Super Bowl Blueprint

The New England Patriots and New York Giants are two of the NFL’s top organizations. So, it should come as no surprise that the Pats and G-Men are the final teams fighting for the Vince Lombardi Trophy at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., in Super Bowl XLII.

Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft, along with Vice President of Player Personnel Scott Pioli are making their fourth Super Bowl appearance in seven years, having already celebrated following victories in Super Bowls XXXIX, XXXVIII and XXXVI.

Meanwhile, the Giants co-ownership tag-team of President and CEO John Mara — son of Giants founding father Wellington Mara — and Chairman and Executive Vice President Steve Tisch — son of Bob Tisch, who purchased 50 percent of the Giants in 1991 — have enhanced their fathers’ legacy with the help of recently retired General Manager Ernie Accorsi and GM successor Jerry Reese.

Both franchises’ front offices are championship quality. And that means more than just writing checks for state-of-the-art facilities, high-profile players and proven coaches. Building a Super Bowl contender takes a combination of savvy drafting, trading and signing; it is more of an art than a science.

The following is a breakdown of the critical executive decisions made by the Patriots and the Giants on the way to Super Bowl XLII:

In the Year 2000…

Although Kraft bought the Patriots in 1994, the year 2000 was the turning point for the franchise. That is the year that Pioli, coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady arrived in Foxborough, and construction began on the privately-financed $325 million Gillette Stadium.

In the four years prior to Kraft’s arrival, New England compiled a league-worst 14-50 record, including a 1-15 season in 1990 and a 2-14 mark in 1992. The pitiful Pats were also last in attendance and revenue.

A Patriots fan and season ticket holder since 1972, Kraft invested a substantial amount of his personal fortune — gained through a company that converted paper into packaging — back into the team, which in-turn reenergized local fan support and renewed a winning attitude in New England.

In 1996, Patriots coach Bill Parcells was reunited with Belichick, who had served as an assistant with the Giants from 1979-1990 and worked under Parcells from 1983-1990. Belichick was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 1991-1995, but was fired by owner Art Modell after producing a 37-45 record over five seasons.

In Belichick’s only season with Parcells in New England, the Patriots went 11-5 and advanced to Super Bowl XXXI, where they lost to the Green Bay Packers. After the loss, Parcells did not fly back with the team and ultimately took the head coaching position with the New York Jets. Belichick followed the Big Tuna to New York and served as the Jets assistant head coach and defensive backs coach from 1997-1999.

Kraft replaced Parcells with energetic defensive guru Pete Carroll, who was fresh off of a successful two-year stint as the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers. Despite a 33-31 record and two playoff appearances as the Patriots head coach, Carroll was fired by Kraft following the 1999 season, when the team lost six of its last eight games after a 6-2 start entering a Week 9 bye.

“This is a business of accountability. And two years ago we won the division. Last year, we barely made the playoffs. And this year, we’re 8-8,” said Kraft, in a press conference following the firing of Carroll.

“We need a momentum change.”

From there, changes happened quickly. Carroll was fired on Jan. 3, 2000. The same day in New York, Belichick was announced as the successor to Parcells, who had been promoted to Jets GM. Then, on Jan. 4, 2000 — one day after accepting the job — Belichick held a press conference announcing his resignation as the Jets head coach.

“I just don’t feel I can lead the Jets in the year 2000,” said Belichick. “I just can’t do it with the conviction, confidence and certainty that is needed to get the job done.”

This sudden strategic move by Belichick changed the course of NFL history — along with freezing the relationship between he and Parcells as well as heating up the division rivalry between the Jets and Patriots (which came to a boil this season with the SpyGate controversy started by former Belichick assistant-turned-Jets head coach Eric Mangini).

After initially being denied permission to interview Belichick, the Patriots finally hired their new head coach on Jan. 27, 2000. As a result of Belichick having time remaining on his contract with the Jets — who obviously wanted to prevent their in-house genius from becoming the leader of a division rival — the Patriots were forced to surrender their first round pick in the 2000 NFL Draft in order to acquire Belichick.

The decisive Kraft paid the price. Three Super Bowl titles and a potential fourth ring later, Kraft appears to have made the right choice. Now, Belichick looks less like Parcells’ sidekick and more like the mastermind behind the Big Blue Wrecking Crew defense (led by Lawrence Taylor) that carried the Giants to two Super Bowl wins.

Parcells record with Belichick:
117-73-1 (11-5 playoffs) in 12 seasons with the Giants, Jets and Patriots
Super Bowl XXV and XXI wins (Giants), Super Bowl XXXI loss (Patriots)

Parcells record without Belichick:
55-57 (0-3 playoffs) in seven seasons with the Patriots and Cowboys
No Super Bowl appearances

In their first NFL Draft as head coach and VP of Player Personnel, Belichick and Pioli made one of the great selections in history — taking Michigan quarterback Tom Brady in the sixth round with the 199th overall pick.

After sharing time with two-sport star Drew Henson — who was a blue-chip quarterback in Ann Arbor and a hotshot prospect in the New York Yankees farm system — Brady was the seventh signal-caller drafted in the Quarterback Class of 2000.

2000 NFL Draft – Quarterback Class

18. Jets – Chad Pennington, Marshall
65. 49ers – Giovanni Carmazzi, Hofstra
75. Ravens – Chris Redman, Louisville
163. Steelers – Tee Martin, Tennessee
168. Saints – Marc Bulger, West Virginia
183. Browns – Spergon Wynn, S.W. Texas State
199. Patriots – Tom Brady, Michigan
202. Redskins – Todd Husak, Stanford
204. Chargers – JaJuan Seider, Florida A&M
212. 49ers – Tim Rattay, Louisiana Tech
214. Broncos – Jarious Jackson, Notre Dame
234. Bucs – Joey Hamilton, Georgia Tech

Now, Brady’s cell phone vibrates with calls from Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen and new mom Bridget Moynahan. Back then, Brady couldn’t even get a call from his hometown team on Draft Day. The kid from the Bay Area town of San Mateo, Calif., who grew up idolizing the 49ers’ Joe Montana, could only watch as San Francisco rolled the dice with Hofstra sleeper Giovanni Carmazzi. Then, four other teams did the same — with S.W. Texas State project Spergon Wynn being the final passer taken ahead of Brady.

Although New England deserves credit for drafting Brady, even Belichick and Pioli admit that if they knew then what they know now about the two-time Super Bowl MVP with a 14-2 career playoff record, this generation’s “Joe Cool” never would have made it all the way to the No. 199 overall pick. Brady was the seventh player selected by New England in 2000 (not counting the first round pick sacrificed as compensation to the Jets for Belichick).

New England Patriots – 2000 Draft Class

16. (To N.Y. Jets for Bill Belichick)
46. Adrian Klemm, OT, Hawaii
76. J.R. Redmond, RB, Arizona State
127. Greg Randall, OT, Michigan State
141. Dave Stachelski, TE, Boise State
161. Jeff Marriott, OG, Missouri
187. Antwan Harris, CB, Virginia
199. Tom Brady, QB, Michigan
201. David Nugent, DE, Purdue
226. Casey Tisdale, DE, New Mexico
239. Patrick Pass, RB, Georgia

In his eighth season, the 30-year-old Brady had arguably history’s top statistical season in 2007 — completing 68.9 percent (398-of-578) of his passes for 4,806 yards, 50 touchdowns (breaking Peyton Manning’s NFL record of 49) and only eight interceptions in 16 games, for a 117.2 passer rating.

“The fact he was the 199th pick in the 2000 draft is unbelievable. In my mind, this is the greatest quarterback in the history of the game,” Kraft said in a January interview with the Boston Herald.

“He helps set the tone and mood of the locker room and what’s acceptable and what isn’t in a way that’s just off the charts. We’re lucky to have that guy as our franchise quarterback.”

New York Stock Exchange

While Brady has experienced a rags-to-riches story, Giants quarterback Eli Manning entered the NFL with the tremendous burden of skyscraper expectations, which had just as much to do with a forced Draft Day trade as his famous last name.

Arguably the most scrutinized player in the NFL since entering the league in 2004, the younger brother of Peyton Manning and son of Archie Manning followed in Peyton’s footsteps at Isidore Newman HS in New Orleans, then stepped into Archie’s shadow by attending Ole Miss — where the speed limit on campus is 18 mph in honor of the Manning patriarch who wore the No. 18 during his legendary career in Oxford.

While in Mississippi, Eli played for coach David Cutcliffe, who had been Peyton’s offensive coordinator at Tennessee. As a senior, Eli finished third in Heisman Trophy voting — behind Oklahoma quarterback Jason White and Pittsburgh receiver Larry Fitzgerald — while winning SEC Player of the Year honors, the Maxwell Award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

Following his collegiate career, Eli was selected No. 1 overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft. But for whatever reason, Eli's camp made it clear that he would never play in San Diego and demanded a trade to New York. Many speculate that Archie’s NFL career — which was spent scrambling for his life as the quarterback for the bumbling New Orleans Saints, then better known as the “Aints” — made a forced trade to a classic franchise such as the Giants necessary to protect Eli from a similar fate.

The price was not cheap for the New York Football Giants. Much like Kraft was willing to do in order to secure Belichick as the Patriots head coach, Accorsi made it clear that the G-Men wanted Eli as their quarterback of the future and were willing to pay a king’s ransom to make it happen.

New York Giants received:
2004 first-round pick (No. 1) – Eli Manning, QB, Ole Miss

San Diego Chargers received:
2004 first-round pick (No. 4) – Philip Rivers, QB, NC State
2005 first-round pick (No. 12) – Shawne Merriman, LB, Maryland
2004 third-round pick (No. 65) – Nate Kaeding, K, Iowa
2005 fifth-round pick (No. 144) – (traded to Bucs for Roman Oben, OT)

As a rookie, Eli served as a backup to former MVP and Super Bowl winner Kurt Warner for the first half of the season. Then, he started the final seven games, losing his first six contests before beating the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17.

In his second season, Eli led the G-Men to an 11–5 record and an NFC East division title. But the young gunslinger threw three interceptions and lost one fumble in a 23–0 shutout playoff loss to the Carolina Panthers.

Last year, Eli guided coach Tom Coughlin’s team to an 8–8 record as well as a Wild Card playoff berth, which resulted in a tough 23–20 loss on the road against the division rival Philadelphia Eagles.

In Eli’s fourth season, the Giants finished with a 10–6 record and a Wild Card playoff berth. Since entering the NFL’s “second season,” the road warriors have reeled off three straight victories — 24–14 at Tampa Bay, 21–17 at Dallas and 23–20 in overtime at Green Bay. In fact, the Eli-led Giants have a 10–1 record on the road this year, including a win across the pond in London.

Eli carries a 30–25 regular season record and a 3–2 postseason mark. In this year’s playoffs, Eli has completed 53-of-85 passes (62.4 %) for 599 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions while leading his team to Super Bowl XLII.

Buyer’s Market

After losing an offensive shootout to Eli’s older brother Peyton and the Colts in last year’s AFC Championship Game, New England entered the offseason determined to fight fire with fire by acquiring more receiving weapons for Brady.

Belichick and Pioli did just that — trading draft choices for disgruntled Oakland Raiders deep threat Randy Moss and underrated Miami Dolphins utility slot receiver Wes Welker — and did so for bargain-basement prices.

Anyone who watches football knows that the Patriots — a team that recorded the first 16–0 regular season in history and is attempting to join the 1972 Miami Dolphins (17–0 with a win in Super Bowl VII) as the only other undefeated team ever — swindled the Raiders (4–12 record in ’07) and the Dolphins (1–15 finish after 0–13 start).

New England Patriots received:
Randy Moss, WR (98 catches for 1,493 yards and 23 TDs in ’07)
Wes Welker, WR (112 catches for 1,175 yards and 8 TDs)

Oakland Raiders received:
2007 fourth-round pick (No. 110) – John Bowie, CB, Cincinnati (2 games, 1 tackle)

Miami Dolphins received:
2007 second-round pick (No. 60) – Samson Satele, C, Hawaii (16 games started)
2007 seventh-round pick (No. 238) – Abraham Wright, DE, Colorado (0 games, on IR)

With new additions Moss and Welker on the field, the Brady-led Patriots offense scored a record 589 points, breaking the prior record of 556 points set by the 1998 Minnesota Vikings — a team Moss was a part of during his rookie year.

Brady’s go-to receiver, Moss set a new standard with 23 receiving touchdowns, breaking the NFL record held by 49ers icon Jerry Rice, who recorded 22 scoring grabs in only 12 games in 1987. Meanwhile, Welker set a team record for receptions in a single season.

Moss and Welker combined for 210 catches for 2,668 yards and 31 touchdowns. Those totals accounted for 52.8 percent of Brady’s completions, 55.5 percent of his passing yards and 62 percent of his touchdown passes.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Raiders could only manage to bargain for two games and one solo tackle (from rookie cornerback John Bowie) in exchange for a receiver (Moss) who was a five-time All-Pro selection prior to this season. At least the Dolphins were able to get a starting center (Satele) for Welker.

Retirement Plan

From unproductive rookies struggling to find their way in the NFL, to established veterans contemplating life after football. Although it may seem like an indirect influence, the leadership style of the Giants — in particular, head coach Tom Coughlin — had a direct impact on the retirement plans of running back Tiki Barber and defensive end Michael Strahan.

Before becoming New York’s head coach in 2004 (after serving as the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach from 1995-2002 and Boston College head coach from 1991-1993), Coughlin was the Giants wide receivers coach from 1988-1990. During that time, he worked under Parcells and alongside defensive backs coach Belichick.

“Tom and I go back to our days with the Giants,” said Belichick. “We worked together on a daily basis, doing one-on-ones, seven-on-seven, passing drills and those kinds of things. We had a real good off-the-field relationship, talking about different techniques, strategies, coverages, routes and so forth.”

Like Parcells and Belichick (and maybe even more so), Coughlin built a reputation as an extremely strict disciplinarian — as far removed as a players’ coach as could be. He demanded that all players be five minutes early to meetings. If a player showed up on time, that player was punished for being five minutes late.

Worse, in training camp and as the season wore on, Coughlin demanded that all players practice full-speed and full-contact, regardless of how sore or tired (or old) a player was. These tactics intimidated rookies and exhausted veterans.

It got so bad that Barber broke under the pressure and announced his plans to retire midway through the 2006 season. Barber claimed that Coughlin’s “hard-nosed” tactics “started to take its toll,” despite having his most productive years as a professional while playing for the coach.

Tiki Barber career statistical breakdown:

Tom Coughlin (2004-2006, 48 games) – 5,040 rush yards (5.0 ypc) and 27 rush TDs
Jim Fassel (1997-2003, 106 games) – 5,409 rush yards (4.6 ypc) and 28 rush TDs

Barber’s retirement has proven to be addition by subtraction. Although a talented on-field runner, Barber was too often a polarizing influence in love with the media’s attention. Fittingly, Barber became a contributor to NBC’s “Today Show” as well as the network’s prime time Sunday “Football Night in America.”

His first noteworthy quotes came at halftime of a Giants-Ravens game on NBC. Barber ripped into his former teammate and quarterback, questioning Manning’s leadership ability on national television.

“The biggest question about Eli right now, the one everybody’s asking — and it gets convoluted a little bit in the media — is can he be a leader of men? Can he make these guys play for him when the chips are down?” asked Barber.

“It’s to be determined. He hasn’t shown it. His personality hasn’t been so that he can step up, make a strong statement and have people believe that he’s coming from his heart. … Sometimes it’s almost comical the way he would say things.”

Barber then went on to say that it was “a good thing for Eli, to tell you the truth” that he retired because it left a leadership void which the young quarterback would be forced to fill. As it turns out, Barber's retirement was a good thing for all of the Giants. The team rallied around its quarterback — who fought back in the media — and has remained unified all the way to Super Bowl XLII.

“It’s just one of those deals. I’m not going to lose any sleep about what Tiki has to say,” said Eli. “I guess I could have questioned his leadership skills last year with calling out the coach and having articles about him retiring in the middle of the season.”

While Barber was sensitive to Coughlin’s coaching tactics, Strahan seems to think that the 61-year-old boss has mellowed with age. The gap-toothed, quotable comedian and NFL’s active sack leader (141.5) may have played a role in that change of philosophy. Strahan, who also holds the single-season sack record (22.5 in 2001), threatened to retire this offseason, going so far as to hold out all of training camp.

But after thinking better of it, Strahan (9.0 sacks in ’07) has been the emotional leader of a star-studded defensive line that includes sack artists Osi Umenyiora (13.0 sacks) and Justin Tuck (10.0 sacks). The ability of Coughlin to react to the personalities around him — rather than forcing players to choose either his way or the highway — may have been the best coaching adjustment of his entire career. The more laid back Coughlin certainly has produced the best results.

“He has really changed,” said Strahan. “He’s smiling. He uses the word ‘fun’ and ‘enjoyment’ and it blows my mind every time. I never expected it out of him. When he first came here, I said to myself, ‘I have to be here this year, but after this I can’t play for this man. He’s crazy.’ But he has come around and we as players have come around.”

One of Coughlin’s new strategies was to form a players’ leadership council, comprised of 11 “respected players” — Manning, Strahan, Umenyiora, receiver Amani Toomer, linebacker Antonio Pierce, center Shaun O’Hara, guard Chris Snee (who is also Coughlin’s son-in-law), left tackle David Diehl, linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka (on IR), tight end Jeremy Shockey (on IR) and 20-year veteran punter Jeff Feagles.

“I made up my mind to do a better job communicating with the players,” said Coughlin. “The principles that I believe in, the values that I believe in — how you go about winning — that has not changed. And the players wouldn’t ask that to change. We work hard, we’re efficient, we’re on the field X amount of time. That’s the way we operate.”