I'll admit that I am not a huge NFL fan. I would take college football over the pros anyday. But I still maintain a passing interest in the games and in my favorite team, the Dallas Cowboys. Oh, the Cowboys. Being a Cowboy fan has not been easy these past few years. Well, really since the Aikman-Smith-Irvin glory years.
I have become a bandwagon Saints fan of sorts. I have always had a fondness for the homegrown franchise, but growing up they did not provide a guy much to cheer about. Recently, the Saints have acquired Drew Brees and hired Sean Payton and have become an elite NFL team. Their Super Bowl win instantly became a Louisiana state legend. The team's rise to greatness has mirrored the comeback of the city of New Orleans itself. That has been quite a special thing to watch, and I am supremely happy for my home state and New Orleans.
The Green Bay Packers were assumed to be the best team all season long, as they should. They were the defending champions and amassed a 15-1 record. Aaron Rodgers set records all season long, and it appeared that the Pack would continue their historic season with another march through the playoffs. But.....as we would soon learn, prolific offenses- even given the way the league is catering to offenses- do not guarantee playoff success. Teams built around the traditional recipe for football success- run the ball and play great defense- showed up the offensive juggernauts that had steamrolled through the regular season. The Packers and Saints fell to tough squads with strong defenses in the Giants and 49ers respectively. On the AFC side, the stalwart New England Patriots were able to overcome a gritty Ravens team to earn their 5th Super Bowl appearance in the Brady/Belichick era.
Super Bowl XLVI
The Pats and Giants squared off in a rematch of Super Bowl XLII, an instant classic comeback win that went New York's way. The Giants were again a 9-7 team that had to rally to make the playoffs, but were playing out a hot streak that no one had been able to extinguish. The Patriots were quietly and consistently great at 13-3, and were making a 5th Super Bowl appearance. Talk was swirling around Tom Brady that, should he win, he would become a strong candidate for the greatest player of all-time. He would have 4 titles in 5 tries and numerous team and league records on his resume. Belichick could also further cement his status as a modern day Halas or Lombardi, and lay claim to being the exemplary coach of his era. Much was at stake for this Patriots team.
New York, on the other hand, was once again winning games powered primarily by their stout run game and tenacious defense, particularly their star-studded defensive line corps led by Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck. Eli Manning had been steady in the regular season until he shined in the final two must-win games of the Giants 2011 campaign. Manning orchestrated seven 4th quarter game winning drives during the 2011/2012 season. Coach Tom Coughlin was thought be to on his way out as Giants head coach midway through the season, but as the team began to peak and made the playoffs those rumors died down.
Once the two teams faced off in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, many expected a Patriot win. Surely Eli Manning and his upstart Giants squad couldn't best the mighty Pats again in a Super Bowl? Surely Bill Belichick would not be out-coached by Tom Coughlin? After Brady was flagged for an intentional grounding in the first quarter in his own end zone, giving the Giants a safety and 2 points, many doubters began to see that this game would go down to the wire. The Giants added a touchdown in the first half for a 9 point output. However, Brady caught fire right at the end of the 2nd quarter, and New England clung to a slim 10-9 lead at halftime.
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