by: Claude Clayborne
Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Mathias Kiwanuka might as well be Dale Earnhardt, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon when they are on the field at the same time. Together, they combine to form the New York Football Giants “NASCAR” package an entire defensive line of defensive ends.
The speed is there to burn for the Giants and they use it very well. The key to the NASCAR Package is not the individual rushing ability of any one of the supremely talented Giants ends. The irony of a team using a “NASCAR” package in a Super Bowl in Indianapolis is damning. The nastiness of this package is the stunt games they employ with all that speed on the field to get pressure on the QB. This type of hyper pressure allows the Giants to sit in absurdly soft long distance coverages on long downs. Justin Tuck is especially vicious when he is coming on a variety of moves. He’s a nightmare against guards and centers in this package.
The Patriots need to stay ahead of the chains running or passing 21 personnel or five wide sets to keep the NASCAR gang at bay or its is curtains for Belichick and company. The four ends played 74 snaps together in the regular season, according to ESPN Stats and it’s interesting to note their season high (26) came in Week 9 against the Patriots. They pressured Brady into two ugly interceptions in that game and a Giants victory.
The Giants originated the beat Brady to death blueprint for victory in the 2007 Super Bowl. As brilliant as the Patriots are in big games, the Giants are built to beat them and the NASCAR Package is a big reason why ….. along with Manning to Manningham and Cruz and Bricks to Nicks. If the Patriots can get the Giants out of their comfort zone and stay balanced out of bigger sets and keep the NASCAR Package off the field, I believe they have a legitimate chance to win this game. Otherwise, look for a piranha feeding to occur on Gisele Bundchen’s boo thang and result in a second victory for the Giants in as many Super Bowl meetings with the Pats.
Broccoli