| Giants | Category | Patriots | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offense | checked | Eli's playing great right now and Moss has been a non-factor in the playoffs, but the Pats have too many weapons. | |
| checked | Defense | checked | The teams are even here. New York has the better front four, but New England's secondary is stronger. |
| Special teams | checked | The Pats have a young kicker, but they are great covering kicks and have a better overall unit. | |
| Coaching | checked | Coughlin has the Giants on an incredible run, but Belichick is the king at getting his team prepared. | |
| Intangibles | checked | Experience is a major plus for the Pats. A number of their key guys have been in this situation before. | |
| Wild card | checked | Faulk was tremendous against the Chargers and gives New England yet another option on offense. |

