New England 27, New York 23.
From the moment these teams were set, everyone jumped on the Giants bandwagon. There were all of these gasps over New York's three-point underdog status. Top to bottom, the Giants have more talent, I kept hearing.
But the Patriots have Tom Brady.
Belichick is an all-time coach, and maybe it seems the Pats have an advantage there, too. Except Tom Coughlin, who like Philly's Andy Reid is about to lose his gig every single season, is a very good coach as well. Call it a push in that area.
I predicted that, after almost 14 days of "Giants are great" talk, the betting trends and general backlash would have people flip-flopping. ESPN Radio host Colin Cowherd, who was absolutely aghast when the SB lines debuted, had changed his tune just before the weekend. Being contrarian can be sweet. It's true.
Brady has had this expression of contained fury since the last weeks of the regular season. Reminds me of Kobe's face during the Laker-Magic Final of '09. As in, I will not lose. Eli Manning's been "hotter" recently, but this is a one-shot situation. Brady comes through in those situations. He will again tonight.
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post-game:
Giants win, 21-17. I thought New York's defense was a bit overrated. They shut me up.
Brady wasn't as in the zone as I expected, but he played well enough. It is Eli Manning who was inspired and, in a commentator's opinion, "brilliant".
And now, we turn to his brother...
