots, we here at Gothamist are "ALL IN". The pick is the Giants to once again beat the Patriots and win the Super Bowl.
Tagged
Eli Manning
football
giants
Partiots
sports
super bowl
tom brady
Peter Trinkle
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NJ early voting begins Saturday. Here's everything you need to know.
Our 2026 New Jersey voter’s guide for this year’s midterm elections.
By
Mike Hayes
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 11:01 a.m. ET
Countdown clocks are coming to an NYC bus stop near you
New York City bus service isn't exactly reliable, but new digital countdown clocks will give riders a better sense of how long they have to wait.
By
Stephen Nessen
News
Countdown clocks are coming to an NYC bus stop near you
New York City bus service isn't exactly reliable, but new digital countdown clocks will give riders a better sense of how long they have to wait.
By
Stephen Nessen
Are NJ schools unconstitutionally segregated? It's back to the courts to decide.
By
Colleen O'Dea
Early Addition: New Jersey considering a ban on chewing gum because of microplastics
By
James Ramsay
Queens mother charged with murdering her son after failed suicide attempt, NYPD says
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .