Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
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AP
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“TEAM FIRST,” they read.
Sunday, the Giants played under the knowledge that this was no longer a suggestion but an edict. Their best receiver, Plaxico Burress, didn’t pass through that door to play against Seattle. After missing a team meeting, Burress was banished from the team for two weeks.
How did the Giants respond to this little bit of upheaval? By hanging a resounding 44-6 beating on the Seattle Seahawks that improved New York’s record to 4-0.
These Giants know turmoil. They’ve seen enough controversy in the past few seasons to understand the ebb and flow of chaos. From Tiki Barber to Michael Strahan to Jeremy Shockey to Eli Manning to Tom Coughlin, the G-Men have built up mental endurance and an ability to compartmentalize.
They’ve gotten to the point now where you can lob a grenade into their locker room and they’ll just shake the ceiling dust out of their hair, yank on their helmets and play football.
“We all know (nobody’s bigger than the team),” Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce said. “We know what (that philosophy) did for us a year ago.”
Last year at this time, the Giants were dealing with persistent speculation that coach Coughlin would be fired and the constant questioning of Manning’s ability to lead.
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By halftime, Burress’ replacement, Domenik Hixon, had more than 100 receiving yards and the Giants were up 27-6.
“This team has been through it all,” said Pierce. “In the last four years, this team has had injuries, (the coach) was about to get fired, people have been fired during the season. Whatever you throw at us, whatever the situation is you gotta face it. We’re professionals, we go about our business. This 2008 team is coming with its own identity.”
And this identity allows them to ignore the big tents, clown cars and bearded ladies when the circus comes to town.
“Give this team distractions and we don’t focus on them,” offensive lineman Grey Ruegamer said. “We focus on the task at hand and that’s to play football. Coach Coughlin does a very good job of directing us towards what we need to do. Anything that happens outside is irrelevant. We’re here on Sundays and we play on Sundays with whoever’s here.”
Coughlin was predictably effervescent when asked about Burress.
“We are just talking about today and winning the game, a bunch of guys playing as a team and realizing the idea and the concept of team,” he barked.
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“We put our foot down and just kept mashing,” Pierce said. "(The Seahawks) talked about being physical. At the end of the day, I think everybody witnessed what happened.”
The Giants are now one of two NFL unbeatens, along with Tennessee. That puts the hammer to the notion that New York wouldn’t be able to deal with its stunning success in 2007.
Part of that has to be attributable to the fact the Giants are able to ignore that which doesn’t directly impact what happens on Sundays. Ignore or turn it in their favor, according to Pierce.
“All the questions about a coach getting fired or a guy’s retirement, it’s not positive,” Pierce said, dredging up old storylines as evidence. And the more negatives you have, it just builds up. But with this team, what we’ve learned is, two negatives equal a positive. The Giants figured out that philosophy.”
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Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
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Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
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Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
