Patriots and Giants at the Mercy of the Super Bowl Media

Tuesday in Indianapolis was the media free-for-all with the players and coaches of the New England Patriots and New York Giants getting a renewed taste of the Super Bowl buildup frenzy.
Patriots and Giants at the Mercy of the Super Bowl Media
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning faces the media on Tuesday. Scott Halleran/Getty Images
Rahul Vaidyanath
Updated:
<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/Brady138008040.jpg"><img class="size-large wp-image-184785" title="Super Bowl XLVI - Media Day" src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/Brady138008040-676x450.jpg" alt="New England quarterback Tom Brady takes questions from the media on Tuesday in Indianapolis. (Michael Heiman/Getty Images)" width="590" height="393"/></a>
New England quarterback Tom Brady takes questions from the media on Tuesday in Indianapolis. (Michael Heiman/Getty Images)

Tuesday in Indianapolis was the media free-for-all with the players and coaches of the New England Patriots and New York Giants getting a renewed taste of the Super Bowl buildup frenzy.

The two teams met in the big game just four years ago, so the media attention is nothing new to many of them. Here is a sampling, courtesy of the NFL, of some of the thoughts of the key participants in Super Bowl XLVI.

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski’s injured ankle has been getting a lot of attention. As of Tuesday, he was no longer wearing the protective boot, but as for his ability to play on Sunday he said, “I don’t know yet. We are going day-by-day. We are making new steps every day and feeling better every single day. That’s a positive sign.”

Giants coach Tom Coughlin was asked everything from how his team performed when his job was on the line to how Eli Manning’s leadership has developed over the years. When asked about the key to winning Super Bowl XLVI, Coughlin said, “For us, it’s always turnovers. If we can control ourselves and win the turnover battle, don’t turn it over ourselves and not give an outstanding football team another opportunity that they would not necessarily have, we'll be in pretty good shape.”

Giants defensive end Justin Tuck provided an interesting comparison between this year’s matchup and the one from four years ago. “This game is going to be won in similar fashion but we are not necessarily trying to look into the past to see how to beat this team,” Tuck said.

“[Tom] Brady has done a great job of changing their dynamic. I think in 2007 they were more of ‘an on the ends’ type of passing game with Randy Moss and things like that. Now with these tight ends, a lot of their strikes are coming down the middle. So they are different in that right.”

The Quarterbacks

Manning was always going to be under the microscope as the quarterback of the Giants, but being the brother of Peyton Manning and playing in his house brought out the inevitable questions about his childhood. His leadership qualities perhaps come from the competition he developed with his big brother.

Rahul Vaidyanath
Rahul Vaidyanath
Journalist
Rahul Vaidyanath is a journalist with The Epoch Times in Ottawa. His areas of expertise include the economy, financial markets, China, and national defence and security. He has worked for the Bank of Canada, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., and investment banks in Toronto, New York, and Los Angeles.
twitter
Related Topics