Superbowl Head-To-Head

So when did the Giants suddenly become "destined" to beat the Patriots? I don't know about you, but a team that is currently 18-0 and looking at going 19-0 and running the table feels a lot more like a "team of destiny" than a team that has gone 14-5 and whose greatest claim to fame is winning 10 straight road games.

When did Eli Manning go from "horrible" to "savior" so quickly? I think that sound you heard was every sports writer changing their stories quicker than Cromartie taking an interception for a touchdown. But hey, lets analyze this game from position by position, shall we?

Quarterback:
Ben Roethlisberger said today if he could be any superhero, he would be Tom Brady. Until the last four games, Eli Manning's greatest claim to fame was being the younger brother of Peyton Manning. We apparently should be proud of Eli, because he hasn't been throwing the ball to the other team. That is great when the Giants' defense can keep the opponent from scoring, but if it can't and Eli has to chuck the ball in the air, I wouldn't bet on a repeat of his last game against the Patriots. Oh yeah, and Tom Brady has a QB rating of over 115 when the weather is 40 degrees or more.
EDGE: Patriots by a landslide

Running Back(s):
Jacobs and Bradshaw have become the new thunder and lightning. Meanwhile, Maroney has quietly helped to carry the team's offense in the poor weather the last few games. Also, Faulk is one of the best third down backs in the game. Here is my problem; while I rate the Giants' duo as better, they are also hampered by the fact that far more is expected of them.
EDGE: Even

Wide Receivers:
Plaxico Burress thinks his group is as good as the Patriots. I think Burress is being generous with his assessment. Burress, Toomer and Smith are certainly capable, but Moss and Welker alone are superior. Combined with Stallworth and Gaffney, I think one could easily say the Patriots have the edge here. Oh, and I predict Moss has a big game. The Giants don't have any one like Mathis, Jammer or Cromartie capable of defending him.
Edge: Patriots

Tight End:
The Giants are a perfect example of addition by subtraction here. Jeremy Shockey is a cancer whose talent doesn't outweigh how much he hampers his team. Boss has been a more than adequate replacement. Watson simply catches the ball when he has to. In the end, neither tight end is dynamic and game-changing, but also neither one is a liability in either receiving or protection.
Edge: Even

Offensive Line:
Tom Brady has more time in the pocket then he probably lasts in bed with Gisele. As for their run protection, it doens't open gigantic holes but it wears a defense down so that by the end of the game, the holes start opening up. Eli Manning has also been the beneficiary of superior protection, and I believe the Giants run protection has been marginally better than the Patriots', though that could simply be due to the difficulty in planning for two distinct runners.
Edge: Even

Defensive Line:
This is the Giants' single greatest asset; a defensive line that is superior to almost every team they face in terms of getting pressure. Unfortunately, their run defense is suspect (Marion Barber wrecked them; Ryan Grant was wrecked). The Patriots' also have a very good line and also get a lot of pressure, but in this case, the Giants simply have better and more experienced players.
Edge: Giants

Linebackers:
The Patriots linebackers are old. With age comes intelligence and knowledge, at the cost of speed and athleticism. However, the Pats' LBs have had two weeks to rest themselves, and Junior Seau has been waiting approximately a thousand years to get his ring. Plus, Adalius Thomas has been too quiet lately, and I suspect his speed and athleticism will catch Eli Manning by surprise (I predict he gets at least one interception). The Giants' LBs aren't spectactular, but they make the plays they need to make and aren't a liability defensively.
Edge: Even

Secondary:
I think Rodney Harrison is overrated; he misses too many tackles going for the kill shot and can be a liability in pass defense. Saying that, I don't think the Patriots' CBs get enough respect; they are that good. Plaxico Burress may be tall, but so is Vincent Jackson and Chris Chambers, and the Patriots kept them out of the end zone. The Chargers have a team built to score TDs in the red zone (Tomlinson, Turner, Gates, Jackson and Chambers), and yet they could get nary a TD. That should frighten the Giants more than anything else. The Giants' secondary is a joke (did you see Donald Driver's 90 yard TD?). They are prone to giving up big plays and I see no reason for this trend to not continue.
Edge: Patriots, by a lot.

Coaching:
Tom Coughlin is a very good coach. Bill Belichick is a great coach. Coughlin has never gotten this far; Belichick has been here four times in this decade alone, and his defensive gameplan for another Superbowl were so good they were enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Belichick has had two weeks to prepare, plus he has already faced them. While Coughlin has the same edge, which coach do you think is better able to use the information? I see Coughlin freezing under the pressure and making a critical error by being too conservative and not taking enough chances when it really counts. I see Belichick going for the throat and never relenting until he gets that title and finishes off a season that will be talked about for decades. Belichick is too good of a coach to overlook the Giants, and that alone will prevent the upset.
Edge: Patriots

Prediction: The key to rattling Tom Brady is pressure; the Giants can do that. Unfortunately, that is all they can do, and Tom Brady is adept at finding his receivers underneath and then going for the big play when its available. He trusts Moss and Moss has responded to that trust. On the other side, the Patriots defense gives up lots of yards, but is great at keeping opponents out of the end zone. As any mathematician can tell you, if one team keeps scoring 7 and the other keeps scoring 3, it is obvious which will win.

Patriots 42, Giants 24