Wow. Didn't see that coming. Not at all.

The Giants' defensive gameplan was an all-timer, and DLs Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck (how smart it was to re-sign him early, eh?) and Michael Strahan had blue-chip games. And when the game was in the line, QB Eli Manning and his receivers made big play after big play. I just looked over at the hotel bar, and I saw a guy in a Rodney Hampton jersey taking a swig of a beer. I also see a Jason Sehorn jersey, a couple Jeremy Shockey jerseys. The party will go on long after last call, I imagine. 

The Giants were more physical, more crisp, better-coached. I'll have to go back and look at the game once more, but my feeling was the Patriots were slow to react to what the New York 'D' was doing. 

But maybe there was simply nothing New England could do.

The better team won. What an end to the season.

No more talk about the best team ever

The Patriots’ stunning loss should end all talk that they’re the best NFL team ever. A Super Bowl victory was a requirement to begin that discussion in earnest. For whatever reason, the Pats seemed to peak long before the postseason, and they weren’t able to regain that early-season magic.

Where has David Tyree been hiding?

The guy made all of four receptions during the regular season, and he comes into the Super Bowl and makes three catches for 43 yards and one touchdown. Tyree made arguably two of the three biggest plays of the game — a five-yard TD catch that gave the Giants a 10-7 lead in the fourth quarter, and a leaping 32-yard reception over Rodney Harrison on a 3rd-and-5 play on which Eli Manning miraculously escaped the grasp of two Patriots. The latter reception kept alive the drive that resulted in Manning’s game-winning 13-yard TD pass to Plaxico Burress.

Forsaking the FG

Why didn’t Bill Belichick choose to kick a field goal on 4th-and-13 at the Giants’ 31 midway through the third quarter?

It’s true that Stephen Gostkowski’s longest field goal this season was from 45 yards, but he was 3-of-5 from 40-49 yards, and last season he made a 52-yarder. Belichick had a tendency to go for the first down in similar fourth-down situations this season, and his high-powered offense frequently delivered. Still, with 13 yards needed for a first down and his offense clearly not hitting on all cylinders in the biggest game of the season, I have to wonder whether it was a wise decision, 20-20 hindsight or not.

What happened to the Patriots’ pass protection?

Before Sunday, the Pats occasionally had problems keeping rushers off Tom Brady, yet they still ranked fifth in the league in percentage of sacks allowed. Nevertheless, the Giants’ determined defense, spurred by coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s blitzing game plan, kept Brady off balance throughout the game. Brady certainly wasn’t at his best Sunday, and perhaps his ankle hampered his ability to sidestep the Giants’ pass rushers.

Pats' offense losing steam

As the highest-scoring team in NFL history, the Patriots averaged 36.8 points during the regular season. In the first two playoff games, they averaged 26. Sunday, they scored 14. Do you notice a trend?

I'm not usually one to report on bathroom banter, but I have to include this interesting reaction at the University of Phoenix facilities. After all, news like this is what blogs are made for, so I'm told.

PFW editor-in-chief Keith Schleiden told me upon his return from a halftime break that Patriots fans, many of them, were saying "Game over" and patting each other on the back. Apparently, their faith in Bill Belichick's ability to make the proper halftime adjustments had them feeling more than a bit confident with a 7-3 lead. "Wait till he sees the film," they said. "This one's over."

Yes, I think the Patriots will still win, but they're going to have to find a way to block people better to make it happen. Brady's been knocked around like a punching bag thus far and doesn't have that pocket he's been spoiled with most of the season.

I think their fans are drinking a little too much of the 18-0 Kool-Aid to think this one's over after 30 minutes. That comes with the territory though, I suppose. Hope they washed their hands on the way out, at least.

In a defensive battle that is shaping up like it could be a fun finish, Giants WR Steve Smith has had a tough first half to be sure.

First, he bobbled an easy catch around the 10-yard line that would have given the Giants a first-and-goal situation in the second quarter. But the worst part is he bobbled it into the hands of Patriots CB Ellis Hobbs, who took it back the other way for a sizable return in what was a major shift of momentum. 

Second, he slipped down on another third-down route and nearly allowed Hobbs to snag a second pick in Patriots' territory.

Lastly, right before half, he appeared to have a great shot at hauling in an Eli Manning hail mary but didn't appear to see the ball. It landed harmlessly right next to him as he was all alone behind the group of defenders in the back of the endzone.

Three plays the rookie wideout would love to have back. He'll have to make amends in the second half if the Giants are to pull off the upset. New York's defense is certainly pulling its weight. 

Funny story from what was a wild Saturday night in Scottsdale. This Phoenix suburb, along with nearby Tempe, home to Arizona State University, is what really feels like the epicenter of the Super Bowl, especially the nightlife festivities. Downtown Phoenix is absolutely dead compared to these bustling towns.

Anyway, we were getting ready to leave an outdoor beer garden in Scottsdale, in time to beat the rush for cabs at closing time, when we saw this guy, dressed in a Doug Flutie jersey, stumbling his way toward us. Clearly overserved, he leaned against the table next to us and brought it crashing to the floor with him. Drinks everywhere. Him sprawled out on the ground. His friends laughing, hardly in a big hurry to help him up. The rest of a still crowded bar couldn't help but notice. He was "that guy," and people got a kick out of his drunken debacle.

The first thought that came to my mind was how Doug Flutie, retired and knee deep in a broadcasting career, would feel if he were here to witness this. The laughingstock of the establishment was wearing his jersey and had just taken a table down with him.

I shared this thought with Darrin, a friend of mine, and fellow PFW scribe Mike Wilkening, who laughed at the thought. Not more than five or 10 seconds passed, and Mike said under his breath, "You're not going to believe this. Look at that table over there." Maybe 15 feet from us, and 20 feet from the drunken fool, was none other than Doug Flutie. He had seen the whole debaucherous event, and so had his friends, who were letting him have it. 

Classic experience I couldn't make up if I tried. The drunken jersey-wearing fan eventually made his way over to the bar and passed Flutie on the way. It was one of those moments I'll never forget and didn't want to end, the two of them coming face to face. Fan looking like he had seen a ghost, Flutie giving him a reluctant but polite greeting. The fan even looked like him a bit physically and was close to the same size (that being pretty small... I have no idea how Flutie saw over the defensive line for so many years).

So that's it. My surreal moment of Super Bowl week. Hope you didn't have to be there to appreciate it. 

List of inactives for the Super Bowl:

Giants: QB Jared Lorenzen, RB Danny Ware, DB Geoffrey Pope, OT Adam Koets, DT Manny Wright, WR Sinorice Moss, TE Jerome Collins, DT Russell Davis.

Patriots: QB Matt Gutierrez, WR Chad Jackson, CB Antwain Spann, OT Wesley Britt, OG Billy Yates, WR Troy Brown, TE Stephen Spach, DL Santonio Thomas.

Early on, it appears as though the Patriots have won the fan battle, though it could feel that way because there are five sections of New England fans seated right next to us in the auxiliary press box. I guess we'll know for sure after the first score of the game. The Giants are well represented, but there's no question the Pats have more followers who made the trip.

Also worthy of note is the look the Patriots' veterans have on their faces before kickoff. A serious look of confidence, like I've never seen before from this team, as successful as they've been. Nodding at each other, lower jaws sticking out. It just seems like they're all business.  

I remember being at the NFL title game in Jacksonville, when the Patriots were set to face the Eagles. In the week leading up to the game, someone asked Tom Brady about a potential career in politics. He did not really commit either way, which was the appropriate thing to do considering a second career was such a long way off and he had a little thing called the Super Bowl to worry about. But he did acknowledge some interest in politics.

In an interview with ESPN magazine, years ago, Brady said that one of his craziest ambitions in life is to run for political office.

And in a TV interview that I saw earlier this year, Brady said he felt like there had to be more to life than being an MVP-caliber, Super Bowl-champion regular. This couldn’t be the pinnacle of his life. There has to be more to his being than achieving success on the field.

Hmm. What about Senator Brady? Maybe even President Brady? Considering it’s an election year, and Super Tuesday is just days away, I asked a handful of his teammates what they thought about the potential of their high-profile quarterback making a go of it in the rough-and-tumble world of politics after his football career ends.

“I don’t know,” said C Dan Koppen “I think he’s a football player first. Obviously, he’s got the attention, and you know he’s a really bright, smart guy, so I think whatever he puts his mind to, he can do.”

Would you vote for him, Dan?

“I probably would,” said Koppen. “I mean, I know what type of guy he is, and there is no other guy I’d rather play for, so he’s just that type of guy.”

OLG Logan Mankins told me: “He’s never implied it (that he would like to run for office), but I’m sure he could. He’s good at everything he does, so I’m sure he could do that, too.”

Like Koppen and Mankins, TE Ben Watson isn’t sure if Brady is headed into the political arena 10 years down the line.

“I don’t know if he wants to do that,” said Watson. “He’s probably had enough of being in the public eye for a lifetime. But I’m sure whatever he decides to do, he’ll be good at.”

Would you vote for him, Ben?

“It all depends on his views,” said Watson. “If they match up with mine, I will. If not, I’m not voting for him.”

I asked one more person about the prospects of Brady becoming a politician, someone who knows a little about great success on the field and making the transition from gridiron to the gridlock of Washington – Hall of Fame WR Steve Largent, who served in Congress from 1994-2002.

“There’s no question he’s got some leadership ability,” Largent said. “But whether it would translate to politics … you know, I don’t see that happening. I think it’s too hard for a guy of his stature to move into the political realm because he’s got so many other opportunities before him. But if he did chose to go into politics, I think he’d be very effective.”

We’ll see what happens. Brady’s got a lot of football ahead of him. But it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if he’s already thinking about his next move – a move into the world of politics.

1) I would not be surprised if Patriots TE Ben Watson and RB Laurence Maroney have productive games. Can't see the Giants letting Randy Moss beat them early, but I can see Watson breaking wide open a few times. Maroney could roll if the Giants keep their safeties back or wear down in the second half. He had 46 yards in the first matchup between the clubs; could he have that much in the first half of this game? I would not be surprised.

2) If the Giants win the Super Bowl, is offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride a head-coaching candidate after the '08 season? Everyone talks about what Steve Spagnuolo has done with the defense, and he deserves his just due. But in Gilbride's 21 games running the Giants' offense, New York is 14-7.

3) Giants WR Plaxico Burress' toughness cannot be understated, but what does he have left in his 20th game of the season? And, long term, what toll will playing on an injured ankle and knee take on New York's go-to receiver?

4) Patriots KR Ellis Hobbs will have at least one return that puts the Patriots at or beyond mid-field. I think he's going to play well today. 

5) For all of the talk about the Giants' CBs, I'll be interested to see how safeties Gibril Wilson and James Butler play today. Mistakes by either —  Butler, you're recall, was beaten on Moss' long TD in Week 17 — must be of the small variety if the Giants are to keep this close.

6) I am more convinced than ever that the Patriots will win comfortably. And it has nothing to do with "Spygate." The Patriots just have so many options offensively, and I can't see the Giants coping. What's more, the Patriots' D, with that strong D-line likely to benefit from two weeks of rest, also looks to be sitting on a nice effort.  

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Got a chance to attend the "Taste of the NFL" benefit last evening, and I came away impressed. The event, which has raised $6.8 million for hunger-relief organizations since 1992, features a restaurant from each of the 32 NFL cities. A current or former player for each of the teams stood at each of the food stands, signing autographs and chatting with attendees. There was a long line for Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald, probably the longest of the evening. But I also noticed a lot of people getting footballs signed by Tennessee PK Rob Bironas, who was representing the Pro Bowl booth. What a season for Bironas: he's heading to Hawaii this week to kick in the all-star game, and he's likely to get a nice new contract. Several Hall of Famers were also there; have to imagine it was a thrill for some of the attendees to meet all-time greats like Kansas City's Bobby Bell and Atlanta's Tommy Nobis.  

I found these Super Bowl XLII MVP odds in the New York Daily News on Saturday. (For information and entertainment purposes only, of course.) From a probability standpoint, the Brady, Manning and Moss odds look about right. Everything else is probably is a guessing game. Enjoy: 

Tom Brady: 1/2

Eli Manning: 3/1

Randy Moss: 8/1

Laurence Maroney: 8/1

Plaxico Burress: 10/1

Wes Welker: 10/1

Brandon Jacobs: 12/1

Amani Toomer: 15/1

Kevin Faulk: 15/1

Ahmad Bradshaw: 18/1

Lawrence Tynes: 20/1

Stephen Gostkowski: 25/1

Rodney Harrison: 25/1

Donte' Stallworth: 25/1

Jabar Gaffney: 25/1

Field: 8/1 

Was driving around the Phoenix area when the Hall of Fame announcment was made, and heard the selections on the radio. We've got a man, Mike Wilkening, on the scene. He will provide a full story shortly. For now, here's the class of 2008:

CB Darrell Green

WR Art Monk

LB Andre Tippett

DE Fred Dean

OT Gary Zimmerman

CB Emmitt Thomas

Two notables not to be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame are former commissioner Paul Tagliabue and WR Cris Carter. ... Again, check back to the main site for Wilkening's full story on the selections.