Patriots, G-Men Ready for Some Football

Patriots, G-Men Ready for Some Football

The New England Patriots vs. New York Giants Saturday night special is shaping up as a battle within a battle. At stake is one team's pursuit of happiness and the other's play for perfect immortality.

Both squads know what's at stake in this game-of-the-year like tussle and both declare their mission is clear. The G-Men would like nothing more than to put a smashing end to New England's run for glory.

All week long, defensive stalwarts Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiorya and Antonio Pierce have testily scorned the notion that the already playoff bound Giants have little to prove and even less to play for. Seems in Giants' land, pride comes before the playoffs.

“Our objective is to win,” said Giants coach Tom Coughlin. “That's what we work for, that's what we prepare for, that's what we practice for. And it will be no different this week.”

But for the Pats, clearly it's a bit more than business-as-usual this week, as they seek to become the first NFL team to complete an undefeated regular season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins finished 14-0. But win or lose, the Patriots know they're destined for history.

All the individual records that are within Tom Brady and Randy Moss' grasps aside, the Pats will be starring as the chief headliners in the first NFL game to be simulcast on three networks (NFL Network, CBS and NBC) in history.

It's enough to get anyone's adrenaline flowing. “Put me in coach, I want to play,” Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi told AP earlier this week. “I want to win. And if what it means this week is being 16-0, yeah, I want it.”

It's the sentiment of every athlete faced with the big game. And, in an industry where a measure of pride is always on the line, regular season games don't get any bigger than this. 

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