| TAMPA, Fla. — When people talk about what the Ravens
need to do to move the ball on offense, they usually ramble on about RB Jamal Lewis, TE
Shannon Sharpe and QB Trent Dilfer. Lewis obviously had a sensational rookie season
rushing the ball. Sharpe has been making big plays, has caught a ton of balls during a
career that will probably land him in the Hall of Fame someday and is the NFL’s
ultimate quote machine. Dilfer plays the critical QB position, so even though he is not
the next Joe Montana, he still gets a lot of publicity. That said, one of the NFL’s
50 or so best players gets lost in the shuffle because of the position he plays. That
player is Ravens OT Jonathan Ogden, who just may have been the best at his position this
season. As well as he played, however, he flies below the radar of massive public
attention because of the anonymous nature of offensive linemen.
When asked if the Super Bowl and its media overkill is the only place an offensive
lineman such as himself gets a heavy dose of media attention, Ogden said, "I
wouldn’t say it’s the only setting. I got a little bit of the limelight when I
got my new contract, but pretty much this is about it. It’s the only place an
offensive lineman would have a little table set up with a bowl of water on it."
Rest assured, the fact that Ogden doesn’t get the hype of skill-position players
does not mean the Giants are unaware of him.
"They are a power team, they like running the ball," said Giants LB Jessie
Armstead of the success Baltimore has running the ball behind Ogden. "Why
wouldn’t you run behind a guy you gave 15 million dollars to?"
The key right now for the Ravens and Giants is focus. Don’t worry about the Super
Bowl hype. Don’t worry about other issues. Just worry about your opponent.
"You have to keep things in perspective," said Giants RB Tiki Barber.
"Al Groh actually called me on Saturday. And he told me, ‘One thing you have to
remember and the one thing you have to let all of your teammates remember is: don’t
try to win the Super Bowl. Just try to beat the Baltimore Ravens. And don’t make it
bigger than any other game, because when you start to do that you start to lose what it is
all about, and it’s all about winning."
Giants DT Keith Hamilton made a similar point when he was asked about being respected
as a defense, and he said that no longer is the issue.
"Nobody counted on us being here," he said. "The no-respect factor has
helped us a lot this year. But when you get this far, it’s not about respect,
it’s about winning this football game."
Both Super Bowl teams have been riding their defense to success this season, so it
should come as no surprise that the spotlight is shining on Ravens defensive coordinator
Marvin Lewis and Giants defensive coordinator John Fox.
Here’s what people are saying about Lewis:
Ravens DT Tony Siragusa: "I think he’s a genius. He puts us in the best
situation with the best calls out there to perform to the best of our abilities.
There’s a lot of talk about him being a head coach, and I think he’d be a great
head coach. He’s a motivator, and he learned two different styles from Ted
Marchibroda and Brian Billick."
Ravens WR Qadry Ismail: "I think that Marvin Lewis has done a terrific job of just
having the right guys in there. He knows when to be laid back and when to be intense. Our
defense just comes ready to play and it shows."
Ravens DE Michael McCrary: "Marvin Lewis has done a great job. He relies on the
talent that we have on defense. He prepares us for the game because we do a lot of
studying. He does a great job of preparing us for the tendencies of teams and preparing
those stats for us. He utilizes the talent we have and makes the most of what we have. He
believes in us. He is also a teacher, not just a coach. … He will make an excellent
head coach. He is a student of the game. He knows his stuff, and I just hope he
doesn’t end up coaching in our division."
Here’s what people are saying about Fox:
Giants S Shaun Williams: "Coach Fox is an outstanding and dedicated coach. He is
really a motivating coach. He’ll get on your case when you are doing bad. I love
playing for him. He really helps players elevate their game to another level, and I think
it shows with our defense."
Giants DT Keith Hamilton: "He’s a great coach and a guy who really demands a
lot of his players. Defensively, I don’t think there’s a better mind in the game
today. He takes the strength of the opposing offense and negates it. If a team runs the
ball, we’re going to stick eight guys in the box and make you throw it. He does what
he does very well, and he makes you want to go out and play hard for him. He can get the
most out of his guys."
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