After spending a week in the film room, Scouts Inc.'s Gary Horton has 10 things to watch for on Super Bowl Sunday.
1. Now you see it and now you don't
Both Tom Brady and Eli Manning are excellent ball handlers and magicians with the play-action fake. They hide the ball well, often with their backs to the line of scrimmage, and do an excellent job of freezing the defender. In Manning's case, it is very important because his run-heavy offense really sets up the play fake.
2. New York is willing to gamble
The perceived weakness of the Giants is a secondary that is not only thin, but also struggles with tight man-to-man coverage skills. That leads us to believe the Giants will play a lot of soft, bend-but-don't-break schemes. But that is not the case. The Giants are very aggressive in their coverage schemes. They will play press techniques versus the Patriots' receivers with safety help over the top and will blitz their linebackers and safeties inside and even bring corners off the edge. It is a gambling style of pressure designed to confuse Brady.