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| Field position looms large on Super Sunday Special to ESPN.com TAMPA, Fla. -- Surprise, surprise -- I played more golf Saturday morning, this time at Belleview Biltmore Resort in Belleair. Participating in a company-sponsored event, I played the same hole 19 times as part of a different fivesome each time. On Saturday night, I avoided the crowds gathering in the streets of Tampa to celebrate Gasparilla, the city's annual festival, and headed to a Phillip Morris function to talk about the Super Bowl, sign autographs and pose for pictures.
1. Matching up Barber: The matchups are the key to the game, but especially Tiki Barber against any of the Ravens' linebackers. If the Giants decide to spread out the offense, they will have Amani Toomer, Ike Hilliard and Jurevicius lined up against two cornerbacks and one safety. Ravens safety Rod Woodson, a big defensive back who had played cornerback forever, will more likely end up covering Jurevicius. The Giants don't get much of an advantage from the Jurevicius-Woodson matchup, and the others are a draw. So the Giants' best matchup to exploit is using Barber in the passing game. The Giants will split him out, put him in the slot and move him around in a lot of different formations. Giants offensive coordinator Sean Payton likes to employ multiple shifts before the ball is snapped. The Ravens defenders must identify where everybody goes after the Giants shift and motion. Baltimore will be forced to communicate and adjust. If one defender falls asleep or misses a signal, a Giant player could wind up open down the field. The Ravens haven't really faced a fast back like Barber. The Giants will use Barber like the Jets used Richie Anderson in Week 17, when Anderson caught 11 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown against the Ravens. That's how the Giants need to attack Ravens because I don't believe the Giants will be able to run the football in their wildest dreams. 2. Protecting Collins: Kerry Collins needs to get off to a solid start. If he struggles in the beginning, the Ravens defense will gain confidence and then can control the game. Collins must get a consistent, protective cushion in order to be effective. The line's biggest challenge will be right tackle Luke Petitgout against Ravens defensive end Rob Burnett. The Ravens must feel good about that matchup. And the Giants' interior line has its hands full against the strong, heavy push from defensive tackles Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa. The Giants don't want to be pass blocking at the end of the game against the Ravens' speed and power up front. 3. Help from penalties: The Giants can take advantage of the Ravens' aggressiveness on the corners. They can try to shift field position in their favor by throwing down the field and take a chance that either Chris McAlister or Duane Starks will make a mistake and get hit with pass-interference calls. The Giants have tall receivers, with Toomer, Ron Dixon and Jurevicius. The Giants should let them make a play on the ball and let the officials make the call. 4. Make Dilfer do it: The Giants' defense must focus its attention on shutting down Jamal Lewis and the Ravens' running game and then make Trent Dilfer beat them through the air. The Ravens haven't depended on Dilfer to win games for them all season. The Giants must make Dilfer and the receivers make plays and allow the Giants' big secondary to beat up on the receivers. 5. Dull, not Sharpe: The Giants know tight end Shannon Sharpe will be counted on to make plays in the Ravens' passing game. They must not allow him an opening in the middle of the field. The Giants have the athletes, with linebacker Jessie Armstead and safeties Sam Garnes and Shaun Williams, to create problems for Sharpe. Baltimore Ravens 1. Run the football: Not only must Jamal Lewis run the ball effectively, but he also must hold onto it. He fumbled three times against the Raiders in the AFC championship game, although the Raiders only recovered one of them. To have success, the Ravens must run the ball away from Giants defensive end Michael Strahan and behind tackle Jonathan Ogden. He's the Ravens' big horse. They must play to their strength and make the Giants defense deal with him in the running game. 2. Throw early: Offensively, the Ravens should do something unexpected and start airing it out in the first quarter. The Ravens play great defense, get good field position and like to run the football. But they should change up their strategy and throw the ball because the Giants will be loading up the box with eight men, expecting the run. Then, if the Ravens are successful and can generate points, they can rely on their defense and running game. 3. Make it special: Jermaine Lewis has been a huge contributor as a dangerous return man on special teams. His returns will be key because he can create good field position and lead to more scoring opportunities. If they win the coin toss, the Ravens might even start the game by kicking off to create field position right away. The Giants have also relied on huge special teams plays early in their playoff victories. So if the Ravens can control the special teams battle right away, the game could swing their way. 4. Stay Sharpe: Sharpe must have another big game. He has been the Ravens' primary offensive playmaker, making at least one big difference-making play in each playoff game. He needs to have at least one more in the tank to spring on the Giants. Dilfer will be looking to Sharpe as his safety valve, and the veteran tight end must produce when his number is called. 5. No big plays allowed: The Ravens' defense must refuse to allow the Giants any big plays. The Jaguars and the Jets are two teams who were able to gain yards and score points against the Ravens' defense. That can't happen against the Giants. Although the Ravens may have one of the greatest defenses of all time, they can't expect the offense to turn the game into a shooting match or an air circus. A Swann song Everyone elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Sunday had careers that deserve enshrinement. The one surprise was Lynn Swann, only because he had fallen short of the required votes for 14 years. He was the Susan Lucci of the NFL. Like Lucci, who finally won a Daytime Emmy Award for "All My Children," Swann finally got the long-awaited call to Canton. Of the two Steelers receivers on the ballot, John Stallworth was the steadier player, but Swann was more spectacular. It's a little bit like the Jerry Rice-John Taylor tandem in San Francisco, although Rice is a first-ballot lock. My former Redskins' teammate, Art Monk, was a finalist and deserves to be a Hall of Famer. His numbers speak for his qualifications. I hope Monk will be inducted in the near future. In the '80s, the Redskins went to four Super Bowls and won three. From those teams, only John Riggins and coach Joe Gibbs are in the Hall of Fame. I believe there were more Redskins players who played pretty well. Hopefully, the time will come for others. For instance, along with Monk, guard Russ Grimm and executive Bobby Beathard should be considered. I don't know the criteria for the Hall of Fame, whether it is based more on contributions to the game, statistics or other factors. Nevertheless, Hall of Fame induction is the greatest honor any athlete could receive because he is considered one of the best of all time. The voting, however, is totally subjective and out of anyone's control. It's hard to figure out why someone got voted into the Hall of Fame. But it's even harder to figure out why someone didn't. Former NFL quarterback Joe Theismann works as a game analyst for ESPN's Sunday Night Football. He will give his thoughts each day from Tampa in the Super Bowl version of his "Cup o' Joe" feature.
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