5 Intriguing Story Lines of Super Bowl XLVI

It will be a little over four years to the day when the Giants and Patriots take the field on Sunday, from when these same two teams played in Super Bowl XLII. That game featured an 18-0 Patriots team and the underdog, Wild Card New York Giants. The word "underdog" was an understatement at the time, as no one thought the Giants had a chance to pull off the upset. Except after a little David Tyree/Eli Manning fourth quarter magic, the Giants stunned the Patriots and the sporting world, winning their first Super Bowl since 1990. This year's matchup is thought to be much closer though with the Patriots being just a three-point favorite. The potential shock factor might not be as high for Super Bowl XLVI, but we are sure to see some fireworks--if not from the game, certainly from Madonna's halftime performance...

It's never been a question who the better Manning was, "Peyton is better, of course," people have always said. But the question as to who's the best Manning has to at least be considered tighter these days with Eli reaching his second Super Bowl with one Lombardi Trophy and an MVP award already in hand. The regular season statistics for Peyton are mind-boggling and far superior to Eli's. That being said, Peyton entered the league six years before Eli and the younger Manning could very well surpass his older brother in Super Bowl victories today. In this day and age, championships are all that matter. Revisiting this discussion tomorrow may yield a different conclusion.

On Sunday, Tom Brady will do something only one other quarterback has ever done and that’s start in his fifth Super Bowl. John Elway, being the other quarterback to do so was a semi-successful 2-3 in those games. Brady has a chance to improve to 4-1 and join the likes of Joe Montana. People will argue that Joe was far more dominant as well as efficient. Others will suggest that Joe Montana played in a completely different era and his feats are not comparable to Brady's. In Montana's day, players stayed put far longer than they do now. Montana was surrounded by essentially the same team for his entire run of Super Bowls. Brady, on the other hand, has been to five Super Bowls (one more than Montana) and he’s done it with far different rosters each time. At the very least, if Brady and the Patriots win Sunday, he will have established himself as being in the same class as Montana.

Indianapolis is Peyton Manning’s city, just as it has been for the past 14 years, but it might not be for much longer. Peyton is recovering from a neck injury, one that required three surgeries over 19 months. Team doctors have been especially cagey regarding Peyton’s condition and ability to play. Discussion of his future in Indianapolis is as hot a topic as the Super Bowl itself. With Andrew Luck, the most highly touted quarterback prospect since Peyton himself, coming out in this year’s draft class, it’s been speculated that Peyton might be headed elsewhere. Regardless of where Peyton ends up, Andrew Luck will have plenty of pressure to perform.

In November 2009, Doctors told Mark Herzlich he would never walk again after diagnosing him with Ewing’s Sarcoma, an extremely rare and debilitating bone cancer. With all odds against him, Mark spent the next year fighting for his life and overcame what no one thought he could. Mark went back to Boston College for his senior season cancer free, but by then his draft stock had plummeted. Mark underperformed at the NFL combine at Lucas Oil Stadium and slid down and off virtually every team’s draft board. All but one that is. Mark went undrafted in April, but the New York Giants signed him shortly after the draft concluded and now he is just as much a part of the Super Bowl contending team as anyone.