Surgery for Gronk

Pollard is notorious for injuring Patriot
players, doing the same to Gronkowski.

Rob Gronkowski's ankle may have it's own Twitter account (@GronksAnkle) with 349 followers, but it had much more important things to worry about on Friday.

The New England Patriot tight end underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his injured left ankle and is expected to make a full recovery within 10 weeks. Despite Gronkowski saying he was "100 percent" following this team's Super Bowl XLVI lost to the New York Giants, it was clear that was not the case.

Gronkowski only caught two passes from quarterback Tom Brady for 26 yards. But it was the play that the second-year tight end couldn't make that really swung the momentum on Super Sunday.

Clinging to a 17-14 lead in the fourth quarter, New England was in the middle of a four-play, 23-yard drive before, on the fifth play of the drive, Brady pulled a Houdini-like escape from the vaunted New York pass rush and heaved the ball down the field to Gronkowski.

The pass was under thrown and intercepted by linebacker Chase Blackburn. Gronkowski did is best to make a play on the ball -- a play he normally makes if healthy. It was the only turnover of the game.

Gronkowski, along with teammate Matt Light, were under heavy scrutiny earlier in the week after a video was released of the two partying and dancing after the loss. And while Gronkowski looked limited on the gridiron just hours earlier, it didn't seem that way on the dance floor.

All in all, it was a great season for the Patriots and Gronkowski.

The 22-year-old emerged as the most dominate tight end the NFL this season, setting records in the process. Gronkowski finished the regular season with 17 receiving touchdowns and 1,327 yards -- both single-season records for a tight end.

'Gronk', as his teammates call him, added three more touchdowns to his total in the postseason before suffering his high-ankle sprain in the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens, beginning the talk of the most famous ankle in sports history.

Oddly enough Gronkowski injured his ankle on a tackle by safety Bernard Pollard. It's not the first time Pollard has injured a significant member of the New England franchise. In Week 1 of the 2008-09 season, Pollard, then a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, was responsible for the low hit on Brady's left leg that torn his ACL and had him miss the entire season.

The following year, in Week 17 against the Houston Texans, with a healthy Brady and the Patriots primed for another deep playoff, wideout Wes Welker caught a first quarter pass and ran for 13 yards before trying to make a move on Pollard, to avoid a tackle. In the process, Welker also torn his ACL and was lost for the rest of the season.

Not any one player can win a team a Super Bowl, but Brady, Welker and Gronkowski were all key components to making their respective teams go, leaving the Patriots to wonder, what could have been.

Pollard is a free agent after the 2012-13 season -- a free agent the Patriots should look into, living by the old cliche, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Back to the Future

Same story, different year.

In the house his brother built, against his arch rival, Eli Manning has defeated the New England Patriots and Tom Brady in the Super Bowl for the second time in four years.

Super Sunday Ready for Super Sequel

With the NFL season reaching it's climatic finish in Indianapolis, legacies are on the line in the rematch we've all been dying to see.

New York Giants v. New England Patriots:
It was more than four year ago the New York Giants stormed into Glendale, Arizona as 12-point underdogs only to defeat the New England Patriots in arguably the greatest upset in Super Bowl history, 17-14.

Sunday they are hoping for much of the same. But the road to get here was anything, but easy.

The Giants' pass rush will hold the key to
stop Tom Brady in Super Bowl XLVI.

The Giants finished the regular season 9-7, capturing their eighth NFC East Division title. They played back-to-back must-win games in weeks 16 and 17 against the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys to even get into the postseason after a 6-2 start.

They are only the third 9-win team to get to the Super Bowl. The previous two both lost, the Los Angeles Rams (1979) and the Arizona Cardinals (2008).

Since that time, New York has reeled off three consecutive postseason wins, beating the Atlanta Falcons in the Big Apple and upsetting the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers away from home, furthering their reputation as road warriors.

Commanding that ship, just like in 2007, is quarterback Eli Manning.

The 31-year-old signal caller was asked at the start of the season if he was in fact an elite quarterback. But even when the doubters questioned his yes response, he did his best to prove them wrong and has his team one win away from football's ultimate prize.

Just like in Super Bowl XLII, Manning threw a record 15 fourth quarter touchdown passes during the year and led multiple game-winning drives and comebacks.

As for his coach, Tom Coughlin now has seven postseason road wins, tying him for the most all-time. His team is 6-1 in their last seven games and have continued to live by his "humble enough to prepare, confident enough to perform" modo throughout. He has helped the franchise improve to 5-0 in conference championship games with the hope of adding their fourth Super Bowl.

Coughin, 65, could become the oldest winning Super Bowl head coach in history with a win Sunday.

On the other side, New England may be favored in Vegas, but it seems they are back to the underdog role -- a role that saw them win the franchise's only three Super Bowls in a four-year span at the turn of the century.

The Patriots are 3-3 in their six previous Super Bowl appearances with the last one a forever haunting nightmare.

Brady is now 16-5 in 21 career postseason games, tying Hall of Famer and his boyhood idol, Joe Montana, for the most wins all-time. This is Brady's fifth Super Bowl appearance, tying another Hall of Famer, John Elway, for the most ever.

If Brady is able to win his fourth career Lombardi Trophy, he join Montana and Terry Bradshaw as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to do so. Montana holds the record for most Super Bowl Most Valuable Player awards with three, and passing touchdowns with 11. Comparing those to Brady's two Super Bowl MVPs and seven passing touchdowns, the record books could be rewritten Sunday night in Indy.

He is also just 155 yards from breaking Kurt Warner's career record (1,156) for the most passing yards in the Super Bowl. Warner holds the records for the first (414), second (377) and third (365) most passing yards in a single Super Bowl.

It will be the fifth time Brady and head coach Bill Belichick have appeared in a Super Bowl together which is the most of a quarterback-head coaching duo.

With a win Sunday, Belichick will tie the legendary Chuck Noll for the most Super Bowl wins as a head coach. And history is one his side.

When Belichick, who spent most of his career as a defensive assistant or coordinator prior to becoming a head coach, has had an extra week to prepare for an opponent whether it's in the regular season or postseason, more times than not he comes out on top. His offense averages 25.3 points per game without the extra rest compared to 26.0 PPG with it.

But it has been his defense that truly has excelled.

Belichick's defense has surrendered 20.4 PPG on a week-to-week basis, but with his ability to scheme another week, the defense becomes stingy, allowing just 14.8 PPG.

His .739 winning percentage in the postseason is second to only Vince Lombardi's .900 and it's been his unique style of coaching and willingness to take on players that nobody else wanted that has made him one of the greatest to ever don the sidelines.

This season alone Belichick has 18 undrafted free agents on this AFC champion team, 11 of them coming on defense. A defense that has seen them rank last in numerous major categories and have 16 different players take snaps in their secondary.

Unlike the AFC Championship game,
Chad Ochocinco looks to be active
for the biggest game of his life.

These two teams have met 10 lifetimes meetings with record all even at five wins apiece. However, each of the last two times they have met, the Giants have come out on top, including their improbable Super Bowl XLII victory and most recently in Week 9 of this season.

New York went into Foxborough and Manning rallied them to one of the team's many fourth quarter comebacks this season, 24-20. Tight end Jake Ballard caught the game's go-ahead touchdown and could play a major role once again. The Giants were without wideout Hakeem Nicks and running back Ahmad Bradshaw in that win, both whom have played a major role in the team's recent postseason success.

That was the last time the Patriots lost this season, reeling off 10 straight victories since. But the loss ended New England's 20-game home winning streak and Brady's 31-game home streak -- streaks the Giants are now notorious for breaking.

Most notably breaking New England's 18-game winning streak in the Super Bowl, spoiling their bid a perfection. They are now posed with the task of breaking yet another Patriots' winning streak.

For the quarterbacks, Brady and Manning will meet in the Super Bowl the second time, a feat that has only been accomplished two other times. Bradshaw and Roger Staubach met in Super Bowl X and Super Bowl XIII, both won by Bradshaw's Pittsburgh Steelers.

The only other Super Bowl quarterback rematch also contained another Hall of Fame Cowboy quarterback, but this time he was on the other side of the fence. Troy Aikman led Dallas to two consecutive Super Bowl victories over the Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly as a part of Buffalo's four straight Super Bowl losses.

History is on Manning's side.

Prior to their Super Bowl XLII matchup, the Giants lost to the Patriots in Week 17. The loss catapulted New York's season capped by their third championship. But with New England's Week 9 loss to the Giants this season could be a sign of role reversal.

There's 15 players remaining on the Giants' roster that played in their previous Super Bowl meeting, and only seven on the Patriots, so it's safe to say revenge is not a factor.

Or is it?

NYG X-Factor: Giants' Pass Rush


NE X-Factor: Chad Ochocinco


Super Bowl XLVI MVP: Wes Welker


New England, 31-27

All Packed Up

He may not be playing for his second straight Super Bowl title, but Aaron Rodgers has added some more hardware to his trophy case.

The Green Bay Packer quarterback was named the 2011 AP NFL Most Valuable Player Saturday, receiving 48 of the possibly 50 votes, and continuing to carve his legacy. Fellow NFL quarterback, Drew Brees, claimed the remaining two, in large part to his record-breaking campaign.

Brees shattered Dan Marino's 27-year-old mark for the most passing yards in a single-season with 5,476 -- a record he flirted with in 2008.

Rodgers, 28, is the first Packers quarterback to be name the league's MVP since the recently retired Brett Favre won his final of three consecutive MVP awards in 1997. He shared that honor with Detriot's Barry Sanders. That season, Favre and Co. played in their second straight Super Bowl, but lost to the John Elway-led Denver Broncos.

This season, Rodgers threw for 4,643 yards, averaged 9.5 yards per completion, found the end zone 45 times, completed 68.3 percent of his passes and posted a 122.5 passer rating -- all career-highs. His 122.5 passer rating also led the NFL.

After narrowly missing perfection, leading Green Bay to a 15-1 regular season record and an NFC North Division title, Rodgers' dream of winning his second career Super Bowl were crashed.

He would be let down by his usually sure-handed receivers as six different players combined for eight drop passes in their Divisional Round game against the New York Giants, where they upended, 37-20. A bitter end to a once promising season.

Now, Rodgers joins Paul Hornung (1961), Jim Taylor (1962), Bart Starr (1966) and Favre (1995-97) as the only other player to capture an MVP while playing their home games at Lambeau Field. It's the fifth consecutive season the MVP has be given to a quarterback, but he is only the third player to win the award during that time before. New England's Tom Brady (2007, 2010) and Indianapolis' Peyton Manning (2008, 2009) had combined to win the previous four.

While many believed Brees, who has yet to win a MVP, would have got more consideration, he was named the league's Offensive Player of the Year

As for the MVP, Rodgers was drafted in the first-round of the 2005 NFL Draft out of California, but sat and lived in the shadow of Favre for the first three years of his career.

But now with just as many rings as Favre, excelling every season and rapidly ascending to the top of his position, Rodgers no longer lives in anyone's shadow, but his own.

A Giant Kick

Tynes (9) kicking his second career game-
winning NFC Championship field goal.

For the second time in five seasons Lawrence Tynes has kicked the New York Giants into the Super Bowl.

It was Jan. 20, 2008.

On the frozen tundra that is Lambeau Field, Tynes spilt the uprights with a 47-yard game-winning field goal in overtime, sending New York to Super Bowl XLII, where they would pull off one of the greatest upsets in NFL history, dismantling the undefeated and Tom Brady-led New England Patriots.

That kick coming not long after Tynes had squandered a chance of a lifetime. The then-29-year-old kicker missed a 36-yard field goal, wide left, at the end of regulation with the score tied at 20. Not everybody gets a second chance, Tynes did and delivered.

Sunday night in San Francisco was much of the same, but then again, far different.

This time, more than four years later, Tynes made both his field goal attempts, both coming from 31-yards out. It was just five plays after both teams each had an opportunity to possess the ball at least once and second-string punter return Kevin Williams, who was filling in for an injured Ted Ginn Jr., muffed his second punt of the game, that Tynes was kicking the second road overtime-winning NFC Championship field goal of his career.

While Tynes was the hero and Williams the goat, it was the grit of the New York field general that inspired us all.

Eli Manning was bruised and battered all night long by the hard-nosed San Francisco defense. With their stout front seven, the Niners hit Manning 20 times, knocked him down another 12 and recorded six sacks, but isn't wasn't enough to keep the former Super Bowl MVP down.

His 32 completions, along with his 58 pass attempts both set a franchise postseason record. Manning also threw his 18th fourth-quarter touchdown this season, 15 coming in the regular season, a NFL record.

That 17-yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham, which was his first catch of the game, for the moment gave the Giants a 17-14 advantage.

Second-year sensation, Victor Cruz, enjoyed one of his biggest games of the season, catching 10 passes for 142 yards. Cruz along with running back Ahmad Bradshaw each caught a pass from Manning that went for 30-plus yards, giving New York 12 plays of 20 yards or more this postseason.

The win is the fifth consecutive road playoff win for the Giants, another NFL record. Under center in all of those victories has been Manning, becoming the first quarterback in postseason history to win five road postseason games. His mentor and head coach Tom Coughlin recorded his seventh road postseason win, tying him for the most all-time.

As for the Niners, it was a bitter end to a very magical season.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh, who was trying to become only the sixth first-year coach in history to lead his team to the Super Bowl, took over a 6-10 San Francisco team and overnight made them winners. They finished the regular season 13-3, good enough to secure a first-round bye as the NFC No. 2 seed.

His defense became his identity. They allowed a league-best 77.3 rushing yards per contest and were tied with the Green Bay Packers for the most takeaways (38) in the NFL this season. Despite only allowing 85 rushing yards, San Francisco's defense did not force a turnover against the Giants, while their special teams unit gave it away, twice.

On offensive, after six frustrating seasons that included three different head coaches, seven offensive coordinators and 17 starting wide receivers, quarterback Alex Smith enjoyed a career year. Playing in all 16 games for only the second time in his career, Smith completed 61.3 percent of his passes, threw for 3,144 yards and had a passer rating of 90.7, all career-highs.

Smith continued his great season, outplaying the Saints' Drew Brees and giving the Niners their first playoff win in nine years.

But it was Smith's inability to convert on third down against the Giants that ended their season. San Francisco's offense was only 1-for-13 on third down conversions Sunday.

Now, with all two teams left standing New York has a date with the Patriots in Indianapolis on Feb. 5. And while Brady is out for revenge, Manning and Co. are hoping history repeats itself.

Championship Sunday Preview: Fun In Foxborough

Are you ready for some football?

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots:
It was just two years ago that the stingy Baltimore Raven defense invaded Foxborough, handing Tom Brady his first career postseason loss at home.

In their wild-card matchup on Jan. 10, 2010, Baltimore's Ray Rice took the first play from scrimmage 83 yards for a touchdown, giving his team a lead they would never requlish. At the time it was the longest rushing play of Rice's young career and the second longest rush in NFL postseason history.

Rice hopes to have a repeat performance of
his first postseason trip to New England.

Baltimore held a 24-0 after the first quarter and despite quarterback Joe Flacco only completing four passes for 34 yards, the Ravens went on to win the game, 33-14.

Most of their production came from the ground game, with Rice rushing for 159 of the team's 234 total rushing yards. The Ravens hope for much of the same against the 17th-ranked rush defense. This season, Rice completed his third straight season with at least 1,200 rushing yards, setting a career-high with 1,364. He also set career-highs in attempts (291) and touchdowns (12), but it might be his all-around game that makes him one of the most dynamic and dangerous backs in the game today.

The 24-year-old running back caught 76 passes out of the backfield this season for 704 yards, averaging just under 10 yards per completion at 9.3.

And while the New England defense will be saddled with the assignment of stopping Rice, Baltimore's D will need to shutdown the prolific and efficient Patriots' offense. Led by their veteran core group of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs, whose 14 sacks were good enough for the team lead, they know it would be their final shot to retaste Super Bowl glory.

Slowing down the tight end tandem of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez should be the key to the Ravens' success.

As for the Patriots, Brady and Co. head into Sunday's AFC Championship game confident as ever after torching the Denver Broncos last week, 45-10 and winning their first playoff game since the 2007-08 season, where they beat the San Diego Chargers also in the AFC title game.

Brady, who is coming off a record-setting performance with six touchdowns passes, five coming in the first half, remembers this Baltimore defense far to well. In his first postseason loss at home, the former sixth-round pick was sacked three times, while also throwing three interceptions.

Brady has seen enough of the Raven D and is
seeking his revenge.

In that loss, he threw for just 154 yards and no matter what he says, it still stings today.

Brady is 4-1 in his career against the Ravens, including the playoffs. In those games, the three-time Super Bowl champion has throw six touchdowns, but six interceptions, three obviously coming in one game. And now with a 9-2 career record at home in the postseason, he will not let history repeat itself.

Even though Baltimore was undefeated at home this season, they posted a 4-4 record on the road and head into one of the toughest places to play in the NFL. Although, history tends to repeat itself.

Trying to make their fifth Super Bowl appearance in the last 11 years, New England will be out for revenge and ready to settle the score.

BAL X-Factor: Ray Rice


NE X-Factor: Tom Brady


New England, 27-21

Tommy Boy

Saturday night, Brady looked as sharp as
ever and forced people to talk about
  him even when they still wanted
to discuss Tim Tebow.

Not use to playing second fiddle to anyone, much less a second-year quarterback, New England Patriots' Tom Brady made sure that didn't happen Saturday.

In their highly anticipated rematch with the Denver Broncos, New England's offense came out firing on all cylinders. Brady threw two first quarter touchdowns, which was significant given the fact he had only throw one first quarter touchdown in his last 11 postseason first quarters.

It was the beginning of a record-setting night for a determined Brady-led offense.

Loser of three consecutive playoff games, including the last two coming in Gillette Stadium, and many saying the two-time league MVP's postseason mystic had faded, Brady threw a NFL postseason record five touchdowns in the first half, giving New England a commanding 35-7 lead at the half.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Brady is the last quarterback to throw five first half touchdowns
in any game, regular season or postseason. That game coming in Week 6 of the 2009-10 season in a 59-0 pounding of then-winless Tennessee Titans.

Finishing the game with a record-tying 6 TD passes and 363 yards, Brady continues to cement his legacy as one of the greatest field generals in NFL history. His 36 career postseason TD passes are third most all-time, trailing only Joe Montana (45) and Brett Favre (44) and the most by a quarterback in franchise history. Brady's 363 passing yards are also a franchise record for the most in a single playoff game.

The former sixth-round pick now has throw a touchdown pass in 18 consecutive postseason games, second only to Brett Favre's 20.

Three of Brady's six touchdowns came with tight end Rob Gronkowski at the receiving end, tying a postseason record for the most receiving touchdowns in a postseason game.

Gronkowski, who caught a record and league leading 17 TDs this season, was one of three tight ends on the day to total 100-plus receiving yards and catch two touchdown passes, but the only one to catch three TDs. There has been only one other tight end to accomplish these feats in the last 25 years.

Miami's Keith Jackson was the last to do so, catching 8 passes from Hall of Famer Dan Marino for 109 yards and two scores in their 22-21 Divisional Round loss to the San Diego Chargers in January of 1995.

If that weren't enough, Brady and head coach Bill Belichick surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famers Terry Bradshaw and Chuck Noll for the most postseason wins for a quarterback-head coach tandem with 15.

Earlier this year Brady and Belichick eclipsed Marino and Don Shula for the most wins (124) for a quarterback-head coach duo in NFL history.

It was the second time Belichick got the best of Denver's John Fox in the postseason. The first was in Super Bowl XXXVIII, when Fox was the head coach of the Carolina Panthers.

While New England's historic season will continue, the Broncos and Tim Tebow's magical, improbable and unconventional run will not. Never holding a lead in their eventual 45-10 loss, Denver looked outmatched from the get-go on the Patriots' opening 5-play, 80-yard, touchdown drive.

It was the Broncos' inability to matchup and tackle tight ends Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. In the teams two meetings this season both of New England's tight ends combined for 443 total yards and 5 TDs.

Meeting with Coach Belichick postgame, it was
a long night for Tebow and Co.

One wrinkle the Patriots incorporated in their offense Saturday was offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, who recently accepted the head coaching job at Penn State, lined Hernandez up in the back field, having him carry the ball five times, including a 43-yard carry that step up Brady's first touchdown pass.

New England's defense also decided to show up, recording 14 plays for negative yardage. That is most in a playoff game since 2007, when the Pittsburgh Steelers also had 14 plays dip into the red in their wild card loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Overall, for a player that experienced so much criticism before starting an NFL game, the 2011-12 season was a success for Tebow.

Tebow took over a 1-4 Bronco team, lead to a six-game-winning streak, five fourth quarter comebacks, including three overtime victories, an AFC West title and unbelievably dramatic overtime win on Wild Card Weekend against the defending AFC Champion Steelers.

Whatever the future holds for Tebow, he has proven one thing already, he can win in the NFL. And in the end that's all that matters.

Just ask Tom Brady.

Grab-kowski

Gronkowski has enjoyed the best season by a
tight end in NFL history.

In what has been a record-breaking season for New England Patriots' tight end Rob Gronkowski, the 6-foot-6 second-year player can add to his already impressive resume.

Less than an hour after New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham, who is also in his second year in the NFL, broke Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow's 1980 single-season mark of 1,290 receiving yards for a tight end and increasing his total to 1,310, Gronkowski answered the bell.

With 1:30 remaining in the Patriots' final game of the regular season and it well in hand, Bill Belichick and Co. decided against taking a knee and give the 22-year-old a chance at history. Gronkowski was on the receiving end of a 22-yard pass play from second-string quarterback Brian Hoyer, pushing the former Arizona Wildcat's total to 1,327 on the year, ending Graham's brief reign at the top.

Gronkowski finished the game with 8 catches, two of those coming in the end zone and 108 yards. As for Graham, he also caught 8 passes, but just fell short of the century mark with 97 yards receiving.

Earlier this season, Gronkowski broke the NFL record for most receiving touchdowns in a single-season by a tight end. He finishes this season with 17 receiving touchdowns and 18 total TDs. The mark had been previously held by San Diego's Antonio Gates, who caught 13 TD passes in 2004, and was later tied by San Francisco's Vernon Davis in 2009.

It was just a week ago that Gronkowski surpassed Ben Coates (1,174) for the most yards by tight end in the franchise's history. Coates set his mark back in 1994 with Bill Parcells at the helm and Drew Bledsoe under center.

Gronkowski is only the seventh tight end in history to surpass 1,200 yards in a season and now has 27 TDs in 33 career games, including the postseason. He caught 21 TDs in his first 27 games in the NFL. That is the fewest games ever needed by tight end to reach that mark.

It's not the first time a receiver has flourished under the dynamic duo of Belichick and Tom Brady.

Recently retired wideout Randy Moss caught a record 23 TD passes in his first season (2007) with the Pats, while Brady threw for a NFL record 50 TDs that same season.

Speaking of Brady, just a week after Saints quarterback Drew Brees broke Hall of Famer Dan Marino's  27-year single-season passing yardage record, Brady followed suit. Needing just 188 yards entering Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills to accumulate the second most passing yards in NFL history, Brady passed for 338, bringing his total to 5,235.

At the time, Brady became only the third quarterback in league history to pass for over 5,000 yards in a single season.

Detriot's Matthew Stafford also decided to crash the party, becoming the fourth in history to join the elusive club, passing for 520 yards in his team's 45-41 loss to the Green Bay Packers and finishing the year with 5,038. Marino and Brees are obviously the other two, but Brees is the only quarterback to do so twice. In 2008, the future Super Bowl MVP also tossed for 5,000 yards, passing for 5,069.

As for the team, New England turned the tables on Buffalo and overcame a 21-point first half deficit, scoring 49 unanswered points. It was in Week 3 that the Patriots held a 21-0 lead only to have the Bills come all the way back and hand them there first loss of the season, 34-31.

The win captures the No. 1 seed in the AFC for New England and home-field advantage throughout the postseason, ensuring the road to Super Bowl XLVI goes through Foxobrough.

Giants Bigger Than Brady

Manning celebrates following his
fourth quarter touchdown pass.

Eli Manning one-upped New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady once again.

In their first regular-season meeting since Super Bowl XLII, where Manning handed Brady and Co. their first loss of the 2007-'08 football season, scoring in the final minute to seal an improbable Super Bowl win, the New York Giants did more of the same Sunday in New England.

After the first scoreless game at the half so far this year in the NFL and New England being shutout for the first two quarters for the first time in 74 games, the scoring picked up and the Patriots found themselves down 17-13 in the fourth quarter.

Despite the Giants' defensive line dictating much of the game, Brady orchestrated his 35th comeback in the game's final period or overtime with a 14-yard strike to tight end Rob Gronkowski on fourth and eight with 1:36 to play in regulation.

It looked like Brady, who mounted a fourth quarter come from behind win against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6, was going to add to his legend, instead it was Manning furthering his legacy as the last-minute magician against the Pats. The eight-year veteran out of Ole Miss conducted an 8-play, 80-yard drive, capped off by a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jake Ballard, who hauled in a 28-yard pass from Manning earlier in the drive that helped set up his third touchdown reception of the season.

The drive also included a season long 12-yard first down run from Manning.

New York's touchdown was the fourth and final lead change of the quarter, as Brady was unable to do much with the generous 15 seconds Manning left him.

When referring to himself as an elite quarterback at the beginning of the season, many shook their head in disagreement, but Manning has done his best to prove the doubters wrong.

Manning tossed 2 touchdown passes in the game's final three minutes and three seconds, giving him 15 on the season, compared to his 6 interceptions. He has racked up 2,377 yards and a career-high 98.8 quarterback rating through his team's his eight games. The Giants are now 6-2 on the year, tying themselves with the Detroit Lions for the second-best record in the NFC.

Also representing their conference proudly, New York becomes the first NFC since 2002 to win game in Gillette Stadium, ending an 18-game losing streak.

As for New England, the loss snaps at 20-game regular season home winning streaking, dating back to November of 2008 when then-quarterback Matt Cassel, who was filling in for the injured Brady, lost in Foxborough to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 33-10.

It also ends the longest home winning streak by a quarterback in NFL history. Prior to Sunday, Brady had won 31 consecutive regular season games in Foxborough. However, Brady has lost each of his last two postseason games at home.

Much like in Super Bowl XLII, Brady found
himself pressured and on his back Sunday.

The loss drops New England to 5-3 at the half way point in the season, putting them in three-way tie atop the AFC East, joining the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets, who host Bill Belichick and Co. next week on Sunday Night Football.

History repeated itself Sunday like it almost always tends to do, while Manning proved once again he is an elite quarterback in the NFL.

With the First Pick...

Newton was the third quarterback taken
first overall in as many years.

Radio City Music Hall held the 76th annual National Football League Draft Thursday night for the sixth consecutive year with most eyes locked onto the Carolina Panthers.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was received with an abundance of boos stepping to the podium for the first time, setting the stage for an exciting yet hostile night in New York City.

In light of all the labor agreement issues between the owners and players, the fans let it be know how they felt chanting, "We want football".

But the show must go on as Carolina was on the clock.

"With the first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers select, Cam Newton, Quarterback, Auburn,"Goodell stated. That was the pick everyone was so anxiously awaiting without very much surprise in the result. Now, the question will be asked, did the Panthers make a good decision by drafting the kid from College Park, Georgia?

If history tells us anything Newton will be yet another first overall pick that never quite lives up to the hype.

Since the 1970 AFL-NFL Merger, there has been 17 quarterbacks taken with the first overall pick, 18 if you count Newton. Only three of them have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Peyton and Eli Manning were taken with the first overall pick in their respective drafts and look to be headed towards Canton.

With the 17 quarterbacks taken, that have actually taken a snap in the NFL, they have combined for 13 Super Bowl rings, which may seem like a lot, but not when they come from only six players on the list.

Terry Bradshaw help orchestrate the Pittsburgh Steelers to four in 1970s. John Elway was a late bloomer, leading the Broncos to early Super Bowl appearances in the 1987 and '89, but came up short both times. He would have to wait ten years later to get back to the big game winning first in 1997 and then again in 1998.

Troy Aikman was the signal caller for three Super Bowl champions in the mid 90s for America's team, the Dallas Cowboys. That is nine of the 13 rings belonging to three players, coincidently those are the therein the Hall of Fame.

The Manning brothers hold two of the final four Super Bowl rings and in part are the reason why they will eventually end up with a plaque in Ohio, along with their eye popping numbers.

Oakland's Jim Plunkett is the only other quarterback taken first in the draft to hold a Super Bowl ring, in fact Plunkett has the remaining two. Despite Plunkett never being named to a Pro Bowl, he is the only quarterback in NFL history to have multiple Super Bowl wins as a starter and not be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Plunkett is also the last quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy and win a Super Bowl during their career, Newton will look to end that curse in the near future after winning the prestigious trophy in 2010.

In the last decade a quarterback has been taken first overall eight out of the last 10 drafts, more than any other decade since the draft began in 1936. Only three of those quarterbacks have made the Pro Bowl since being drafted combining for seven appearances in Hawaii. Four of those seven coming from Philadelphia's Michael Vick. Even though Vick has been successful on the field, his issues off the field have been well publicized.

Vick missed the entire 2007 and '08 season serving his 23 month prison sentence, but was reinstated to the league in 2009 and is coming off a Pro Bowl season. Carson Palmer and Eli Manning are the other players to make the Pro Bowl in that time period.

How can the name JaMarcus Russell, who was taken first overall in '07 by the Oakland Raiders out of LSU, not be mentioned. Along with Ryan Leaf, even though he was the second pick in the '98 draft, Russell qualifies as one of the biggest draft busts the game has ever seen.

As for Detroit's Matthew Stafford and St. Louis' Sam Bradford the sample size is much to small to predict if they will continue to have success in the NFL long-term. If Stafford can avoid another shoulder injury and Bradford continues to build off his impressive rookie campaign, where he won the Offensive Rookie of the Year, the future looks bright for both.

Newton's overall body of work is a piece of art and has been incredible to watch early on. The question is can all the skills he possesses translate to becoming a great NFL quarterback? Nobody is questioning the physical ability and tools he has shown with a 6-foot-6, 250-pound build. All that being said Newton only started one year in the NCAA and is coming from a spread offense at Auburn under head coach Gene Chizik.

Many adjustments are waiting in the wings for Newton if he intends to succeed. His character has even come into question with his off the field issues after being suspended by Florida for stealing a laptop. Most recently, Newton was suspected by the NCAA of violating recruiting rules, which later he was cleared of and was charged to his father.

Assuming the Panthers are able to sign Newton it almost assures the end of the Jimmy Clausen experiment in Carolina before it even got started. Clausen was selected in the second-round with the 48th overall pick in last year's draft out of Notre Dame by Carolina.

He was believed by many to be the most NFL ready quarterback in the '10 draft class.

Clausen played in 13 games during his rookie season, where he threw for 1,558 yards, three touchdowns and nine interceptions with a dismal 58.4 quarterback rating. With Newton the new face in town, Clausen might be on his way out.

In their first and only Super Bowl appearance in franchise history by Carolina back in 2004, they showed a first-round quarterback is not needed to come seconds away from a championship. Super Bowl XXXVIII showcased two quarterbacks, who were not highly recruited coming out of college.

Former Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme was the starter under center for Super Sunday and he went undrafted in '97 out of Louisiana-Lafayette. Delhomme threw for three touchdowns and 323 yards in a losing effort to the New England Patriots. Tom Brady was the opposing quarterback in that Super Bowl, and his story has been well told.

Brady was the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft being selected in the sixth-round out of Michigan. Brady has gone on to win three Super Bowl rings, two NFL Most Valuable Player Awards and cemented himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.

The history of the NFL shows that taking a quarterback first overall is almost set to backfire, but there those exceptions and is what keeps teams coming back for more no matter how many times they fail.

Having a franchise quarterback seems to be the number one ingredient in constructing the right recipe to a championship contender.

The Panthers have not thought any different by taking Newton. Is he that guy?

Only time will tell.