Much has been said about Super Bowl XLVI being a “rematch” of Super Bowl XLII. The word has been tossed around ad nauseam, though a measure of revenge may be more appropriate than rematch, at least in the mind of Patriots.
But the truth is, both teams have different rosters and personalities ahead of their tilt at Lucas Oil Stadium. Look no further than this statistic: Twenty-two players—15 Giants and seven Patriots—out of 106 remain from New York’s 17-14 upset four years ago.
The Giants have 15 players on their current roster who played in the NFC Championship Game in Green Bay four years ago. Osi Umenyiora and Corey Webster are the only defensive starters remaining. Aaron Ross, Justin Tuck, Chase Blackburn and Dave Tollefson were reserves. Kicker Lawrence Tynes and long snapper Zak DeOssie (who then handled only the punt snaps because Jay Alford did the placekicks) are still in their respective positions.
These Giants of 2011-’2012, however, have taken on a collective identity all their own and sit a step away from reclaiming their spot atop the pro football world.
A key turning point happened when the team’s record was 7-7 following a convincing win over the crosstown rival Jets. Players point to that juncture as a time of transition. A shift was made. The team came together.
“We had our backs up against the wall at 7-7,” DeOssie said this week. “And we just made a collective decision that it was time to put our best foot forward. We finally put it all together—all three phases of the game started hitting on the right page and we started winning. It’s all about momentum at this time.”
Once the initial jubilation of knowing they were headed to the Super Bowl had settled, players say their mental preparation returned to a comfortable rhythm established during the regular season. The logistics of tasks like arranging tickets for family and friends now behind them, they’re glad to be able to focus fully on football.
“[There’s] sort of this shock and kind of overwhelming feeling once you realize you’re going to the big dance,” DeOssie, a special teams captain, said. “And also we have our family to arrange flights for and tickets, etc., and working through those technicalities. Once all that’s through, we go back to practice and we’re ready to install the game plan and get to work.”
On the Patriots’ side, interesting storylines abound for the AFC champs. Including that of tackle Matt Light, who played collegiately at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. The Indiana native admits that this particular Super Bowl experience takes on an added special dimension because it’s a homecoming for him.
“I think it’s gonna be great,” Light told Pro Player Insiders in an interview. “I grew up an hour and a half from Indianapolis, I played [college] football 45 minutes north of Indy and all my friends and family are still there. It’s really great for them. When we play this game, we spend a lot of time away from people that we love and the people that helped us get to his point.
“So when you have an opportunity to be on the biggest stage on Earth and have it in your home, that’s great for everybody.”
Scottie Graham contributed to this report.
