Just a few observations…

1. Media: There’s nothing more enjoyable than seeing Sean Salisbury and Keyshawn Johnson back themselves into a corner with a “super safe” pick and then try to B.S. their way out of it and talk like it never happened. I’ve never seen sports commentators turn 180 like that before. These 2 clowns had New England going 19-0 like it was taking candy from a baby and then did their best Houdini acts in the after-game coverage.

2. Peyton Manning: Was it really necessary to go back-and-forth to him in the box to see his reaction? I know it’s Eli’s brother, but just another chance for Joe Buck to spew.

3. Jason Taylor: You would think that when you receive an award from the wife of the best running back of all time, you’d show some appreciation. Yes Jason, Roger Goddell wasn’t the only person to your left.

4. Eli Manning: I remember him coming onto the field for the first possession and wondering what type of game was in his future. If memory serves me right, just about every ball was right on target. He got it done on third down and kept drives going. Guts is clearly defined when throwing to Plaxico Burress in single and triple coverage. Eli, please make sure you give at least half of your Super Bowl bonus to David Tyree. I hope Rex Grossman was watching and taking notes.

5. Time of Possession: The Giants won this matchup with a near minute surplus. The Giants (and Patriots) were 50% on third down conversions, but it was the Giants who seriously benefited in this area by keeping the Patriots offense off the field.

6. Giants D: Brady gets knocked down 18 times. Unheard of all year. The key was the defense’s ability to get pressure from the front four all game long. Brady never really seemed comfortable in the pocket and it was noticeable on much of his throws. The other key factor was the ability to shut down the Patriots screen.

7. Randy Moss: Got a touchdown and 62 yards, but the Giants kept him out of the game as much as possible. Besides the touchdown, I say the Randy Ratio was a big zero.

8. Kevin Boss: I had a feeling that the Giants were going to get a big play from their tight end at some point in the game. The result was a 45 yard reception that led to a touchdown a few plays later. With all the talk from Rodney Harrison, it was his missed tackle that led to the play.

9. Giants O: I enjoyed the scheme that was employed by the offense. They went to the shotgun and spread the Patriots out and still mixed in the run when needed. The routes over the middle were open for much of the game. It seemed to help make Seau, Vrabel, and Bruschi look their age.

10. Poise: The Giants had it and the Patriots didn’t. Brady looked like a sixth round pick and Manning sealed his future with a Super Bowl win and MVP.

Overall: I picked the Giants to win 23-20 and though the score wasn’t right, the Giants got the huge win. Seriously, this game had all the makings for an upset and the Giants played the role of David. No one knows, but it looked like the Patriots bought into the 19-0 record and a perfect season. The Patriots made the mistake of running into the wrong team at the wrong time. Just about everyone counted them out and it set the table for a Super Bowl win…and me winning $112 bucks.

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