Balanced Giants will bust Ravens hype

Despite only two Pro Bowl selections, the New York Giants, perhaps the most under-heralded team in the history of the NFL, have advanced to this weekend's Super Bowl XXXV. New York only got there by defeating—no, dismantling—the Minnesota Vikings, shutting out the league's best offense for the first time in nearly a decade, while racking up 41 points of its own. And yet, as the team prepares this week to face the underwhelming Baltimore Ravens, it does so as an underdog. This is certainly undeserved, but perhaps all the better; the Giants seem to play best as underdogs. After all, they were "the worst number-one seed ever," and as Giants owner Wellington Mara predicted, with just a touch of sarcasm, after his troup's victory over the Vikings, "we'll be the worst team ever to win a Super Bowl."

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One simple statement explains the Giants' success: defense wins championships. Coordinator John Fox has honed this fine unit, making it the number-two rush defense in the league, and fifth in total defense and points allowed. Pro Bowler Jessie Armstead and should-be Pro Bowlers Keith Hamilton and Jason Sehorn have shut down some of the best in the game, including the Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Washington Redskins twice.

The particularly hard-hitting defense has been complimented by a simple yet effective offense. While the 41-point showing two weeks ago was admittedly an aberration, New York is in the top half of the league in both rushing and passing yards per game. Kerry Collins' 220-plus yards per game may not put him in Kurt Warner territory, but the Giants have won two Super Bowls with the likes of Phil Simms and Jeff Hostetler, two similarly efficient snap-callers. Plus, one of the cornerstones of the Ravens' defensive strategy is to force turnovers, something they should have difficulty with on Sunday; the Giants led the NFC in take-away-give-away ratio, at plus three. As long as Collins and runningbacks Tiki Barber and Ron Dayne protect the football, the Ravens may (gasp) have to rely on their offense for points.

Speaking of the Ravens—much has been said about "the best defense in NFL history," a claim based primarily on their newly established record for the fewest points allowed over the course of a 16-game season. But that sum was amassed from playing a grand total of six games against teams with winning records, of which they lost three. What's more, courtesy of being in the AFC Central, the Ravens got to play four games against the Cleveland Browns and the Cinnicinati Bengals, two teams who combined for seven wins this season. Additionally, the Ravens' inflated stats come courtesy of playing non-division games against such powerhouses as San Diego (1-15), Arizona (3-13), and Dallas (5-11).

Nonetheless, the Ray Lewis-led squad is good. But unlike the Giants, the Ravens have no offensive production whatsoever to fall back on. Keep in mind that this is the team that went the first five games of the season without scoring a touchdown. Baltimore quarterback Trent Dilfer was the 11th ranked passer in the AFC; Kerry Collins was fifth in the NFC.

Super Bowl XXXV will undoubtedly be a low-scoring, hard-fought game. But don't buy into the hype surrounding Ravens' defense; New York has a complete package, a solid offense, and an exceptional defense. Thankfully, the Yankees won't be the only New York team returning home with hardware this season.

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