SUPER BOWL PREDICTION: PATS V. GIANTS

There's a lot of speculation and armchair quarterbacking about the Super Bowl this year, and I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in.

The NY Football Giants are playing at a higher level than they have all year, perhaps even higher than when they almost defeated the Pats a few weeks ago.

The Giants' quarterback, Eli Manning, is awake and finally doing something with his head rather than using it as a hat rack. He's dangerous, accurate and elusive. Plaxico Burress is on a roll, as is fellow wide receiver Amani Toomer. Eli's new tight end, Kevin Boss, is performing instead of giving grief every tenth minute. Brandon Jacobs is platooning effectively with the diminutive but powerful Ahmad Bradshaw.

The Giants' D is physical, fast and experienced. They can bring pressure on Pats QB Tom Brady, and they have the number for the Pats front line. Michael Strahan hasn't looked this good in a long time.

But the Pats find a way to win. Brady's offensive weapons are now legend. It's Moss, Stallworth, Welker, Faulk, Watson, Maroney and Gaffney, and it's all working. There is not a team in the NFL the Pats cannot score against.

The Post reported Tom Brady is injured: Probably not enough to change the outcome if he is.

The Pats' D: Fans will call them experienced; detractors will call them senior citizens. I think the Pats' secondary is as good as any in football, with corner Assante Samuels being a tried-and-true playmaker, among others.

Junior Seau, Ted Bruschi, Ty Warren, Vince Wilfork, Richard Seymour and -- the dean of mean -- Mike Vrabel -- are a lot to deal with for any team in the NFL.

What's the difference going to be? Super Bowl experience, team chemistry, and most of all I think the New England defense is going to hold. But the 14 point spread is too much.

I think New England takes it home, 31-21, with a game closer than the score will represent. I think the sometimes sloppy play the Giants offer is going to come back to haunt them and, when it comes to kicking units, the Pats' are better. Coaching will come into it, and Bill Belichick is just a better coach than Tom Coughlin, but then Bill is probably better than anyone (Chuck Noll, Tom Landry, and Vince Lombardi included).