Lions Beaten, Convinced by Giants, 20-0 : NFC: Detroit players, coaches see enough to believe New York (10-0) is better than San Francisco (10-0).

The debate will continue until Dec. 3, but the Detroit Lions aren’t waiting until then to cast their vote for the best of the NFL’s undefeated teams.

The Lions’ players and coaches were unanimous in their support of the New York Giants after being beaten, 20-0, Sunday by the NFC East leaders.

The Giants (10-0), who won their 13th consecutive regular-season game, stayed even with the San Francisco 49ers, who share the best record in the NFL. The Giants and 49ers play two weeks from tonight at San Francisco.

“I think right now, and I love (49er vice president) John McVay, I think the Giants are a better football team,” said Len Fontes, a former Giant assistant and now head coach of the Lions. “Looking at the way the Giants are playing now, it will be hard for them to lose a game.”

Lamar Leachman, who left the Giants after last season to coach the Lions’ defensive line, took it one step further.

“I think they are a great football team, the greatest out there,” Leachman said. “I think they’ll win the Super Bowl. I haven’t seen San Francisco, but I think (the Giants) will win the Super Bowl.”

Phil Simms kept the Giants on course with touchdown pass plays of 33 and 57 yards.

The Giants didn’t allow Detroit (3-7) any closer than the New York 29-yard line in gaining its first shutout since a 15-0 victory over Dallas last December. When the Lions got that close in the fourth quarter, Bob Gagliano’s pass was intercepted by Perry Williams.

Gagliano, who started in place of injured Rodney Peete, completed 17 of 25 passes for 123 yards. Without Peete, the Lions have scored seven points in the last two games.

“This team is different from (the Giants’ Super Bowl champions of) 1986,” center Bart Oates said. “There are a lot of new guys and a different focus. If anything, this team is more consistent.

“What I really like about this team is that even though the other team knows exactly what we are going to do, we still go out and do it. That builds confidence.”

Simms, who completed 13 of 18 passes for 170 yards, found Stephen Baker on a 33-yard scoring pass 6:26 into the game. Simms found Mark Ingram on the 57-yarder with 1:57 left in the first half.

Matt Bahr added field goals of 24 and 49 yards as the Giants scored all their points before halftime.

“I’m very happy,” Giant Coach Bill Parcells said. “We’re playing error-free. We’ve got some momentum, and we’re starting to squeeze people out. It’s also getting to be our weather.”