New York knows that if you want to beat New England on the biggest of stages, you need to get to quarterback Tom Brady.
When the Patriots and Giants take the field on Sunday, Brady will be the best player in Super Bowl XLVI. There's really not much arguing that. Yet, the Giants have shown that they can at least slow down Brady and the Patriots' high-powered offense, and of course, it all starts with putting pressure on the QB.
It's simple, really, but few teams are able to do it like the Giants can. It's the No. 1 reason they won Super Bowl XLII. It was a contributing factor in their Week 9 win this year. And if they're going to come away victorious again on Sunday, they need to make life miserable for No. 12.
If you're looking for one man in white to do so, look no further than Jason Pierre-Paul. In just his second year in the league, Pierre-Paul has emerged as one of the game's elite pass rushers, becoming the latest in a long line of dominant pass rushers to play get after it for Big Blue.
It may be a little unfair to point out just one player on a monstrous front four for the Giants. New York makes the pass rush a focal point of its gameplan, and you can't argue with the results. But there's also no denying the fact that Pierre-Paul has emerged as the most gifted and freakishly athletic of the bunch up front for the Giants.
JPP played in all 16 games this season — starting in just 12 — and put up an insane 16.5 sacks. He also deflected six passes, a stat that if nothing else, shows how disruptive he can be. For the Giants to win on Sunday, they'll need to slow Brady. And for the Giants to slow Brady, they're going to a need a big game out of the pass rush, particularly Pierre-Paul.
This year has been a coming out party for the USF product. When the Giants have needed a big play in a big game, more often than not, it's been Pierre-Paul coming up with it. The football world knows who he is by now.
On Sunday, though, he'll get a chance to prove to the entire world just who he is. And if he can do that, the Giants will leave Indianapolis as Super Bowl XLVI champions.
