Can the Patriots finish 19-0?

By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 1/31/2008

  GLENDALE , AZ — Sunday we will have the answer. The New England Patriots are nearly two-touchdown favorites in a rematch with the New York Giants this Sunday, February 3, in Super Bowl XLII.

 Nothing warms up winter like the Super Bowl, one of the world’s greatest events. It is also considered the greatest single day on the sports calendar. The Super Bowl started in 1967, and every year since, the game has grown by leaps and bounds.

 The Patriots are 18-0; they are trying to become the second team in NFL history to complete a perfect season, the last being the 1972 Miami Dolphins (17-0). No men’s team in any sport has completed a perfect season since Bobby Knight’s Indiana Hoosiers went 32-0 winning the NCAA Basketball Championship in 1976. When you consider the accomplishment, it is rare indeed.

 Sunday’s Super Bowl will certainly draw huge ratings for the NFL as the New York Giants try to finish what for them has been a remarkable season. Don’t let their modest 13-6 record fool you. This team started the season 0-2 and has won an NFL-record 10 straight road games, including beating Tampa Bay , the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers in overtime.

 They play power football with big running backs Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw while putting great pressure on the quarterback, led by defensive linemen Fred Robbins, Micheal Strahan, Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck.

 “[It’s] improbable where we are in a lot of ways,” said Michael Strahan. “We’ve done the improbable, but I’d like to do the impossible in everybody else’s eyes, and that’s win the Super Bowl.

 “We understand who we are going against. I’m glad we had a chance to play them the last game of the season, and it’s not like they were playing with nothing on the line. They had a lot of things they wanted to accomplish, and to get another chance to go against them will be great. I think it will give us an opportunity to hopefully avenge losses against three teams this year that we’ve had to beat in the playoffs to achieve our ultimate goal.”

  New England is the highest-scoring team in NFL history (589 points); they also allowed the fewest points of all 32 teams. They have the record-setting duo of MVP quarterback Tom Brady throwing to Randy Moss, among others, and the power running of former Gophers star Laurence Maroney.

 The Giants have Super Man(ning) in Eli Manning. Peyton’s little brother has emerged this season and has been flawless in the playoffs, a field general while throwing to Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer.

 In the final regular-season game week 16 at New York , the Patriots won 38-35 to finish the regular season 16-0 but had to rally from a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit. Since that time, the Giants have played like they want another shot at the Patriots.

 Careful what you ask for — the Patriots were 8-0 vs. playoff teams, including the Giants, while New York rebounded from a week-11 41-17 loss at home to the Vikings to reach Super Bowl XLII.

 The Giants are 4-5 vs. playoff teams but have won three in row, all on the road. They are mentally tough. But, this is New York vs. Boston — you know, Yankees vs. Red Sox. Only two hours or so separates these two cities and their great rivalry.

 I picked the Patriots before the season to win it all: Patriots 27, Giants 17.

 Super Fitz?

The Arizona Cardinals are the host team for the Super Bowl XLII, and Larry Fitzgerald, their All-Pro receiver, has been frozen in time scoring a touchdown like a three-dimensional highlight.

 Tempe, Arizona-based McFarlane Toys has picked Fitzgerald as their headliner for the annual Super Bowl exclusive figure tied to the Super Bowl. Only 5,000 of the figures are going to be made available to the public; they will be available only at the company’s booth at the NFL Experience during Super Bowl week.

 The NFL Experience opens January 26-27 through February 2 at the Convention Center in downtown Phoenix .

 Larry Fitzgerald Live Super Bowl Reports — Monday-Friday at 8:25-8:35 am and 5:20-5:30 pm on KMOJ Radio 89 FM; Saturday at 5:10 pm on WCCO 830 AM; and Monday-Friday at 4:15 pm on WMIN 740 AM.

 Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:25 am, and biweekly he commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2). He welcomes reader responses to lfitzgerald@spokesman-re corder.com, or visit www.Larry-Fitzgerald.com.