Mike Dussault

The Patriots probably won’t be able to use much from this game in their preparation for Super Bowl XLVI because, let’s face it, that wasn’t really the Giants as we now know them. Without Nicks and Bradshaw, they adjusted their approach by using more two-TE packages than usual. In fact, they employed a two-TE look on 36 of 68 plays, with TE Bear Pascoe often lining up in the backfield as a fullback. These days, the Giants are a wide-open passing attack, using three wide receivers as their base offense (48 percent of the snaps in the regular season, according to ESPN Stats & Information).

The Giants were conservative early in the game, trying to establish the run. Maybe it was because they didn’t have Nicks, but they seemed reluctant to attack the Patriots’ woeful pass defense, which finished 31st in the league. That won’t be the case this time. Manning is on an all-time roll and, even though the Patriots have shown improvement in recent weeks, the Giants should have their choice of favorable matchups with the Patriots’ secondary.