Brady boost for the Patriots
The Patriots went 16-0 in the regular season, the first unbeaten campaign by a National Football League club in 35 years, and won two playoff games to claim a berth in next Sunday’s championship spectacular in nearby Glendale.
As the Patriots departed wintry Boston, attention was riveted on quarterback Tom Brady’s right ankle — which the NFL Most Valuable Player showed no sign of favouring despite an injury scare last week.
“It’s feeling good,” Brady said in answer to the inevitable questions upon the team’s arrival. “I’ll be ready to go.”
While Brady didn’t practice with the team last week, he said he planned to take part in their first workout here on Wednesday.
“I’m feeling better,” he said. “I’ve been able to jog around, shuffle and drop back. I’ve thrown the ball a little bit. Not as much as if I’d been practicing, but enough to know I’ll be able to play on Sunday.”
The state of Brady’s right ankle, reportedly mildly sprained after the Patriots’ triumph over the San Diego Chargers in the American Conference championship game, is sure to garner attention in the week-long build-up.
“It makes for a great story,” Patriots linebacker Junior Seau said. “You guys can jump on that and blow it up and do whatever you need to do, but as far as getting between the lines and going out there and competing, there’s no better competitor out there than Tommy. He has proven it.”
The Patriots will have to overcome a Giants team that pushed them to the brink before falling 38-35 in the regular-season finale for both teams.
The Giants were evidently energized by the encounter, burning through the playoffs with three straight road victories, including rematches against the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers, to punch their Super Bowl ticket.
“We played New England last game of the season,” Giants quarterback Eli Manning said. “We played well, kind of got us going a little bit, got us feeling good and have been on a roll since and playing good football. That’s fun.
“We’ve been a streaky team. We’ve gone on streaks before. It seems like we lost the first two and then you win six in a row.
“We were playing good football. We’d kind of lose a little bit in and out, and now we’ve found it again, so hopefully we can keep it going.”
Manning, who threw 23 touchdown passes to 20 interceptions in the regular season, has thrown four scoring passes with no interceptions in the playoffs.
He, too, offers a Super story, as the younger brother of Colts quarterback Peyton Manning tries to become the second Manning brother in as many years to capture a Super Bowl.
The Patriots could win their fourth title in seven seasons while the Giants are back in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2001 and last won one in 1991.
While the Giants pressured New England in December, they will also be well aware that they blew a 28-16 lead, the Patriots’ largest deficit of the season.
“The Patriots are pretty good,” Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said of the lesson from that game.
In fact, the Patriots are hoping to become only the second team in NFL history to make a perfect run to the crown after the 1972 Miami Dolphins.
The Dolphins went 14-0 in the regular season in 1972, six years before the NFL added two games per team to the schedule, then won two playoff games and the Super Bowl to complete at 17-0 the only undefeated championship run in NFL history.
The Giants are eager to play their own role in NFL history.
“I think it is a great opportunity,” Manning said. “This is the position you want to be in. We like the tough situations. You are going against a team that is undefeated in the Super Bowl and it is not going to be easy.”
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