The Matchup:
Ravens special teams vs. Giants special teams
The Game:
Ravens vs. Giants, Sunday, 6 p.m. ET, CBS.
The Question:
Who will get the best of this matchup?
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Giants special teams |
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By Sean Salisbury
Special to ESPN.com
There are a lot of similarities between the Ravens' and the Giants' special teams. They will both return the ball well, with the emergence of Ron Dixon and Ike Hilliard for the Giants. And the Ravens' Jermaine Lewis may be the best punt returner in the NFL. The punters are pretty even.
Matt Stover has had a Pro Bowl year, and he's more than used to the pressure. Stover had a five week stretch where he had to win games with his foot. It wouldn't phase Stover to be kicking a 37-yarder late in the game to win the Super Bowl; in fact, he's probably expecting it. Stover has more experience in pressure situations and a higher comfort level; therefore, the Ravens special teams get the
edge.
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By Merril Hoge
Special to ESPN.com
The Giants special teams is much like the rest of their team; not a star-studded lineup, but they play solid, disciplined football. If Tiki Barber does indeed return punts, he could give the Giants a real spark and make their special teams as good as the Ravens'. Barber could certainly help them get better field position; and this game may come down to an inch here or a yard there. The biggest key for punt returners is to make people miss--and making people miss is one of Barber's biggest strengths. Ron Dixon has obviously been a recent weapon for the Giants; he could have another explosive game.
This will be a field position game, and the Giants should be able to get great kickoffs into the end zone. Good coverage will be essential; a guy like Jermaine Lewis could destroy the Giants if they give him the entire field. The Giants will have to--and should be able to--cut the field in half. In typical Giants fashion, Brad Daluiso has been quietly consistent. The Giants hope that consistency will continue, because there is no doubt the world championship could rest on the end of
his foot.
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