Standing to the side of the podium where trophies and accolades were being distributed, John Fox spotted his sons. The Giants defensive coordinator opened his arms for a hug. “Kids,” he shouted, “we’re going to Tampa.”
It wasn’t long after Fox watched his defense pitch a shutout in the Giants’ stunning 41-0 pounding of the Vikings in the NFC Championship Game. As thrilled as he was, he did not allow himself even a day to enjoy the moment.
“I’ll be back in at work tomorrow morning trying to figure out a way to stop whoever we’re playing,” Fox said.
The Giants exited their stadium yesterday without knowing who stood between them and ultimate victory, but soon enough, they learned their opponent in Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa will be the Ravens, an impressive 16-3 winner over the Raiders in the AFC title game.
Prior to the season, if you had Giants-Ravens in this Super Bowl, raise your hand.
There are storylines to work with. The Ravens have one of the greatest defenses in NFL history, and all of a sudden, the Giants are a scoring menace, based on the way they ripped apart the defense-deprived Vikings. For the next two weeks, the Giants defense will develop another bad attitude when it hears how superior the Baltimore unit is.
Also, if the Giants were able to blank the mighty Vikings, what will they do against a Ravens attack led by Trent Dilfer?
Fassel gave his team two days off before returning to work on Wednesday. The Giants will head to Tampa on Sunday.
“Other than the mass influx of media it won’t be any different,” Tiki Barber said of playing in Super Bowl XXXV. “When we get on the field, it won’t be any different. When we practice it won’t be any different. When we’re in our meetings it won’t be any different. That’s what we’ve been able to do all year long.
“That’s where coach Fassel’s true test will come in, and I think he’s more than up to it. Yeah, this is an accomplishment, but we still have a lot more we can do and take pride in.”