SCOUTING REPORT : Tempo Will Win the Super Bowl

Rams Coach John Robinson wrote this scouting report with Associated Press Writer Ken Peters.

Usually when you talk about controlling the tempo of a game, you are talking about basketball. But tempo will be the key to this Super Bowl.

For the New York Giants to win, they have to slow the game down, play the way they have all season and keep the score in the teens.

They have to make Buffalo move the ball slowly.

The Bills have scored 96 points in two playoff games. The Giants have given up just 16. If anyone can slow down the no-huddle, score-in-a-hurry Buffalo attack, it is the Giants.

There is the sense, however, that the Bills are in a different zone, where everything is going right.

But, when teams have slowed them down, the Bills have looked like most anybody else in the league.

The first quarter of this game is important. Each team needs to get into its own particular rhythm right away. It’s going to be interesting early, to see who wins that struggle.

The Bills have a phenomenal record of scoring the first time they have the ball, having scored touchdowns on their first possession in nine of their last 12 games. Buffalo’s first series may be the key series of the game.

The key for the Giants’ offense is getting a real good performance from the quarterback, Jeff Hostetler, and from Dave Meggett. Meggett has to be a big factor. He has to come up with a long punt return, catch a long pass or pop a big run.

Hostetler also needs to make some big plays for them. He’s done a great job of making key first downs--like when he was being chased around and he completed that pass to Mark Bavaro late in the game to help set them up for their winning field goal against San Francisco.

Hostetler’s experience is a big issue. Although he’s played well so far, he obviously doesn’t have much experience in big pressure games, so there’s no way to know how he’ll respond Sunday.

Ottis Anderson is New York’s leading ground gainer, but he becomes an issue in this game only if the Giants can get things slowed down to their pace and try to control the game mostly on the ground.

Defensively, I think the Giants’ zone coverage will keep Buffalo from getting many big plays. The Giants have to make sure they keep Andre Reed and James Lofton in front of them, and the Giants also have to rally up to tackle Thurman Thomas whenever he catches short passes.

Leonard Marshall had a great game against the 49ers, and if he can have another and if Lawrence Taylor plays well, the Giants can pressure Jim Kelly and force Buffalo into making errors.

Buffalo’s offense really looks formidable, with Kelly, Reed, Lofton and Thomas giving them a fine passing game. Thomas may be one of the best players in the league right now. He’s a very key player, both as a runner and a pass receiver.

You saw a key factor about Kelly on Sunday when he had a bad snap on the Bills’ first drive against the Raiders, but he ran around and finally made the play for a touchdown. He’s both accurate throwing and active scrambling, and I don’t know how you control that.

The Bills are a good defensive team, and I think the Giants will play their usual conservative offense, although Hostetler will give them a different look than if Phil Simms were in there. He’s more dangerous than just a drop-back quarterback because of his scrambling.

Bruce Smith is a huge factor in the pass rush for Buffalo, and the Giants may have to use an extra guy to help block him. That could negate Meggett on some plays because he might have to stay in and block.

I know the Bills are favored, but these are both obviously great teams.

Who’s going to win? That’s the great thing about all this; they have to play the game.