Approach to the Game – Baltimore Ravens vs. New York Giants, January 28, 2001: This script just keeps getting better and better and I love it. If you read my game preview for the Viking game two weeks ago you saw my assertion that the gods were on our side. And the forces that control the universe deemed it desirable that this hardworking, disrespected team in Blue come out of that conflict victorious in a dominating fashion. But then doubt crept into my mind as the Ravens, a team that seems to have received more miracles than any other, was also given a ticket to Super Bowl XXXV.
But those doubts have now subsided. First, the Giants were once against installed as underdogs. Then came the talk of the Ravens having the best defense of all time. But the most important development was this: the Ravens opened their mouths. For a week, they have done nothing but talked trash and acted like a bunch of thugs. Everything that is wrong in sport has been personified by their words off-the-field this week. The Super Bowl is the supreme altar of the NFL. It is to be treated with respect and reverence. Yet the Ravens came to Tampa and have pissed all over it.
The Giants? They have remained old-school. They quietly go about their business in preparation for the game. The G-Men do not flout, they do not boast. They realize that performance on the field is what matters. The Giants have handled themselves with class and dignity and have said all the right things about their opponent. We Giants’ fans have had a unique opportunity to see this team mature right in front of eyes over the course of the season. The transformation has been nothing short of astonishing.
Can the quality of the character of the two teams possibly be differentiated to a greater extent than how the offensive leader of the Giants and the defensive leader of the Ravens addressed their troubled pasts during this week? In a dramatic moment that long-time Super Bowl observers say they have never seen before, the hardcore press was floored by Kerry Collins’ honesty, sincerity, and most importantly, his responsibility in dealing with his past transgressions. Regardless of the outcome of the season, Kerry proved that he is a winner as a human being and that transcends even the Super Bowl. Ray Lewis? He could care less for the families of the murdered victims. He may or may not been involved in the actual murders, but he was there at the crime scene – a crime scene that he fled. Ray then later lied to the police. But according to him, it’s not his responsibility – it’s someone else’s. “I’m not responsible for my own actions – someone else is. I’m the victim” is the tiresome refrain that we unfortunately hear more and more of in today’s society. It’s the refrain of the loser.
This is a game about Good versus Evil. The Giants are not only good players, but they are good human beings. How could the gods not be pulling for class, hard work, and responsibility? How could they not be helping the underdogs? Humility versus Brash. Right versus Wrong. David versus Goliath. Regardless of the outcome, I will echo Lawrence Taylor words of a couple of weeks ago – I’m proud of this team.
I will repeat myself from my last preview as well. This game will be decided by who controls the lines of scrimmage, quarterback play, turnovers, big plays, and special teams. The Giants do not have to play the perfect game. They do not have to come out tight. They are the underdogs and have nothing to lose. Play smart, fundamentally sound football and the game will be yours. Enjoy it!
This day is called the feast of Super Bowl XXXV:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Super Bowl XXXV.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say ‘To-morrow is Super Bowl Sunday:’
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say ‘These wounds I had on Super Bowl Sunday.’
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he’ll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Kerry the Quarterback, Strahan and Armstead,
Barber and Dayne, Hamilton and Sehorn,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember’d.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Super Bowl XXXV shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember’d;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in the League now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Super Bowl Sunday.– Edited version of Henry V, Act iv, Scene 3
Giants on Offense: This is not going to be pretty. The Ravens have the best defense in the league and Giants’ fans should appreciate what good defense means. In a lot of ways, this Ravens’ defense is like the old Giants’ Super Bowl defenses: they stuff the run, get you in long-yardage situations, and take no prisoners on third down. There are very few weakness on the unit. The two defensive tackles in the middle are almost impossible to move; they keep things free for MLB Ray Lewis to make plays. The ends are athletes who can rush the passer. The outside linebackers are outstanding as well. In the secondary, the Ravens have two speedy, athletic corners (both recent first rounders), a Hall of Fame free safety, and a solid strong safety. It’s hard to run up the gut on them because of the tackles, but it is hard to get outside because of Lewis and the outside linebackers. The Ravens also force a ton of turnovers.
My message to fans would be this: respect the defense and acknowledge its impact on the Giants’ offense. Just because a play doesn’t work, it isn’t because someone on offense screwed up or the game plan stinks. The Ravens’ defense is going to make plays – a lot of them. Scoring will be at a premium and thus field position will be everything. If it is 3rd-and-15, a safe short pass or a draw play that comes up well short of the first down is not a bad play.
I think Offensive Coordinator Sean Payton shed light on the game plan this week when he said the Giants need to be patient on offense. I take that to mean that the Giants will run certain plays early that are not likely to be successful in order to set up bigger plays as the contest wears on. Thus, I do not expect the Giants to throw deep or try their trickier stuff early. It is certainly possible that the Giants may go 3-and-out the first couple of times they have the ball.
The Ravens will want to get in Kerry Collins’ face early and hit him. Like the old Giant defenders who battled Joe Montana, they will want to get him out of any kind of rhythm and try to intimidate him. Because of this, I would keep everything short and easy for Collins early: 3-step drops where he quickly makes a read and gets rid of the ball. Maximum protection. If nothing is there, throw it away. Kerry’s best decisions on Sunday may be those passes that he decides to throw out of bounds. My early bread-and-butter would be the slant and quick outs to the receivers; I would also get Greg Comella, Tiki Barber, and Pete Mitchell involved as options. What Kerry has to be careful of is not forcing throws. The Ravens know he loves to throw the slant pass – so one of their defensive backs may jump on this early. If I was going to try any big play early, I would run something like a slant-and-go route if the corners are playing tight.
What the Giants want to do is stay out of long-yardage situations at all costs. A 4-yard out to Hilliard, a 3-yard run by Barber, or a 4-yard catch by Comella is big. Keep the down and distance manageable. My game plan would involve a heavy dose of misdirection. The Ravens are very aggressive on defense – use this aggressiveness against them. Also pass when you look are in a running situation and visa versa. Don’t shout out “What the heck are they doing?” when they run a draw on 3rd-and-7 with four wide receivers in the game or throw the ball on 2nd-and-1 out of a three tight end formation. “You’ve got to change up,” Offensive Line Coach Jim McNally says. “You’ve got to the throw the ball, run a draw or run a trick play. You just can’t run the same thing over and over. You can’t play smash-mouth football with them.” When it comes to the run, counters, traps, draws, and reverses should be big. The Giants have a finesse offensive line (except for RG Ron Stone). Plays where the Giants can “influence” (hence the phrase influence blocking) their opponents to go in one direction and take themselves out of the play will be key. “The only thing you can do against big guys like (DT Tony) Siragusa and (DT Sam) Adams is when they start moving you’ve got to take them where they want to go,” said LT Lomas Brown. “When guys are that big and that strong you can’t stop them from going where they want to go. If they want to start going to the inside or the outside, you take them where they want to go and try to get them out of the way…You know you’re not going to push them back because those guys are so big. You try to work on combination blocks, maybe get two guys on one guy and get a good angle on them. It’s not like we’re going to dominate them because they have the strength and weight advantage.”
The battles up front will be decisive. LT Lomas Brown faces DE Michael McCrary (four sacks in the post-season). RT Luke Petitgout draw a tough assignment with DE Rob Burnett (10.5 sacks in the regular season). He also will be called upon to block the explosive SLB Peter Boulware who often plays in a down position in pass rush situations. Inside, LG Glenn Parker will battle it out with behemoth Siragusa while RG Ron Stone faces Adams in what may be the best confrontation on the line. Running up inside against the Ravens is almost impossible because these two defensive tackles usually demand double-team support from the center – that allows greater freedom of movement for Ray Lewis in the middle. It will be interesting to see how much the Giants test the middle; they might be tempted since Ron Stone might be able to handle Adams. I wouldn’t discount some quick hitters inside.
The big key is get a hat on Lewis – be it Zeigler (who will have problems disengaging from the tackles), FB Greg Comella, tight end, or another offensive lineman. Comella may be one of the most important men on the field on Sunday. He has the mobility to get out and engage Lewis – the big question is can he get there and sustain the block? “He is amazing,” Offensive Coordinator Sean Payton says of Lewis. “He’s the best at what he does right now. It will be a goal of ours to have a body on him, but that’s a challenge because he moves so well laterally.” The Giants may be able to pick up some yardage outside if they can get blocks on the linebackers. This is difficult as all three are quick and athletic. What it comes down to is a matter of execution. That play where Tiki starts heading in one direction, then quickly takes it to the other side (a counter) may be a staple – this gets the defense leaning in the wrong direction. I would be tempted to run a toss sweep a couple of times too. I wouldn’t try too much of that right side pull with Parker – the Raven defensive tackles will blow that up at the point of attack.
Pass protection will probably be the thing that makes or breaks this game for the G-Men. Give Kerry time and he will pick you apart. The Ravens know this and that’s why I expect them to get a bit out of character and blitz Collins more heavily than they normally would attack another quarterback. This can present problems for the Giants, but also opportunities (just like in the first and second Giants-Eagles games). The blocking of the offensive line is not also something to concentrate on, but the pass blocking of the tight ends and backs as well. Howard Cross, Pete Mitchell, Dan Campbell, Tiki Barber, and Ron Dayne need to come up big here.
Passing early, I would target the linebackers. All are athletic and WLB Jamie Sharper has been making plays in pass coverage. But these guys are a bit too aggressive at times and I’d like to see the Giants get Barber or Mitchell out on them. That’s why at times you may see the Giants try what the Jets did and spread out the defense a lot of receivers (including Mitchell and Barber).
Eventually, the Giants are going to have to take some shots deep. By using the short passing game and run early, what the Giants will hope to do is cause the linebackers and defensive backs to creep up more and more. Then you want to take your shot. This is what I meant when I said look for New York to try to use the early plays to set up the big stuff later. Cornerbacks Chris McAlister and Duane Starks are talented, athletic former first rounders who can play. McAlister plays on the right side of the defense and is likely to be on WR Amani Toomer most of the time. McAlister is a taller corner and this will work well for the Ravens. Starks, on the other hand, is a smaller, quicker guy who seems well-suited to defend Ike Hilliard. The Giants may be best advised to try to get Toomer and Hilliard out of these match-ups, as on paper, they seem to favor the Ravens. But both are very aggressive and will at times bite on moves prematurely. This could pay big dividends for the Giants. FS Ron Woodson is a savvy guy who makes plays.
Want to know who might be the real keys on Sunday? Wide receivers Joe Jurevicius and Ron Dixon. These two have a chance to make a dramatic impact against the nickel corner (Robert Bailey). Or Dixon could be moved outside and Ike then takes advantage from the slot.
The Giants need to pass protect well, but this will be Kerry Collins’ stage. He’s going to get hit and he is going to get pressure in his face. There will be times in this contest where Collins will have to stand in the pocket and accurately deliver the ball despite the oncoming rushers who will be looking to hurt him. To me, that is the last evolution he has to make. Obviously, staying away from turnovers is a must (both picks and fumbles). The backs MUST hold onto the ball as well. But if the Giants’ offense can get the Ravens back on their heels a bit, they can make some plays. The more than can get up in this game, the less of a factor the kicking game will be.
Giants on Defense: To have any sort of chance to win this game, the Giants’ defense needs to dominate on this side of the ball. It won’t be as easy as many fans think. The Ravens can power the football with HB Jamal Lewis behind a decent offensive line. They have very good speed and explosiveness at wide receiver and a tight end who can cause match-up problems. HB Priest Holmes is a quality reserve/3rd down back who impresses me every time I watch him. The Ravens may not need a lot of points in this game and any breakdown that leads to points could be decisive. The pressure will be on New York to perform at a very high level.
The first thing to watch out for is that head coach Brian Billick likes to take some shots early down the field in order to get ahead of his opponent. Thus, the Giants must be very wary early of the big throw. The adrenaline will be flowing big-time on the Giants’ defense – they have been disrespected all week and this is the Super Bowl after all. Look for the Ravens to try to take advantage of this with their own misdirection or big play early. Like I said before the Viking game, how well New York weathers this early storm will be crucial. Maintain your focus, discipline, and keep your emotions under control fellas!
Ultimately, the Ravens will revert back to their bread-and-butter: the running game. They love to pound the ball behind LT Jonathan Ogden and FB Sam Gash on left side runs. DE Cedric Jones will be the man on the spot. His performance may determine the outcome of the game. He doesn’t have to make the spectacular play and make the tackle; but he does need to stalemate Ogden at the line of scrimmage. I also think there will be greater pressure on the linebackers in run defense in this game as Gash is one of the very best blocking fullbacks in the NFL. WLB Jessie Armstead, SLB Ryan Phillips, and MLB Mike Barrow must avoid or disengage from his blocks quickly and get to Lewis. The rest of the defensive line must also dominate their opponents. DE Michael Strahan faces older, veteran RT Harry Swayne – who is more of technician than a power player. Inside, Keith Hamilton needs to take control of his battle with LG Edwin Mulitalo. Christian Peter and Cornelius Griffin should be able to do some damage against RG Mike Flynn though OC Jeff Mitchell is a very solid player. It is essential that the Giants win the war up front, keep the opposing blockers off the linebackers, and disrupt the plays.
When the Ravens throw, their receivers may cause more problems than you think. Baltimore has smaller, quicker guys than the receivers the Vikings have. These kind of receivers often cause problems for big corners. Brian Billick will test David Thomas…you can count on it. I would think he would be matched up on WR Brandon Stokley…a guy that reminds me of a poor man’s Wayne Chrebet. Stokley is the key guy to watch among the wide receivers when QB Trent Dilfer needs a first down. The most explosive starter is Quadry Ismail – a speedster who can get deep. I would think Jason Sehorn would draw him most of the day. The reserves are Patrick Johnson (a very fast player) and Jermaine Lewis (a Stephen Baker clone who makes big plays). Once again, Emmanuel McDaniel will be under pressure to perform.
A huge key will be coverage on Sharpe – the Ravens’ “go-to” guy. Much has been made of the fact that Shaun Williams (who is suffering from a tight hamstring) shut him down two years ago when Sharpe was with Denver. I would think that Williams will see a lot of Sharpe again, but if does, then someone is going to have to take up the traditional free safety responsibilities. Because of this we may see Armstead or Barrow on Sharpe more than many think. What the Giants do not want to see is Ryan Phillips get locked up on him. I think Billick tries to get Thomas or Phillips isolated in this game…how well John Fox can prevent this may determine the fate of the final score. The linebackers must also be very conscious of passes to Holmes, Lewis, and TE Ben Coates.
Play disciplined defense. Watch out for the big play early. Stuff the run. Then get after Dilfer. Trent Dilfer is the kind of guy who can lose a game all by himself. It is very important for the Giants to get in his face early and rattle him. The more they can do that without blitzing a lot, the better. Live by the blitz… They say Trent is a different guy now and he undoubtably has improved in terms of his decision-making. He also has a good arm and is capable of making some big-time throws. But Trent still is Trent. Pressure him. He will make a mistake.
Giants on Special Teams: This aspect of this game is HUGE. The kicking game and coverage most likely will be decisive. Field position will be everything in this game. You may see punt, punt, punt, punt from both teams in an effort simply to move closer to each other’s goal line. Brad Daluiso and Brad Maynard must come through on their kickoffs and punts, respectively. The Giants can ill afford to let the Ravens have the ball on the 40 yard line after a kick return. In addition, Lewis is the most dangerous punt returner in the game. If I’m the Giants, I have Maynard punt more for hang-time than distance in order to allow the coverage teams to force him to fair catch the ball. Lewis is a big play waiting to happen and all Giant fans should hold their breath when he has the ball. Of course, the head hunters on the team such as Damon Washington, Jack Golden, Thabiti Davis, Brandon Short, and Pete Monty should have something to say about that. Daluiso will be on the spot on his field goal attempts in what may be a very tight game.
It looks like Tiki Barber will field punts in this game. Getting a big return would be great, but it is more important that he properly catch and secure the ball.
The Giants also must keep an eye out for fake field goal or punt attempts, especially if the Giants’ defense is playing well.
Is this a game where the Giants finally block a field goal or punt? The Ravens have had problems with their punt protection schemes.
This review should be simple. Every old adage and cliche ever used has been applied, dissected, discussed and disabused. But only one really applies “dance with the girl you brought to the ball.” The Giants have been winning with a blend of air attack, spiced by just enough ground warfare to keep the offensive linemen fresh, AND the tendency on the part of their opponents to diss them. To date, the Ravens have shown the same idiosyncracies as the Vikings, Eagles, Jaguars and Steelers. They shrug at the Giant defense and laugh at the offense. McCrary almost was laughing out loud before the team left Baltimore, thinking that the Giants offense showed very little.
The media started the week with the same attitude, but football minds are starting to be heard. Last night, Tony Gonzalez was on with Bill Maas and crew and when asked for a prediction, said without hesitation, if the Giants don’t turn it over more than twice, they will win. Later, or earlier, depending on when it first aired, Jim Rome had Deacon Jones as a guest and the Deacon flat out said, the Giants will win because they have an offense. And that fellow BBIers is the story of this game.
But just what does that mean? It means that Kerry Collins must avoid the hatchet job of the NFL’s dirtiest defense. Taking their cue from defensive superstar, Ray “I’ve been exonerated by Shannon Sharpe” Lewis, the defense plays ugly and dirty. Not to say they wouldn’t have won anyway, but putting out two playoff QBs in a row hasn’t hurt their chances. Thus, the Ravens have one big chance for victory, send KC to the sidelines.
Are they a good defense? Yes. Are they a great defense? Deacon Jones says No. Had they won 17 games as the Dolphins did, yes, if they do it for 4 or more years, as the Steelers did, yes. Well, Deacon’s words are good enough for me. Now, how good is good? The Ravens have shut down every mediocre offense they played. They controlled the Titans, who play close to the vest anyway. But they did allow some nice offensive teams to roll up yardage and points. This could be one of those games. Can the Giants run the ball early and with success? I think not. Dayne may get his TD, but it won’t come with a 100 yard rushing effort. The middle of the Ravens D, with the Beer Keg and the Goose is pretty hefty. Backed up by linebackers who fly to the ball, the middle of the line will be impenetrable. But that’s not the Giants’ game. The linebackers are laterally active, but that leaves space for Tiki – a healthy Tiki. The corners are aggressive, but not big enough to defend the Giants wideouts, Toomer and JJ, or adept enough to seal the seams against Ike, if Kerry gets time. The Ravens won’t see a lot of Pete Mitchell, but when they do see him, he will cause major problems for them. Ron Woodson is Ron Woodson, but you can’t hit what goes past you, so Payton’s deep game should produce results.
The Ravens offense is dysfunctional, and they laugh about it. But Trent Dilfer in a different uniform is still Trent Dilfer, and the return to Tampa should give him flashbacks. When rushed, he tends to throw the ball high and up for grabs. Guess what? He hasn’t met Griffin yet or a rejuvenated Barrow. But he already knows Strahan and Peter and Hamilton. The Giants will get pressure on him. This will not be a wait and see game. Even with Jamal Lewis, the run blitz can be effective, so expect some quick hitting. The guys who do the most damage to the Giants schemes are the lesser known Ravens receivers, so expect to see a lot of nickel as the game progresses, particularly if the Giants take the lead. EMac will again play a large role. The injury to Shaun Williams is troublesome, not only because he whacks Sharpe, but also because he can be an effective blitz man against Dilfer. The early part of this game is going to be Lewis for the Ravens against Hamilton, Peter and Barrow for the Giants. When the Giants show the Ravens that they play some defense also, the game goes to Dilfer, and that is like putting it on the shoulders of Dave Brown. Good enough to stick, but don’t bet the farm on him in the clutch.
So how does John Fox game plan this one? Heavy pressure from the start. CJ and Strahan will pinch the action to the middle, for the Giant vacuum. The corners will go man up with a lot of pressure to perform so Jason and Thomas must bring their A game. Don’t expect lucky fluke bounces to go the Ravens way this game as the Giants’ secondary players have good ball awareness and these guys are hungry. Once the Lewis issue is settled, expect a blitz package with 6 guys coming, all from different angles and 2 and 3 at a time. This is the key – the Giants defense will score because Dilfer is that bad.
Now on offense, what would you do if you were Sean Payton? Well, I’ll bet he’s got GONE WITH THE WIND pretty well memorized by now. Remember back in mini-camp – so long ago – when he told me he didn’t expect much at first, but by the end of the year the Giants’ O would be right there? Well, he had it right, didn’t he? With the maturation of KC, the Payton variation of the Gruden machine is now on stage. He will take his shots. Don’t look for that deer in the headlight look from KC this week – he’s ready, and he will take his shots. The key, as always, is Tiki and Toomer. Same plays, Tiki to the left flat and look for room. Amani down the sideline. Look for Comella to try and chip on Lewis, and maybe even Dayne in the 2 back or single position, chipping on Lewis. Comella will go out of the backfield. The Giants surprise here could be Dixon, who is faster than the Ravens can get off the film, and who has unbelievable body control. With the center of the line not known for pressure, the onus will be on the back to pick up and redirect Lewis, and for Lomas to do his thing.
On specials, the Giants finally have an advantage. Dixon broke one, his first, against the Ravens in the exhibition game, and it would not be a major surprise to see him get some yardage, if the Ravens have more than 3 kickoffs. This game is going to be a battle of field position up front. Short is healthy, Golden is playing well, and if Williams can contribute, along with McDonald and Washington and Stoutmire – advantage Giants.
So, who are the X factors? Obviously Daluiso will be important. DelGreco cost the Titans one win, and didn’t help in the other. Even the Redskins won on the toe. The Ravens expect close – they are figuring they will win 3-0. If it’s close, the Giants will win, 15-10. Tiki and Toomer are going to be the studs, but look for JJ to put the dog on Herring in front of their old Coach. Also, look for a big game over the middle, which means Pete or Ike. I don’t expect a big yards out of a handoff running game, but Tiki will get his combined 100+.
Keys to the Ravens – it’s simple. Continue the job the media has done on Lewis, frustrate him, the defense will get frustrated and the Giants will make big plays. The Giants will score more than 20 points in this game, unless Tampa gets hit with torrential downpours. Kerry has found redemption. Lewis never will.