Giants' formula suits Bucs, GM Dominik says

The New York Giants didn't need Sunday's Super Bowl victory to become role models for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

New York's 21-17 triumph against New England only reinforced a belief within the Bucs organization that the Giants are a franchise that embraces the core values Tampa Bay should strive to emulate.

Two weeks ago, at his introductory news conference as Tampa Bay's coach, Greg Schiano said he wanted to build a team featuring stout defense, outstanding special teams and a physical offense that takes shots downfield.

When Bucs general manager Mark Dominik was told that sounds a lot like San Francisco's winning formula this past season, he nodded in agreement.

"That's true, but I would quickly say the Giants also fit that description very well with the way they play," Dominik said.

As the Bucs enter the fourth year of their rebuilding plan, it's clear the Giants have what Tampa Bay craves.

During the 4-12 season in 2011, the Bucs had few veterans on the roster to guide the NFL's youngest team through a prolonged 10-game losing streak, leading to the dismissal of Raheem Morris and the coaching staff.

When the Giants lost five of six games to drop to 7-7 in December, New York coach Tom Coughlin realized his voice traveled only so far.

"I called for better peer pressure — that's what I was looking for," Coughlin said. "Guys were constructive, but they were also asking of each other that they study, prepare and play their very best. You are responsible to one another and you have to be accountable to one another. You have to be someone who takes great pride in that responsibility."

From that point forward, the Giants won their final six games en route to their fourth Super Bowl championship.

Accountability helps, but you also need talent.

Giants GM Jerry Reese and his scouts have done a stellar job of creating competition on the roster — another goal for Schiano's new regime.

"Our over-arching philosophy is 'find good players,' " Reese said. "I don't care what position they are, you try to stack as many good players as you can. We don't go into the draft and say, 'We're looking for a defensive end, we're looking for a quarterback.'

"We're looking for good players. That's our formula."

The Giants haven't been overly active in free agency, but they manage to add key players every year, building the depth that prevents a major drop-off when injuries occur.

Brandon Jacobs wasn't a heralded running back coming out of Southern Illinois, and Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul played only one year at the University of South Florida. Big-play wide receiver Victor Cruz wasn't drafted, and defensive end Osi Umenyiora played in relative obscurity at Troy.

One critical component of New York's success is the blend of veterans and young players, a mixture the Buccaneers have yet to emulate since Jon Gruden was dismissed as coach after the 2008 season.

Players come and go in the Meadowlands, but the philosophy never changes.

"It's been the same formula with a different makeup of the team," veteran Giants tackle Kareem McKenzie said. "The formula is, run the ball, stop the run, intercept it, that's it. NFC East football, that's what it is. Run the ball and stop the run."

Sounds like a plan.