Extra Point

When watching sports, analysts look at certain aspects of the teams involved to understand why the outcome of games happened as they did.  By collecting information through the studying of game film, those analysts can paint a picture to show how a team was able to defeat another.

After watching Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday, I decided to paint my own picture of how the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots for the second time in four years. With a little help from the NFL Network's "Playbook," I gained a much better insight into the minds of the players and coaches of both teams.

The first reason why the Giants were able to defeat the Patriots was because Eli Manning outplayed his counterpart, Tom Brady. Granted, Brady didn't play all that badly. His footwork within the pocket looked solid, making mostly good decisions with the ball (save for the interception to Chase Blackburn) and accurate throws.

Manning was also able to perform at the level that Brady played at, but what separated him from Brady was his ability to maneuver safeties with his eyes in order to make easier throws. The ability to do this is an underrated attribute in quarterbacks.

When a safety drops back into coverage, more often than not that player is watching the quarterback rather than looking at a wide receiver or a tight end.

Most quarterbacks know this, though, and will keep their eyes on a particular receiver in order to make the safety believe that he will throw the ball in that direction. Once that safety is out of position, the ball is thrown to a different receiver that is isolated one-on-one with a cornerback with no safety help.

Manning was able to perform this task almost flawlessly. He was able to push the ball downfield and make explosive plays nearly all game long.

Another reason why the Patriots fell to the Giants was due to New York's efficiency in running the ball. The key to running the football well is for offensive linemen to not just block the defensive linemen in front of them, but also to block the linebackers behind them.

The Giants' offensive linemen were able to do this by double-teaming the defensive linemen in front of them, and then having one of those linemen break off of his block and get up to the second level of the defense to block the linebackers. By doing this, it limited the ability of the defenders to get to the running backs.

The Giants were also helped in this regard from Patriots' linebackers Jerod Mayo and Brandon Spikes playing overly aggressive. Many times throughout the game, Mayo and Spikes over-pursued the ball carriers, leaving many gaps in the defense open for Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs to cut against the grain and pick up extra yardage.

The biggest reason why the Giants were able to emerge victorious, however, was because of their ability to defend the pass. By mixing up tight man coverage and zone coverage, the Giants were able to take away any opportunities for Brady to throw deep balls.

The Patriots tried to counter this tactic by utilizing option routes and adjusting pass routes to whatever type of coverage was shown to them. But the Giants were able to bracket different areas of the field, leaving small areas for Brady to throw into and forcing him to settle for multiple short throws.

Combined with a ferocious pass rush, good coaching and mental toughness, these factors all played into the New York Giants winning their fourth Vince Lombardi Trophy since 1986.

Tony Fiorello can be reached at fiorello.record@live.com.