Slugfest Mudfest
By Frank Luna
As the Niners and Giants ready themselves for Sunday's NFC Championship at the 'stick, many are questioning how a muddy field will serve as an advantage to either team. But after last weeks drubbing of two of the NFC's most potent offensive teams, San Francisco and New York know the key to victory Sunday is winning the turnover war. And war it will be. The Niners hold a definite advantage with the NFL's 8th ranked rushing team and are the best defense against the run. The Giants rank 32nd in rushing and 19th in stopping the run. But takeaways hold the key and both teams excelled at that last week, pummeling their opponents into submission with fumbles and interceptions. It will be a slugfest on Sunday mud and all, and the team that hits harder will win, simple as that. If the Niners can keep Manning from making the big play, their offense has demonstrated it's good enough to grind out a victory. Beside, everyone knows the Giants have always had trouble winning at Candlestick.
