DARE TO BE DIFFERENT.

Coach Tom Coughlin should take advantage of the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl to add some gadget plays. Playing conventional football is no way to beat a heavily favored team.

So go deep into the playbook. We’re talking wide receiver reverses, halfback options, an unexpected onside kick, even a fake punt if the Patriots show the right look.

Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh believed that one of the best times to throw deep was right after crossing midfield. The Giants should buy into this theory: When they cross the 50, why not take a shot to the end zone, with Manning’s ability to throw the deep ball and Burress’ ability to outjump defenders?

BLITZ WITH A VARIETY OF PLAYERS – AND CRANK IT UP WHEN THE PATRIOTS ARE IN THE RED ZONE.

The strength of the Giants is their pass rush, led by Osi Umenyiora, Michael Strahan, and Justin Tuck. There are times when they should be able to pressure Brady, but the Giants cannot depend strictly on the front four. Brady’s playoff performance against the Jaguars, when he completed 26 of 28 passes, showed what he can do in the absence of blitzes. On some plays, he had enough time in the pocket to change his jersey. The Giants can’t let that happen.

Every team wants to pressure Brady, but his smarts and his line make it very difficult to reach him.

“We hit Tom Brady more in our game than any other team in the league,” says Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome. “But we never got that good, clean kill shot on him.”

The Giants must blitz Brady, but from various angles and with different people. Nothing should be off limits, not safety blitzes, not corner blitzes. Give Brady something he’s not expecting, and it might work.

“His study, his knowledge of the game, his knowledge of defenses, it’s his best asset,” says Eagles middle linebacker Omar Gaither. “Before the ball is even snapped, he’s won because of his film study.”

Brady eats up vanilla defenses. Vanilla is his favorite flavor. So the Giants should blitz more than usual, and when the Patriots are in the red zone, New York should bring the blitz almost every down. Holding the Patriots to a field goal once they reach the red zone is a victory. And one way to do that is to make Brady throw the ball a fraction of a second sooner than he wants to.