Live from Indianapolis, Patriots writer Nick Underhill sets the scene as Super Bowl XLVI nears. Update: Springfield native Ron Brace was made inactive prior to the game.
Lucas Oil StadiumINDIANAPOLIS – Two weeks of hype, trash-talk and analysis all comes down to this: The New England Patriots and New York Giants going head-to-head at Lucas Oil Stadium for the right to be called Super Bowl champions.
The two teams are about as evenly matched as possible, with the Patriots opening the week as 3.5-point favorites. Maintaining that edge is contingent on the health of tight end Rob Gronkowski's injured left ankle.
Gronkowski suffered a high left ankle sprain when Ravens safety Bernard Pollard landed on him while making a tackle in the AFC Championship game, and was equipped with a walking boot that he finally shed on Monday.
He practiced in a limited capacity on Thursday and Friday and is expected to start tonight, barring a setback, but the question now is if his ankle can handle 60 minutes of football.
If he proves to be a liability, it would likely force the Patriots to scrap their typical offense in favor of a three-receiver set, which would rob them of their flexibility on offense and possibly take away their ability to operate out of the no-huddle offense.
If that happens, things could become predictable and turn the tide in favor of the Giants.
HISTORY ON THE LINE: With a victory, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick would win their fourth Super Bowl ring together, joining Pittsburgh's Chuck Noll and Terry Bradshaw as the only quartback-coach combination to win four Super Bowl titles. Brady also enters the game tied with Joe Montana for most postseason victories (16).
ALL EYES ON 85?: With the release of wide receiver Tiquan Underwood last night, it's likely that Chad Ochocinco will be active for today's game after being made inactive for the AFC Championship game. It will be interesting to see how many snaps he plays. If Gronkowski goes down at some point tonight, he could be leaned on heavily.
BIGGEST STORYLINE: The biggest storyline to keep an eye on tonight outside of Gornkowski's ankle is how the Patriots deal with the New York Giants suffocating pass rush. Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul said that the unit got into Brady's head Week 9 and that he was seeing ghosts. It's hard to argue with that statement considering Brady had one of his most skittish performances of the year in that game. Will he be ready tonight?
INACTIVES: The inactives for tonight's game are Patriots quarterback Ryan Mallett, running back Shane Vereen, offensive lineman Donald Thomas, linebacker Gary Guyton, defensive lineman Ron Brace, running back Kevin Faulk and offensive lineman Nick McDonald. This could possibly be Faulk's last game as a professional, which makes the move somewhat surprising. Otherwise, no real shockers.
Running back Da'Rel Scott; wide receiver Ramses Barden; offensive linemen Jim Cordle, James Brewer and Jimmy Kennedy; defensive end Justin Trattou and linebacker Mark Herzlich are inactive for the Giants.
COVERAGE: We'll have our usual dose of coverage throughout the game with a halftime update and everything else you need to know after the game. MassLive's Ben Larsen will be hosting a live blog, and for all other updates you can follow me on Twitter.