Slot

INDIANAPOLIS Everyone knows you face long odds anytime you play the slots.

Except on Super Bowl Sunday.

When the New York Giants and New England Patriots meet at Lucas Oil Stadium for the right to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy, slot receivers Victor Cruz and Wes Welker figure to take center stage, literally and figuratively.

They do it with different styles and different skill sets, but Welker and Cruz share an ability to dominate the middle of the field, causing major matchup problems for opposing defenses.

"There's a lot of great slot receivers in this league,'' said Giants safety Antrel Rolle, "but right now at the top of their game, I would definitely say it's those two.''

Cruz, 25, is shiftier and more demonstrative. Welker, 30, has better hands and is more physical in high-traffic areas.

Both arrived at the Super Bowl site with additional resolve because neither Cruz nor Welker received an invitation to the annual scouting combine in Indianapolis. After that initial snub, they were bypassed in the NFL draft.

Yet, here they are on the NFL's biggest platform, working short and intermediate routes from the inside while defining the slot position for the modern generation.

"With Welker, you see a guy who the slot position seems to have been made for,'' Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "He has outstanding quickness. With Victor, you see the same kind of young guy with exceptional quickness, but who is learning as he goes along.''

Cruz has learned his lessons well.

Besides his 1,536 receiving yards and nine touchdown catches, Cruz has developed a knack for eluding tacklers and turning short passes into big gains. He has been at his best in the fourth quarter, registering 41 catches and six touchdowns, and Cruz's nine receptions of at least 40 yards ranked second this season to Detroit's Calvin Johnson (10).

The Bucs had six as a team.

"Cruz does a good job of setting up his routes,'' said Welker, who played three seasons with the Dolphins before being traded to New England in 2007. "He and Eli Manning seem to be on the same page as far as doing that 10-yard downhill out in the slot.''

The big breakthrough for Cruz came in a 2010 preseason matchup against the Jets, when he scored three times and solidified a spot on the 53-man roster. But after a hamstring injury sidelined him after three games, Cruz came to Giants training camp last summer having to prove himself again.

It didn't take long.

In a Week 3 game at Philadelphia, Cruz turned heads again, breaking three tackles en route to a 74-yard touchdown catch that triggered an end zone salsa dance — now a trademark for the offspring of a Puerto Rican mother and an African-American father.

Madonna even referenced Cruz's signature celebration during Thursday's news conference, showing off her version of his silky dance moves.

"It just kind of happened,'' said Cruz, who has turned down an invitation to "Dancing With the Stars." "I got into the end zone, and as I'm running in, I was like, 'Wow, I need to do this thing now.' Then my grandmother loved it and it just continued from there.''

The Patriots traded for Welker because coach Bill Belichick couldn't find a way to stop him in Miami. Since New England dealt two draft picks to the Dolphins, Welker has averaged an NFL-best 111 catches per season in the past five years.

"He was a very frustrating player to coach against, because we really couldn't handle him,'' Belichick said. "We don't defend him any better in practice than we did when he was in Miami.''

Welker has proved masterful in providing Tom Brady with a reliable target who keeps the chains moving. The pair is almost always in synch as Welker adjusts his route, depending on the coverage.

"I think the slot receiver is an integral part of what today's game is,'' said Welker, who was overlooked in the draft despite returning eight punts for touchdowns at Texas Tech. "It's been great to see a lot of players come out and do great things from the slot. Victor Cruz is definitely one of them. He does a really good job of getting in and out of his breaks.''

And why not? Cruz learned from the master.

"Moving laterally is something I do well, and Welker's been exceptional at that for years,'' Cruz said. "I watched a little bit of film on him and I know how good he is, so I try to steal a few things from his repertoire.''

Call it an inside job.