SUPER BOWL XLII: Phil's Preview
Date: Sunday - February 3, 2008
Where: University of Phoenix Stadium - Glendale, AZ.
Kickoff: 6:30 PM ET
Station: FOX

New York Giants (13-6) vs New England Patriots (18-0)

Three reasons the Giants win:

1. ROAD WARRIORS
New York has been virtually unbeatable on the road this year, dropping only one game away from home. In the postseason already, the Giants have earned road wins over Dallas and Green Bay. Some believe they play looser on the road and don't have to worry about the home team boos. On an interesting note, the Giants will be the designated "away" team for Super Bowl XLII.

2. THE RUNNING MAN
When these teams met in Week 17, Brandon Jacobs had several big runs against the New England defense. His bruising running style seems to give the older Patriot defenders a hard time bringing him down. Look for New York to try to duplicate that success this Sunday. If they can do that, they might be able to run the clock with their running game in the fourth quarter.

3. WHAT A RUSH
The Giants rush defense was of the NFL's better units in 2007. With Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck, and Osi Umenyiora, they can rush the quarterback against practically any offensive lineman. This could lead to one of two things. Either QB sacks or New England using double teams in their blocking schemes for these players. But by doing a double team, the Giants can then free another player to make a play.

Three reasons the Giants lose:

1. BYE BYE BYE
There is little question New York had a bunch of momentum during this playoff run. Will they cool down during the bye week between the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl XLII? Making matters worse are reports of several Giants players coming down with the flu over the past week.

2. ISN'T THAT SPECIAL?
In the NFC Championship Game, the Giants had several opportunities to put the game away but Lawrence Tynes missed badly on makeable field goals. To be fair, the weather was freezing cold and Tynes did kick the game winner, but one still has to question his overall confidence and the Giants coaching staff's confidence in him to hit a game winner.

3. EASY E
Eli Manning has played very well in the 2007 postseason. Still, people are waiting for the pressure to catch up with him. When he is good, Manning can play with the best of them. However, Bad Eli will make bad decisions, throw interceptions, and lose games. Manning must keep his composure this Sunday.

Giants overall Super Bowl Record: 2-1


Three reason the Patriots win:

1. MAN NAMED BRADY
Tom Brady has never lost in the Super Bowl, compiling a 3-0 record. He always seems to play at his best for the big games. For years, Brady also had to win with sub-par offensive talent. This year, New England dedicated themselves to upgrading their wide receivers and the result has been his best year so far. Also, Tom Brady has never lost a game following a bye week.

2. BEEN THERE, DONE THAT
The Patriots will field a team with several players and coaches from their last Super Bowl appearance, where the Giants only have two remaining players from their last Super Bowl. The veterans will be able to handle the pressure better, knowing what to expect and be able to keep the younger players focused. Players who have never been in the Super Bowl can look like deer in headlights.

3. VETERAN'S DAY
Want to know why Randy Moss has been relatively trouble free this year or why Junior Seau played for basically peanuts in 2007? They are veterans who are driven to win a Championship. It's the same reason Tom Brady never breaks the bank with a new contract. He'd rather see the extra money given to players who will help him bring in more rings. The Patriots are composed of guys who truly want to win and don't get caught up in the other antics that plague most NFL teams.

Three reasons the Patriots lose:

1. MERE MORTALS
No team has ever gone perfect since the 1972 Miami Dolphins. That feat is even more impressive by today's NFL standards, which virtually force teams to win and lose at least once (also explains why no team has ever gone 0-16). New England would indeed make history with a win Sunday, but history is very much against them.

2. FOOL ME ONCE...
Tom Brady was, in a word, awful in the AFC Championship Game, throwing an unheard 3 interceptions. The Patriots actually won in spite of, and not because of, Brady. Maybe it was his foot. Perhaps it was just an isolated bad game. Whet ever the case, New England can ill afford Brady to repeat his last effort. The Patriots and media have downplayed the foot injury, so it will be interesting to see how Brady looks for the Super Bowl.

3. DISAPPEARING ACT
Has anyone seen Randy Moss in the divisional or AFC Championship games? He was brought on board to help win a title for New England, but instead has been MIA for a good chunk of the 2007 postseason. The Patriots need this offense to be clicking on all ends. Tom Brady needs to rebound from his forgettable Conference Championship Game. Having Moss there catching passes would help greatly.

Patriots overall Super Bowl record: 3-2

SUPER BOWL XLII PREDICTION: PATRIOTS 30 GIANTS 27

Zach's thought: I really don't care. Patriots.