Andrew Hansen: Well Steve, I can’t wait for a football-less weekend. What do you have planned?

Steve Nitz: I hate the bye week. I kind of lose interest for the Super Bowl. I don’t think I’ll be watching the Senior Bowl either.

AH: Hate the bye week? But how would ESPN fill up two weeks of programming? How would every single aspect of the game, even down to the last minute, get put under the microscope of ESPN’s analysts in only one week?

SN: Don’t get me wrong, I love the Super Bowl. But to me, it’s the most overrated event in all of sports. It’s only Thursday and I’m already sick of the hype.

AH: What? You’re sick of hearing about Tom Brady in a boot? He’s in a boot and he has a football game to play in two weeks? Can’t you feel the intensity?

SN: I am looking forward to two weeks of the media comparing Eli Manning to some of the all-time greats because he has had three good games in a row.

AH: Sometimes that’s all it takes. Three good games could turn into four good games. Maybe, just maybe, we could start talking about Eli as an elite quarterback. Well, not elite, but certainly better.

SN: Yes, I will look at him as a much better quarterback. But if the Giants win, everyone will compare him with the all-time greats.

I just hate when people judge quarterbacks on Super Bowls. There are a lot of great quarterbacks, like Dan Marino and Dan Fouts, who never won a Super Bowl. There are a lot of average to subpar quarterbacks, like Trent Dilfer and Jim Plunkett, who have.

AH: But Eli still has time to turn into an elite quarterback. When Dilfer won his Super Bowl, it was established that he wasn’t a good quarterback. Everyone knew that.

The roof hasn’t been put on Eli yet. He could go out there with no expectations and really make a name for himself.

SN: But if he wins, everyone will say he had a great season when he really didn’t. People don’t give credit to the Giants’ defense at all.

Yes, Eli has been playing well, but so has that defense. If the Giants had an average defense, they wouldn’t have sniffed the playoffs. Not to mention Plaxico Burress actually decided to play these last few weeks.

AH: Yeah, you’re telling a Packers fan he decided to play. The Super Bowl is going to be a game of which receiver cares more about the game: Randy Moss or Burress. It seems like both of these guys only play when they want to.

SN: Well, you have to give Randy Moss credit; he has showed up to play all season.

AH: True, but only because he knows he’s going to be getting the ball often enough. And being undefeated probably doesn’t hurt.

Speaking of Randy, I cannot wait to hear what he has to say after the Patriots win the Super Bowl. You know it’s been building up all year.

SN: Yeah, that might be what I’m looking forward to most next Sunday.

AH: So the Super Bowl isn’t going to be interesting for us; there’s always the commercials. And the pregame show. It has to be good; it takes two weeks to produce.

SN: Of course. I loved waiting two weeks to see the Ravens beat the Giants 34-7 in Super Bowl XXXV. So what’s your prediction?

AH: Let’s see. Patriots 27 Giants 17. You?

SN: I’ll say Patriots 35, Giants 10.

AH: Well, at least spring training starts soon, right?