Giants, Pats in prime positions

Super Bowl teams return leadership, youth next season

INDIANAPOLIS— With Super Bowl XLVI in the books, there’s no time like the present to look ahead to Super Bowl XLVII and whether it might feature the champion New York Giants or AFC winning New England Patriots, who have combined for five of the last 11 titles.

The average age of each team’s starting lineup is roughly 27. The Giants’ Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks and Jason Pierre- Paul and the Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez and Jerod Mayo are ascending stars.

Perhaps most important, each franchise features a quarterback in his prime.

“I’m excited about a number of young guys who stepped up this season,” Giants quarterback and two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, 31, said Monday of his supporting cast. “There were some questions going into the beginning of the season on a few spots, but that quickly got answered.”

Elder contributors are also important.

Tom Coughlin, 65, who became the oldest coach to win a Super Bowl, said Monday that he was eager to return to the sideline in 2012, the last year of his contract.

Can the Giants improve for 2012? “If we won this year,” linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka said of New York’s 9- 7 regular season, “no doubt in my mind.”

There might be a few doubts creeping in for the Patriots, now seven years removed from their last title. Tom Brady comes off another MVP- caliber season, but he will be 35 by next opening day. Offensive starters Deion Branch, Dan Connolly, Benjarvus Green- Ellis and Wes Welker are headed for free agency, though Welker could get the franchise tag if he’s not re- signed soon.

But the Patriots have averaged nearly 13 wins over the last nine regular seasons. And new blood should be on its way in a few months as the team has four picks in the first two rounds of the draft.

“We have set a level of expectation that’s high,” owner Robert Kraft said.

By Kirby Lee, US Presswire Top of the world, top of his game: Quarterback Eli Manning accepts Super Bowl XLVI MVP honors Monday for leading the Giants to a 21- 17win against the Patriots on Sunday in Indianapolis. Manning, 31, will guide a similar roster next season.

By H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY Standing tall: Patriots star Tom Brady, 34, is coming off one of his best seasons in 2011.

By Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY Oldest champ: Tom Coughlin, 65, says he will return.