Eli Manning will repeat his 2008 performance in Super Bowl

In one of the most anticipated sports games in North America, on Sunday Feb. 5, the New York Giants will face off against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.

This will be a déjà vu of the 2007 Super Bowl where the Giants and Patriots faced off with the Giants prevailing against Tom Brady’s Patriots. What will this Super Bowl’s outcome be? The same as last time.

Not only did the Giants beat out the New England Patriots in 2007, but they did so with Eli Manning in his Super Bowl debut against Tom Brady, a veteran of the game at the peak of his career.

Four years ago, the Patriots had a regular season record of 16-0. However this year, that perfect record took a small blow and is now 13-3.

The Patriots also had an undefeated season and were on their way to having the perfect season until a now more mature Manning and his Giants upset that dream.

Now that Manning has a few more years of experience under his belt, he has proven himself to be an elite player who is quick in the pocket and smart under pressure. If he could beat Brady four years ago, he can surely do it again on Sunday.

It is common knowledge that the Giants made it through to the playoffs because they were just barely selected as the wild card team.

Capitalizing on this second chance, the Giants have fought their way to this final by beating out the defending Super Bowl champions
Green Bay Packers, who had a 16-1 record in the regular season, and the San Francisco 49ers, who were a force to be reckoned with, due to their top-notch defensive line.

The percentage of an NFL team making it to the Super Bowl final game based on a wild card entry is definitely not a large one.

But compared to the Patriots, the Giants have one of the most dynamic defensive lines in the league.

Realistically speaking, the Giants’ linebackers Jason Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul provide powerful protection that are no match for any offender.

On the flip side, their offence includes running backs such as Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, who are at the top of their game and are among some of the best in the NFL.

Receivers like Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks use their explosive capabilities and have big play capacity. With a lineup like this, it will take more than just a few good players to compete with them.

It will be a good match-up on Sunday, but the key will be putting pressure on the plateauing Tom Brady, using the Giants’ dynamic defensive lineups, explosive offence and Eli Manning’s new experience and maturity.

If that happens, the Giants will be just as hard a team to steal the Super Bowl from than they were four years ago.