A statistical look at the Patriots and Giants seasons and their successes on FieldTurf surfaces
Coincidence or not, both the New England Patriots and New York Giants have both dominated on FieldTurf – leading to their spots secured in Super Bowl XLVI. The Patriots in particular nearly went undefeated on FieldTurf, with their only loss ironically occurring at home vs. none other than the New York Giants! The Giants went a very respectable 7-4 on FieldTurf this season, catching fire down the stretch and performing admirably throughout the playoffs. A strong playing surface undoubtedly affects game strategies and performance, and both teams here have utilized playing on FieldTurf perfectly. Without question, FieldTurf is a winning surface!
Bill Belichick’s Patriots responded fiercely following their home defeat at the hands of their eventual Super Bowl opponent. The team went on to win 10 straight games, 2 in the postseason. What the Patriots rely on to win games is their offensive attack. Belichick revamped the team’s philosophy by centering the passing game around tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. These players have given Brady big strong targets that provide difficult matchups for the opposing defenses. A trend that has begun to emerge throughout the NFL, the tight ends in New England have stolen the show. Rob Gronkowski, who set NFL records in yards and touchdowns by a tight end, did most of his damage on FieldTurf. More than 50% of his catches were caught at home, with 9 of his 17 touchdowns scored at Gillette Stadium. Coinciding with Gronkowski, Brady, Welker and the running game also put up the majority of their stats at home – giving the Pats a major home advantage and a high level of comfort on FieldTurf.
Tom Coughlin’s Giants, the NFC’s 4th seed head into the Super Bowl looking more like a #1 seed. To make it to the Super Bowl, the G-Men had to defend the 15-1 defending Super Bowl champs in the Green Bay Packers, and beat a stingy San Francisco 49ers team on the west coast. Now the Giants face “familiar foes”, on familiar FieldTurf. The Giants record at home this season may not reflect a distinct advantage, but when the games mattered most they responded. The final 2 games of the season, the Giants played a quote-on-quote road game at home vs. their crosstown rival New York Jets, and capped off the season with a win at home vs. the Dallas Cowboys to propel them into the playoffs. Against the Jets, the stars came out to play. Victor Cruz caught 3 passes for 164 yards and a score, and running back Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for 2 touchdowns. In the final elimination game of the season, Eli Manning was simply sensational – torching the Cowboys for 346 yards and 3 touchdowns. Following their emotional season saving win, the Giants welcomed another FieldTurf foe in the Atlanta Falcons to kick off Wild Card Weekend, and the Giants defense held the Falcons to 0 points (their only points came off a safety). It’s safe to say when the stakes are high, the Giants come to play, and some of their best performances happen on FieldTurf.
With the Super Bowl only 3 days away, both teams are currently practicing on FieldTurf, preparing their game plans to be executed on FieldTurf, and anticipate winning a championship on FieldTurf. Fans can expect a classic between these two teams come Sunday – as its Boston vs. New York on FieldTurf. Sports fans have got to love it!
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For continuing FieldTurf and NFL Super Bowl Coverage, visit our website at http://www.fieldturf.com. Super Bowl XLVI will be live this Sunday from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, home of the Colts and surfaced by FieldTurf.
