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| Ravens' defense rules the day Special to ESPN.com TAMPA, Fla. -- Except for the lopsided final score, Super Bowl XXXV went pretty much according to plan. People were saying it would be a boring, defense-dominated game. That would have been the case if both teams were running the ball. But hard-hitting defense, especially by the world champion Baltimore Ravens, and lots of passing made the game great to watch.
Chris McAlister's interception before the half. The Giants had a chance to score at least three points before halftime. A field goal at the end of the half and a 10-3 deficit would have given them a little momentum going into the locker room. But McAlister's interception kept the Giants shut out going into the locker room. And the Ravens were going to get the ball back to start the third quarter. Best coaching move The Ravens throwing the ball early. They began attacking the Giants' defense from the start and were successful, connecting on one pass -- to Brandon Stokley -- for the game's first score. The luckiest move came when the Giants won the toss and elected to receive. The Ravens were able to put their best unit on the field to start the game. Super stat Four Ravens' interceptions. However, the most amazing one is Ray Lewis getting his hands on so many passes as a middle linebacker. Unsung heroes The Ravens' offensive line -- tackles Jonathan Ogden and Harry Swayne, guards Edwin Mulitalo and Mike Flynn and center Jeff Mitchell. The Giants' defense can really put pressure on a quarterback. The Ravens' line did a terrific job of giving Dilfer time to throw the ball. They also opened up enough holes for Jamal Lewis to gain 102 yards on the ground. Biggest surprise The ineffectiveness of the Giants' passing game. I thought the Giants would throw the ball better than they did, at least completing the short passes. But Collins had trouble with the short, intermediate and long passes, completing only 15 of 39 attempts. X-factor Ravens' special teams, and namely Jermaine Lewis. He has been a dangerous weapon all season. He was sprung on the Giants at the right time, immediately after the Giants' only touchdown. What's next for the Giants? The Giants will look at themselves in the mirror and ask, "What were we able to do all season that we were not able to do in the Super Bowl?" The Giants need to create more offensive production. The game boiled down to freak plays, like interception returns and kickoff returns for touchdowns. There were 41 points scored in the game, but 21 came in 36 seconds off defense and special teams. The Giants need to add more receiving weapons; that's one area they need to address. They were good and won a lot of games, but they still need to build. The Giants were good enough to get to the Super Bowl; anyone can get to the title game, but not everyone can win the title. What's next for the Ravens? How do you top a world championship? Defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis will more than likely become the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns. So the Ravens need to identify a new defensive coach who can call the signals and maintain their excellence. The Ravens have to address questions at quarterback because I expect Trent Dilfer, as a free agent, to sign with another team. The job should either fall to Tony Banks or rookie Chris Redman, unless they choose to sign another free agent. Either way, the Ravens need production at quarterback to stay ahead of just the teams in their division, like Tennessee and Jacksonville, let alone the rest of the league.
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