Giants' Hedgecock goes way back with Bears' Peppers
Giants' fullback Madison Hedgecock loosens up at the start of the Giants' morning practice at the University at Albany. (Aug. 3, 2010) Credit: Photo by Jon Winslow
Madison Hedgecock and Julius Peppers figure to get together after the Bears-Giants game Sunday night at New Meadowlands Stadium to renew ties from their playing days at North Carolina. But first, the Giants fullback must join teammates in butting heads with the 6-7, 283-pound defensive end to keep him from disrupting the offense.
In that respect, it's good that Hedgecock has plenty of experience trying to block Peppers going back to their time with the Tar Heels.
"I know all about him," Hedgecock said Thursday. "He's a very good athlete. I've seen him pick off flare passes and take them to the house. He runs well for a big man. He's fun to play with on the same team and he's fun to watch, but he's not fun to play against."
The last time the Giants saw Peppers, he was sacking Eli Manning once during the Panthers' 41-9 win last December. He joined the Bears as a free agent, and now he's with a 3-0 team allowing 39 yards rushing a game.
Peppers' stats are unimpressive - one sack and seven tackles. But Hedgecock puts no stock in numbers.
"Stats are useless information," he said. "It's a way to measure, but what if they're putting three guys on him and he doesn't have any sacks? You're going to say, 'He doesn't get any sacks anymore. There must be something wrong.' But if the rest of the team is winning, it doesn't matter."
Two games ago, the Giants struggled to contain Colts end Dwight Freeney, and Peppers is 6 inches taller and 15 pounds heavier. "They're two different types of rushers," tackle Kareem McKenzie said. "They do things differently, but they're equally talented."
Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said Peppers, who has 82 sacks in nine seasons, is in the category of premier pass-rushers who require special attention. He will try to give blocking help to the tackles whenever possible, usually with a tight end or back. The Bears flip-flop Peppers, so David Diehl and McKenzie will see him throughout the game, as will tight end Kevin Boss and Hedgecock.
"Since I've been in the NFL, people have done that to him," Hedgecock said of the double-team schemes Peppers faces.
"He can create problems because people start overemphasizing stopping him. It can create weaker points in your coverage where the other guy that nobody builds up to be that great of a pass-rusher starts having sacks. In my opinion, never lose your cool as an offense just because you have to face a great player like that. Keep an even keel."
