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.
