Reggie Brooks Sportscity Blog

Former Washington Redskin and Tampa Bay Buccaneer Running Back Reggie Brooks has joined the Sportscity.com team. Throughout each week, Brooks will be providing opinions, weekly analysis of big game match ups, blow-outs and upsets.

The Greatest Show on Turf: The Sequel

Written by Reggie Brooks on February, 1st 2008

There are always pros and cons to sequels. Depending on the actors, it can have you walking up to the ticket counter asking for your money back when its all over or you could come away from the theater adamantly sure the sequel was way better then the first movie. So when I sit down this SuperBowl Sunday with a good supply of hot wings, my Smokin’ Bacon Cheddar Doritos and a ice chest full of cold drinks, I will patiently wait 5 hours for the answer to my questions today…What kind of sequel will this be? Will the Giants pull an upset victory reminiscent of the 2001 Patriots SuperBowl XXXVI history-making win? Or will I be glad I didn’t spend the money on SuperBowl tickets? Remember seven years ago when the unknown New England Patriots handcuffed the ‘Greatest Show on Turf’? Everyone figured the Super Bowl victory was a foregone conclusion with the Saint Louis Rams’ high powered offense featuring NFL MVP Kurt Warner, All-World running back Marshall Faulk and the receiving tandem of Issac Bruce & Tory Holt. The 2001 Patriots were not regulars on the highlight reel on ESPN, there were no truly high profile players on either side of the ball, offense or defense. Injuries and off-the-field press took center stage for the Patriots and the question was not, who would win; but how many Super Bowl scoring records the Rams would break. The Patriots were considered lucky to be in the Super Bowl (remember the infamous ‘Tuck Rule’ in the AFC Wild Card game against the Oakland Raiders?) let alone having any chance of winning.

Fast forward seven years later and look at the Super Bowl matchup of the AFC Champion New England Patriots and the NFC Champion New York Giants. Once again we see two teams with distinctly different skill sets. New England finds itself on a magical run much like the 2001 Rams, with a chance at making history riding an offense that has been close to unstoppable. Once again you see a NFL MVP quarterback in Tom Brady and host of offensive weapons to choose from (running back Lawrence Maroney, wide receivers Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Donte Stallworth). On the other side of the ball you find a fairly non-descript Giants team with an adequate offense but a solid defense. We got a preview of what this game could be in Week 17 when the Giants took the Patriots to the wire. While diehard Patriots fans will undoubtedly say that the Patriots were purposefully playing tight; trying to finish a 16-0 regular season, the flipside of the coin will say that the Giants exposed the Patriots weak spot. So with the actors in place, my hotwings in the refrigerator and my Doritos hiding in the back of the pantry from my four children…let the sequel begin. Let’s just hope this game will be better than the original…This coming Sunday night will provide the answers.

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