Super rematch in Super Bowl XLVI

In a rematch of one of the greatest upsets in Super Bowl history, Super Bowl XLVI will see the New England Patriots take on the New York Giants. Four years ago, the Giants upset the 18-0 Patriots to win their third Super Bowl in franchise history, halting New England's pursuit of a perfect season.

New York has been the hottest team in the NFL since the playoffs started, reeling off wins against Atlanta, Green Bay and San Francisco en route to the Super Bowl. Giants quarterback Eli Manning is playing the best football of his career with an offence that is far more explosive than the one that captured the Vince Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XLII.

While the Giants defensive success is still predicated on the relentless pass rush of their defensive line, the overall success of the team throughout the season and playoffs has to be attributed to Manning, who has certainly proven that he is deserving of elite status as a quarterback.

Unlike the Giants, who scraped into the playoffs with a 9-7 record, the New England Patriots were once again the class of the AFC in 2011. The Patriots rolled to a 14-2 regular season record, then dispatched of the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens to punch their ticket to Indianapolis. Despite the dominance that their winning record entails, the Patriots have beaten only one winning team all season, and that came last week against Baltimore. New England deserves credit for pulling out the win, but had Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff not shanked a 32-yard field goal, or if Baltimore receiver Lee Evans hadn't dropped the go-ahead touchdown with seconds remaining, the outcome of that game might have been very different.

For New York to win, the Giants have to get after Tom Brady with their defensive line. New England boasts a solid offensive line that is usually successful at keeping Brady on his feet and giving him time in the pocket. Achieving pressure without sending extra pass rushers is a must for New York. They would also do well to establish some semblance of a running game, which has been hard to come by for most of the season. Eli Manning and the Giants explosive receiving core of Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham may run the offence, but a competent running game would limit the amount of time that New England's equally explosive offence is on the field.

As for the Patriots, making the Giants one-dimensional will be a major key to their game plan. New England's secondary may not match the talent of New York's receivers, but their odds of success will be greatly increased if they can shut down the Giants running game and focus on dropping extra men into coverage.

New England's receiving corps is arguably as talented and definitely as deep as the Giants, with a 1-2-3-4 punch combination of Deion Branch, Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

The Giants were massive underdogs when they beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl four years ago. They will be underdogs again, but New York is a better team than they were in Super Bowl XLII, which is something that the Patriots can not lay claim to. Whatever the outcome, Super Bowl XLVI promises to be a match-up for the ages.