INDIANAPOLIS • The strong temptation all week was to pick the New York Giants over the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl XLVI.

Why?

Well, there were several reasons.

The Giants seemingly are the NFL's version of the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals: a rather ordinary team, prematurely counted out, only to launch an improbable and magical comeback to a world championship. The Giants were 7-7 after 14 games and went 1-6 between Nov. 13 and Dec. 18. But here they come, having won their last five games. The Giants' run is reminiscent of the Cardinals' surreal joy ride to a World Series triumph.

Another good reason to go with the Giants is their quarterback, Eli Manning. He's carried this imperfect team all year. He's been an ice man in the fourth quarter this season, completing 67 percent of his passes for 18 touchdowns and six interceptions and a passer rating of 111.9. He is wired in right now.

There's the history between the teams. The Giants not only defeated the Patriots in the Super Bowl four years ago, they won 24-20 at New England on Nov. 6 this season. And they were banged up by injuries at the time.

New York's blistering pass rush is applying the heat, with 20 sacks and a bunch of hits and hurries during the five-game streak. New England's shaky secondary is especially vulnerable to the deep pass, which happens to be an Eli specialty these days.

I could go on. All week in Indianapolis, the buzz has been about the Giants. But after a long bout with indecision, I'm going with New England — much to the chagrin of my Patriot-hating pals in St. Louis.

Here's why:

Bill Belichick and Tom Brady • The Patriots' 2001, 2003 and 2004 teams won the Super Bowl, but the fourth championship has been a long time coming. Brady will be 35 next season, and Belichick is approaching 60.

The coach and his quarterback are undoubtedly haunted by the wicked loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII. They can't be sure if they'll have another chance to match the four Super Bowl titles won by the coach-quarterback combo of Pittsburgh's Chuck Noll and Terry Bradshaw.

Brady is overdue. He shredded Denver in an AFC playoff game three weeks ago, but is 2-3 in his last five postseason games, with several uneven performances. A special place in history is on the line for a football partnership that's excelled in so many big games during their 11 seasons together. I think we'll see Brady and Belichick at their best on Sunday.

Coaching adjustments • Yes, the Giants have won their last two games against the Patriots. Since 2001, it's been rare to see winning streaks against New England. When Belichick's Patriots lose to an opponent, they've gone 26-7 in their next game against that same foe.

The Giants will be going for their third victory in a row against Belichick. Good luck with that. He's lost three consecutive games to an individual opponent only twice since 2001, and those losses were spread over multiple seasons.

Heck, Belichick and Brady seemed to figure something out during the November loss to the Giants, scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter before losing in the final seconds.

Belichick is a great coach who learns from his setbacks. The Patriots didn't use much hurry-up offense against the Giants in their first game this season, but it figures to be part of the Super Bowl strategy to slow NY's pass rush.

The Patriots' superior offensive line • I've heard this all week: "The team that keeps its quarterback upright will win."

New England has allowed only 34 sacks in 18 games this season. In the regular-season encounter, the Giants did sack Brady twice but managed only 10 total pressures on his 52 dropbacks.

Belichick used extra blockers up front to keep the Giants away the first time, and he'll come up with something this time. But left offensive tackle Matt Light will have to play very well.

Manning was harassed more than any full-time QB quarterback this season. According to Pro Football Focus, Manning has been pressured on 39 percent of his dropbacks. Though he's been cool under fire for the most part, Manning has thrown seven interceptions when pressured this season. And the Patriots have an opportunistic defense that ranked third in the NFL in interceptions and seventh in sacks. Manning is due for a couple of bad INTs.

The Patriots are the hottest team • For all of the chatter about the Giants' momentum, why are we overlooking the Patriots' impressive 10-game winning streak? They've averaged 36 points in winning the last 10, with Brady passing for 25 touchdowns and only five interceptions.

Moreover, the Giants were only 9-7 this season. No team has ever won a Super Bowl with as few as nine regular-season wins. The Giants are also the only team of the Super Bowl Era to reach Super Sunday after being outscored during the regular season.

The Patriots are resilient • Late in the season New England trailed Miami 17-0 and won, then won again by wiping out a 21-point deficit against Buffalo. The Patriots were losing to Baltimore going into the fourth quarter of the AFC title game.

Belichick has been patching holes and moving forward all season. No one knows if tight end Rob Gronkowski can play effectively because of a high ankle sprain, and he's been a valuable piece of the offense.

But the Patriots always seem to find a way to compensate. The other tight end, Aaron Hernandez, has taken on a more prominent role late in the season, and he's emerging as a dangerous option for Brady.

This is a tough call. I've gone back and forth all week.

New England 27, New York 21.