SCOTT JACOBS

What’s old is new again.

Coming from nearly identical paths back to the Big Game, the New York Giants and New England Patriots will square off once more for the Lombardi trophy. I’ll write a story when I can make sense of all the madness that we witnessed on Sunday throughout the day: the botched plays, the incredible performances, the nail-biting finishes, the head-scratching calls from both the refs and the coaches, but first I have to show you just how eerily similar this Super Bowl rematch is:

> In 2007 the Giants made the Super Bowl as a 5 seed with a 10-6 record.
> Today the Giants clinched a Super Bowl berth as a 4 seed with a 9-7 record.

> In 2007 the Giants had to win 3 playoff games to get to Arizona.
> This year the Giants had to win 3 playoff games to get to Indy.

> In order to clinch that Super Bowl appearance the Giants had to go in adverse conditions and knock off the #2 seed Packers in overtime with a Lawrence Tynes 47 yard FG (The Packers were 13-3, 7-1 at home).
> In order to clinch their Super Bowl XLVI appearance the Giants had to go in adverse conditions (this time, wind and rain, compared to Lambeau’s frigid conditions) and knock off the #2 seed 49ers in overtime with a Lawrence Tynes 31 yard FG (The 49ers were 13-3, 7-1 at home).

> Manning’s leading receiver versus the Pack: Plaxico Burress (151 yards)
> Manning’s leading receiver versus the 49ers: Victor Cruz (143 yards).

> 2007: versus New England (at Giants Stadium): Patriots win by 3.
> 2011: versus New England (at Gilette Stadium): Giants win by 4.

> 2007 Giants: started 6-2, finished season 4-4
> 2011 Giants: started 6-2, finished season 3-5

> 2007 Giants: Tom Coughlin’s job reportedly in jeopardy, until team pulls together, wins Super Bowl.
> 2011 Giants: Tom Coughlin’s job in great doubt if Giants don’t beat Cowboys final game of the season, to get in playoffs (they win).

> 2007 Patriots 16-0 (AFC #1 seed)
> 2011 Patriots 13-3 (AFC #1 seed)

So what does all of this tell us? It tells us that the Giants are a team built for the post-season. It tells us that Tom Coughlin, should always be on the hot seat (even though he may never be again), because his team plays better with their back against the wall then any team in the NFL. The Giants play with a chip on their shoulder and are unphased no matter what road they have to take.  But when they’re the favorites they don’t meet the hype.  When people expect little to nothing of them they excel. If people want to pick on the 9-7 NFC West division winning Cardinals as one of the worst teams to ever make a Super Bowl, then the Giants should be in the discussion too, as they are also 9-7.

I’m just saying.

Still, it’s incredible that 4 years later, what’s old is remarkably new again. The Patriots are clearly the superior team on paper once again, but once again, it’s the Giants standing in their way for another Super Bowl title. This has all the makings of another classic heavyweight bout. And what’s amazing, is that, while there are some new faces, 4 years later a lot of the same familiar ones remain. Tom Brady versus Eli Manning. The Hoodie versus Coughlin. Incredible offense versus suffocating pass rush.  The Patriots on a red hot winning streak — 9 games  in a row, running into the team that barely made the show.

This time the setting will be Indianapolis, in a dome. How very familiar. We have two weeks to dissect it, and to ask the same question we asked then, that we’re already asking now: Is Eli Manning an elite QB? The Giants still win with their defense and the Pats are more of an offensively off-kilter than they were in 2007 (and they were a freaking juggernaut back then).  This time, the Patriots won’t hear about how great they are. This won’t be the sports’ most poignant upset if the Giants win. Records aside, New York can play with anyone and they love the limelight.

We’ll hear for the next 2 weeks how Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels will game-plan that Giants rush, and how Brady has another crack at his 4th Super Bowl ring (now making his 5th appearance). We’ll hear about New England’s historic run, the records they’re running down left and right (all time playoff wins – move over Joe Montana, make room for Brady) and what it would mean for Brady and the Hoodie to win an amazing 4th Super Bowl title as a pair. But now, the Giants, in the most unlikely of ways, have a chance to win an unlikely 2nd Super Bowl in 4 seasons. Dynasty, no? How could you if you miss the playoffs twice in that span. But Goliath killers? Yeah.

The stage is set for another rematch. We were this close to the Harbaugh Bowl instead we get the Bah Harbaugh No!

Baltimore and San Fran both had ample opportunities to flip the script, but both teams made ghastly mistakes: Lee Evans go ahead TD drop, Billy Cundiff’s horrendous hooked FG, and Kyle Williams’ gruesome pair of muffed kicks, the second one dooming a back and forth, field possession game to a chip-shot FG. It became abundantly clear as both teams exchanged possessions late in the 4th that the first team to screw up, would get booted out of the playoffs by a kicker. Neither team could sustain a drive and both pass rushes were unstoppable. Throw in miscues, bad penalties, and two would be picks turned 49er teammate collisions, and San Fran has to be ready to pull its hair out, knowing how close it was to winning this game. The Ravens probably feel like they cheated themselves of a win.

Joe Flacco re-earned my respect (before his dumb post-game tirade, really Joe?) and Vernon Davis showed he’s a primetime player with another big time effort (although he couldn’t get the ball enough).

But in the end it’s Brady and Manning. Again.

Ready for Giants-Pats Super Bowl 2.0?

Popularity: 2% [?]