Here is something to consider if you are planning to make a wager on the second half total. Also, I read that NE didn't run their hurry up offense in their first match up with NY. Will Belicheck speed up the tempo of the game and try to wear down the Giants defense in the second half? Anyways, here is some stuff I read on ESPN.
Bill Belichick has stressed to players the importance of conditioning in Super Bowl XLVI, especially in the fourth quarter as Lucas Oil Stadium figures to get heated up in a longer-than-anticipated game. He's had the team in full pads for two of the three indoor practices, and one player said he lost six pounds after last week's indoors sessions, in which Belichick turned up the heat.
Analyst Tedy Bruschi touched on how an indoor Super Bowl can be different than one played outdoors.
"Having played Super Bowls indoors and outdoors, the one thing I noticed is that in the second half in games indoors, defenses start to tire," Bruschi said. "Think back to the Super Bowl against the Rams in 2001. Also against Carolina in 2003. It gets warm inside, and defenses usually exert more energy than offenses. Defenses also ride on emotion more than offenses do, so you start to tire physically and emotionally, and offenses have the upper hand in the second half."
It would be interesting to see the halftime splits for O/U's in all games played in domes. Does anybody have this information?
Reading between the lines it looks like Sebastian Vollmer will suit up and play on Sunday. Interesting to note that the PATS ran a lot of plays with an extra offensive lineman in their first match up.
Then came the follow-up question: "What are Vollmer's chances of playing in Super Bowl XLVI after he's missed the last seven games with a combination of foot and back injuries?"
"I’d say it’s a possibility," Belichick responded. "Sebastian has gotten a lot better here over the last few weeks. He came out of his cast or whatever is was before the Denver game. He practiced last week before the Baltimore game and I’d say it was close, but obviously wasn’t ready to go and we didn’t activate him.
"This week, he’s further along than what he was before the Denver game. He practiced today so we’ll see how the week goes and see how he holds up, but I think there is definitely a possibility. We’ll just have to see how he tolerates the added work and if he does well, I think you’ll see him. If not, then it will be where it was in Baltimore. I don’t really know if we’ll know that until we put him through the full week of practice but he’s definitely making progress. So he’s getting there."
With many projecting that the matchup between the Patriots' offensive line and the Giants' defensive line will be a key, the presence of the 6-foot-8, 315-pound Vollmer -- a 2010 Associated Press second-team All-Pro -- would be a major boost for the Patriots.
It's been a frustrating season for Vollmer health-wise, as he's played in six games (5 starts). But if he's cleared, he could step back into the right tackle spot and allow rookie Nate Solder, who has filled in admirably over the course of the season, to serve as the swing tackle and "big" tight end.
In the Nov. 6 matchup between the Patriots and Giants, Vollmer started at right tackle and Solder was utilized as a tight end on 23 of 78 snaps.
My money is on the PATS so I didn't like reading this. Again, it points to the fact that PATS predominantly use two TE sets but don't really have a back up for GRONK!
"At this point it's all speculation, but I think if this was the regular season he would not be playing, and he might not be playing for multiple weeks," Reiss said. "The fact that it's the Super Bowl the assumption is he will play. So really the question is how effective he'll be.
"Let's focus on the known entities in this situation. We know that Gronkowski plays every snap for the Patriots offense. That's how key he is. We know the Patriots have run more than 80 percent of their offensive snaps with two or more tight ends on the field. We also know there's no pure backup for Rob Gronkowski on the roster.
"So if he's limited in this game, it really changes the look of what you get from the Patriots offense. They're probably going to have to put on a third receiver over a second tight end if Gronkowski is limited. That means names like (Chad) Ochocinco, (Julian) Edelman, (Tiquan) Underwood could become bigger factors than some might anticipate with this offensive attack."
Some more interesting stuff from the net with regards to wk 9 NE - NYG match up:
Outside WRs
Everyone loves to discuss “blueprints” for slowing down the great teams, and while those discussions are often exaggerated, Patriots’ opponents are clearly building on each other’s past successes. The Patriots’ passing game has struggled in recent weeks and the common theme is press coverage and a crowded middle of the field. Teams are daring Brady’s outside WRs to make plays and they have not been up to the challenge. Wide receivers Deion Branch (-1.0 receiving) and Chad Ochocinco (-0.1) combined to catch two of nine balls thrown their way, and Brady was 2-for-8 for 36 yards on balls thrown outside the numbers beyond 10 yards. Branch generally excels against zone coverage and he has had a difficult time gaining separation from the tight man coverage, while Brady and Ochocinco look like they’re speaking completely different languages. Ochocinco runs the out route and Brady throws the corner. Brady throws the deep out, and Ochocinco makes his break too late. Ochocinco finally gets separation on the deep post, and Brady throws late and into coverage. It’s not as if New England’s passing game cannot move the ball, but as teams take away their staple plays, they need someone on the outside who can beat one-on-one coverage.
- Manning came into the game leading all QBs in Accuracy % when pressured. On Sunday he was only 5-for-17 for 68 yards and a 38.8 QB Rating.
-The Giants played with at least five defensive backs on all 78 snaps.
-OT Nate Solder played 23 snaps, all as an extra TE.
GAME BALL: It has to be Victor Cruz. Athletic and skillful but displayed a range of excellent route running skills and moves to get separation in this game. Made plays that turned the game.
Werker, I've already checked out the numbers for Super Bowls played in a dome. In fact, 7 of 11 dome games went under the total and that includes the last three. I guess if there was a trend there we would have heard about it by now. Wasn't the first match up scoreless at halftime? Also SF used Vernon Davis to bust a couple of long ones in the NFC championship game and they had very little production from their WR's in the game. We will see.
Established in 1995,
Hot Forum Topics
