July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Super rematch
Rays of Insight/The Garbacz Dump
Super rematch
Manning vs. Brady.
New York vs. New England.
Cooney vs. Garbacz?
OK, so maybe that last one doesn’t belong with the first two, but it’s true none the less.
We’re using Sunday’s Super Bowl reprise of the 2008 game as the debut for a debate column in which The Garbacz Dump’s Steve Garbacz joins me for what I’m sure will be an epic argument.
And by that I mean Garbacz is sure to be wrong in epic proportion.
I say New York is the more complete team and is going to win. Steve says the Patriots’ high-powered offense will be too much for the Giants to keep up with.
Let the debate begin.
RC: After my Super Bowl pick blew up in my face when Pittsburgh lost to Denver in the wild card round, I went back and took a closer look to decide which team is actually the best.
The playoff field was fairly evenly split between teams that were great on one side of the ball and mediocre at best on the other. The only teams that showed any semblance of balance were Pittsburgh, Houston and New York.
The Steelers lost Rashard Mendenhall to injury, couldn’t play Ryan Clark because of a medical condition and had Ben Roethlisberger hobbling around on one ankle. Houston may well have been the best all-around team this year, but was decimated by injuries to Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson and Mario Williams.
New York has a potent offense led by Eli Manning, Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks, and a great pass rushing defensive line with Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora.
The Big Apple stands alone.
SG: I hope your opening salvo isn’t just playing some name cards from the Giants roster. They’re good players, sure. But New England definitely has the edge on talent.
Need I start with Tom Brady? Nevermind that he had three Super Bowl rings and a massive list of records and accomplishments — he’s like some high-tech, pass-throwing robot in the pocket. He finished this season third in the NFL for passing rating (105.6) as well as second in yards at 5,235.
And while Nicks is solid and Cruz has been a pleasant surprise, New England rolls with Wes Welker — No. 1 in receptions (122), No. 1 in yards after the catch (732), No. 1 in first downs (77) and No. 2 in total receiving yards (1,569).
Then there comes Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Gronkowski grabbed an NFL best 17 TDs with a sixth-highest 1,327 yards. Hernandez pulled in 79 catches in the regular season.
Everyone familiar with New York knows its secondary is as banged up and falling apart as the rusty undercarriage of my Chrysler New Yorker. Pray tell, how are the Giants going to handle the Patriot passing attack?
RC: Brady is great.
Unfortunately for your Patriots, he represents their only advantage.
The Giants receiving corps is just as good, with Nicks and Cruz supplying deep threats that New England simply does not have.
Who was that Tom Brady was trying to throw deep to when he got picked off for the second time in the AFC championship game? Matthew Slater? Really?
And let’s not forget, Gronkowski has a high ankle sprain, hasn’t practiced since the AFC championship game and arrived in Indianapolis in a walking boot.
There’s no question the New York secondary leaves something to be desired. But the Giants, who shut out Atlanta’s offense in the wild card round and limited the high-powered Packers in the divisional round, make up for it with a pass rush that finished tied for third in the league in sacks despite losing Yumenyiora and Tuck to injury for a combined 11 games.
New England’s defense starts converted receiver Julian Edelman in its horrible secondary and has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. If your car was in as bad shape as the New England defense, you’d be pushing the thing along with your feet Fred Flintstone-style.
SG: First of all, I’ve already sent a prescription for Suck It Up to Gronkowski. He’s playing.
On the defensive matter, I can’t say I didn’t see this coming. I can’t deny that the New England defense is pretty abysmal. If Joe Flacco could throw accurately, Baltimore would have had at least two more easy touchdowns to speedster Torrey Smith.
The Patriots will do something that neither Atlanta nor Green Bay was able to do — bring adequate pressure into the pocket. These playoffs, Manning’s been on because he’s had enough time to sit in the pocket and look left and right and left and enjoy a cup of coffee before having to throw the football. When 323-pound tackle Vince Wilfork gets inside, we’ll see Manning revert to the guy who threw 25 interceptions just a year ago.
Let’s not forget, however, that while the Patriots were 31st overall in total defense, the Giants weren’t too far behind at 27th.
We all know this is an offense-first team. The Patriots have only put up less than 25 three times in 18 games, two of them coming in a three-game rough patch that ended with the disheartening last-second loss to the Giants on Nov. 6. Since then they’re averaging 35.3 points per game.
RC: You’ve made my point for me.
If Baltimore had Manning at quarterback instead of Flacco, it would be in the Super Bowl.
New England will have to put pressure on Manning to be successful, but the Giants finished in the top 10 in the league in terms of sacks allowed.
And while you claim New York can’t slow down the Patriots’ potent offense, it already did so during the regular season.
The Giants are superior at nearly ever position. They handed New England its final loss of the regular season, and little brother Manning will again raise his arms in victory.
SG: That was then, this is now. That loss to the Giants came at the only point in the season when New England looked vulnerable. They’ve turned it around since then and have been nearly untouchable.
New York finished 3-5 and only eked into the playoffs by sweeping division foe Dallas.
Manning is finally going to see some pressure and those deep routes down the field aren’t going to be there. Then what’s left?
The Giants’ defense is not Baltimore’s. They’ll be hard pressed to hold Brady to fewer than 30. I wouldn’t bat an eyelash if Brady goes 1990s Cowboys and drops 50.
History isn’t going to repeat itself this time.
Sorry Colts fan, but your biggest rivals are bringing home another Super Bowl title in your stadium.
Final predictions
RC: New York 28, New England 24
SG: New England 34, New York 24
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New York vs. New England.
Cooney vs. Garbacz?
OK, so maybe that last one doesn’t belong with the first two, but it’s true none the less.
We’re using Sunday’s Super Bowl reprise of the 2008 game as the debut for a debate column in which The Garbacz Dump’s Steve Garbacz joins me for what I’m sure will be an epic argument.
And by that I mean Garbacz is sure to be wrong in epic proportion.
I say New York is the more complete team and is going to win. Steve says the Patriots’ high-powered offense will be too much for the Giants to keep up with.
Let the debate begin.
RC: After my Super Bowl pick blew up in my face when Pittsburgh lost to Denver in the wild card round, I went back and took a closer look to decide which team is actually the best.
The playoff field was fairly evenly split between teams that were great on one side of the ball and mediocre at best on the other. The only teams that showed any semblance of balance were Pittsburgh, Houston and New York.
The Steelers lost Rashard Mendenhall to injury, couldn’t play Ryan Clark because of a medical condition and had Ben Roethlisberger hobbling around on one ankle. Houston may well have been the best all-around team this year, but was decimated by injuries to Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson and Mario Williams.
New York has a potent offense led by Eli Manning, Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks, and a great pass rushing defensive line with Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora.
The Big Apple stands alone.
SG: I hope your opening salvo isn’t just playing some name cards from the Giants roster. They’re good players, sure. But New England definitely has the edge on talent.
Need I start with Tom Brady? Nevermind that he had three Super Bowl rings and a massive list of records and accomplishments — he’s like some high-tech, pass-throwing robot in the pocket. He finished this season third in the NFL for passing rating (105.6) as well as second in yards at 5,235.
And while Nicks is solid and Cruz has been a pleasant surprise, New England rolls with Wes Welker — No. 1 in receptions (122), No. 1 in yards after the catch (732), No. 1 in first downs (77) and No. 2 in total receiving yards (1,569).
Then there comes Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Gronkowski grabbed an NFL best 17 TDs with a sixth-highest 1,327 yards. Hernandez pulled in 79 catches in the regular season.
Everyone familiar with New York knows its secondary is as banged up and falling apart as the rusty undercarriage of my Chrysler New Yorker. Pray tell, how are the Giants going to handle the Patriot passing attack?
RC: Brady is great.
Unfortunately for your Patriots, he represents their only advantage.
The Giants receiving corps is just as good, with Nicks and Cruz supplying deep threats that New England simply does not have.
Who was that Tom Brady was trying to throw deep to when he got picked off for the second time in the AFC championship game? Matthew Slater? Really?
And let’s not forget, Gronkowski has a high ankle sprain, hasn’t practiced since the AFC championship game and arrived in Indianapolis in a walking boot.
There’s no question the New York secondary leaves something to be desired. But the Giants, who shut out Atlanta’s offense in the wild card round and limited the high-powered Packers in the divisional round, make up for it with a pass rush that finished tied for third in the league in sacks despite losing Yumenyiora and Tuck to injury for a combined 11 games.
New England’s defense starts converted receiver Julian Edelman in its horrible secondary and has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. If your car was in as bad shape as the New England defense, you’d be pushing the thing along with your feet Fred Flintstone-style.
SG: First of all, I’ve already sent a prescription for Suck It Up to Gronkowski. He’s playing.
On the defensive matter, I can’t say I didn’t see this coming. I can’t deny that the New England defense is pretty abysmal. If Joe Flacco could throw accurately, Baltimore would have had at least two more easy touchdowns to speedster Torrey Smith.
The Patriots will do something that neither Atlanta nor Green Bay was able to do — bring adequate pressure into the pocket. These playoffs, Manning’s been on because he’s had enough time to sit in the pocket and look left and right and left and enjoy a cup of coffee before having to throw the football. When 323-pound tackle Vince Wilfork gets inside, we’ll see Manning revert to the guy who threw 25 interceptions just a year ago.
Let’s not forget, however, that while the Patriots were 31st overall in total defense, the Giants weren’t too far behind at 27th.
We all know this is an offense-first team. The Patriots have only put up less than 25 three times in 18 games, two of them coming in a three-game rough patch that ended with the disheartening last-second loss to the Giants on Nov. 6. Since then they’re averaging 35.3 points per game.
RC: You’ve made my point for me.
If Baltimore had Manning at quarterback instead of Flacco, it would be in the Super Bowl.
New England will have to put pressure on Manning to be successful, but the Giants finished in the top 10 in the league in terms of sacks allowed.
And while you claim New York can’t slow down the Patriots’ potent offense, it already did so during the regular season.
The Giants are superior at nearly ever position. They handed New England its final loss of the regular season, and little brother Manning will again raise his arms in victory.
SG: That was then, this is now. That loss to the Giants came at the only point in the season when New England looked vulnerable. They’ve turned it around since then and have been nearly untouchable.
New York finished 3-5 and only eked into the playoffs by sweeping division foe Dallas.
Manning is finally going to see some pressure and those deep routes down the field aren’t going to be there. Then what’s left?
The Giants’ defense is not Baltimore’s. They’ll be hard pressed to hold Brady to fewer than 30. I wouldn’t bat an eyelash if Brady goes 1990s Cowboys and drops 50.
History isn’t going to repeat itself this time.
Sorry Colts fan, but your biggest rivals are bringing home another Super Bowl title in your stadium.
Final predictions
RC: New York 28, New England 24
SG: New England 34, New York 24
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