No surprise here: Buddy Ryan stands for defense, for what's right in the world of football.
Sure, two elite quarterbacks (or maybe only one, but that's another debate) will play in Super Bowl XLVI, but the "Father of the 46 Defense" who made the 1985 Bears legends is poo-poohing on this season of astronomical offense. Instead, Ryan, currently hanging tough in his battle with cancer, is predicting the Giants' ferocious front four to be the difference in beating Tom Brady and the Patriots.
"Defense still wins championships," Ryan told USA Today on Monday. "The Giants are playing great defense these last five weeks. They have more good guys up front.
"I stayed in the league 30 years, because I always had great defensive linemen. When I coached the Jets, I had Gerry Philbin, John Elliott and Verlon Biggs. Then, I went to Minnesota and had 'The Purple People Eaters', Alan Page, Carl Eller, Jim Marshall.
"Then, I was in Chicago, had those guys. Then, Philadelphia, had Reggie White, Clyde Simmons, Jerome Brown."
Giants coach Tom Coughlin has Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Linval Joseph, Chris Canty, and Osi Umenyiora, who definitely are no slouches. And that's good enough for Buddy to believe defense will prevail come Sunday.
