One of my favorite movie scenes of all time has to be in "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective," when Jim Carey pretends to be Heinz Getwellvet—the trainer of the Miami Dolphins mascot, Snowflake—and addresses a pack of ravenous reporters concerning the whereabouts of their prized halftime act for the Super Bowl.
This past Tuesday, another group of reporters swarmed the field with an all-too-familiar result, only this time the venue was Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis—the site of this year's Super Bowl—and the people being interviewed weren't sporting a fake German accent, flamboyant Hawaiian shirt, and a hairdo screaming perfection.
Media day is a fun event for both the players and reporters; however, it doesn't necessarily give the fans tuning in back home the proper insight into the essentials for victory. That's where I come in.
On whether or not the defense pays attention to its poor ranking
Patriots' cornerback Kyle Arrington: "What ranking? It's postseason...You've got to throw it out the window. It's a fresh start."
Translation: "Umm, well, I mean of course we know our pass coverage is terrible, it's been our Achilles heel for the past three seasons, but we've been telling ourselves throughout the playoffs that it's a fresh start and it's gotten us this far. I'll tell you what, if we're going to win this game on Sunday we've got to look at the tape—specifically the Week 9 loss against the Giants, master our defensive scheme of matching the wideout's speed, and force Eli Manning to throw to his fourth option (tight end Jake Ballard) and make him beat us. At the end of the day though, we've just got to prepare for all the different looks and situations they'll give us and prepare to play the best game we've ever played, on the biggest stage we've ever played."
On his first impression of Julian Edelman on defense
Arrington: "This should be interesting."
Translation: "There's a better chance of the sky falling if Bill Belichick thinks this white boy can play corner."
Side note: Julian Edelman pretty much sums up everything that encapsulates the Patriot Way of "bring your lunch pail to work." He was drafted as a quarterback out of Kent State in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft, converted into a slot receiver, punt returner, and defensive back. He is the modern day version of former Patriot Troy Brown, and—as you saw in that win against the Ravens at the AFC Championship—when Tom Brady was not at his best, it was players like Edelman, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Sterling Moore, and Rob Ninkovich that not only helped the Patriots find a way to win the game, but also reminded me of those 2001 and 2002 Patriots teams that weren't full of household names, but still won the big games. I think it's going to take another complete team effort for the Patriots on Sunday.
On what he thinks of the Giants' defense
Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch: "I think what gives us problems...is the Giants' front seven."
Translation: "That front seven is scary good. We let them get to Brady in Super Bowl XLII and in Week 9 this year, and guess what? We lost both games. If we want to win this game, it's imperative that we protect Tom Brady and limit our number of turnovers."
On his mentality on how he and his teammates got through the season
Giants' guard Chris Snee: "I think that's just when you rely on the depth of your team. That's when credit has to go to the front office for bringing guys in who can play football."
Translation: "We're on a roll, and it's funny because a lot of people thought we were dead in the water at Christmas time, but we stuck together, and we were able to win the games that we needed to because of our depth. In the playoffs, it's all about getting hot at the right time, and we're certainly clicking on all cylinders at the moment. Eli has seven fourth-quarter comebacks; we're running the ball hard; Victor Cruz is having a break-out year; and our defensive front is causing problems night-in and night-out. That sounds like a winning formula to me."
On what Jason Pierre-Paul means to their defense
Giants' linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka: "He's a huge part of our defense...[he makes other teams] account for him on every single play..."
Translation: "JPP is our defense. When you have to account for him every single down no matter the scheme, that's when you know he's a playmaker. In only his second year in the league, he's already rounded himself into a premier defensive end and a deadly 1-2 punch with Osi Umenyiora. If these two guys get to Tom Brady and force him to throw bad passes, that's hook, line, and sinker."
On if he thinks the Giants' defensive backs can cover him
Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker: "I think they can, but hopefully not on Sunday."
Translation: "Psh, next question pal."
Prediction: These teams are so similar and often times in big games like the Super Bowl, what it comes down to is which team makes fewer mistakes or gets more fortunate bounces. As Mark Twain once said, "History doesn't always repeat itself, but it usually rhymes." Regardless of the ferocious pass rush of the Giants, you can't overlook the fact that Belichick and Brady have only lost to the same team in the same season twice since 2001. Combine that with not having the pressure for perfection, and I've got the Patriots winning in honor of Myra Kraft on a final minute drive, capped off by a Stephen Gostkowski (not Adam Vinatieri) field goal, and solidifying Tom Brady as the greatest quarterback of all time. Put it in the books: Patriots 31 - Giants 28.
Jam of the Week: "Wild Ones," by Flo Rida. The guy does it again! If this isn't playing in the Boom Boom Room this weekend, I might boycott...just saying.