Defense Wins Championships

Tim Ehrens breaks down the defense, special teams and coaching of the two Super Bowl combatants.

Here's a position-by-position breakdown of these two teams and the advantages for each.

Defense

Front Seven - The Patriots boast a very good, powerful and agile front line with Richard Seymour, Vince Wilfork and Ty Warren making up a defensive line that is as hard to block as any line in the NFL. Their linebacking core, while experienced and reliable at times, has shown signs of age and indications of losing a step or two this season. Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel and Rosevelt Colvin might be at a disadvantage when trying to bring down the strong Jacobs or Bradshaw or when breaking into the backfield on a blitz. Adalius Thomas is a solid, strong linebacker with great instincts who can play inside or outside.

This is an area where the Giants can do the most damage in this game, as their front seven can hang with just about any defense in the league. Anchored by the best one-two punch of defensive ends in football, Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan, the Giants' defensive line have a knack for pressuring the quarterback from the outside. The experience of Strahan and the size and power of Umenyiora are great complements that will give the Patriots' backfield a lot of problems. Linebackers Justin Tuck and Antonio Pierce can play coverage or blitz at will and shutdown offenses. Tuck has been playing stellar as of late and has distinguished himself a force to be reckoned with. Advantage: Giants

Defensive Backs - Neither team's defensive backfield is anything special, but has had moments that have proven to be invaluable to their respective teams' postseason success. The Giants' Sam Madison and R.W. McQuarters are veteran players who have been known to come up with big stops in their careers and McQuarters' performance on special teams could be a key factor in this game. Corey Webster picked off Brett Favre to give the Giants the chance that eventually put them in this game, and his presence on the field could be key in covering some of the Patriots' receivers.

Asante Samuel and Rodney Harrison lead the Patriots' defensive backs, and a duo of their caliber ensures that there will be some hard hits and big turnovers in the game. Ellis Hobbs and Eugene Wilson aren't spectacular but their speed can be used to cover the Giants' deep threats. In the end, the Giants don't have a player that can match-up with the breakaway speed of Moss. Advantage: Patriots

Special Teams - It took Lawrence Tynes three chances to send the Giants here and he did it, connecting on a 47-yarder in overtime to beat the Packers. The Giants are hoping he doesn't pull any stunts like that this week, as they will need every little bit of scoring they can get. Punter Jeff Feagles is considered one of the best at his craft in the league and his leg will be the difference in the battle for field position.

Stephen Gostkowski has filled in nicely for Adam Vinatieri since the veteran got traded to Indianapolis. He made a clutch kick last year in the playoffs to beat San Diego, but hasn't made any kick like that in a similar situation since then. He is 3-for-5 on field goals between 40-49 yards this season and if it comes down to a long field goal for a Patriots win, well, he's no Vinatieri let's just say that. Advantage: Giants

Coaching - I bet no one is more surprised that his team is here than Tom Coughlin. He was sitting on the coaching hot seat at the beginning of the season and had to deal with his best defensive player, Strahan, not being in training camp and mulling over retirement to get his team to where it is now. He has done an exceptional job getting this team in the right mindset to barrel through three NFC division winners in the playoffs. It is that mindset of playing well on the road and never giving up when your backs are against the wall that has been the mantra for this Giants team all year.

Bill Belichick's accomplishments this year cannot be taken lightly, either. This year's Associated Press Coach of the Year has brought his team where no one else has gone, to an unblemished 18-0 record and to their fourth Super Bowl appearance in seven years. The three-time Super Bowl winner knows what it takes to win, even when his winning was called into question this year by the "SpyGate" incident. However, this seasoned veteran coach knows what it takes to win and has been on this kind of stage many times before, which is more than I can say for Coughlin. Advantage: Patriots

Whether the Patriots win and cap off an undefeated, 19-0 season or not, this game will undoubtedly be the best Super Bowl we've seen in a long time. An all-East Coast Super Bowl will bring in probably one of the biggest viewer ships of any Super Bowl and, by the looks of the merits of these two teams, will not disappoint on the field.

Contact Tim Ehrens at

Timothy.Ehrens@Gmail.com.