Giants Q&A: Rolle sent right message
Giants safety Antrel Rolle at the Giants training camp. (Aug. 11, 2011) Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
Antrel Rolle was his usual confident self when talking about the Patriots during the week. Was he trying to send a message to his teammates?
It sounded like it. "I'm a very confident guy," the safety said. "Sometimes it has to trickle down. No matter what happened, we weren't going to fold. No matter how hard they were pushing, we were going to make sure we stood up against that wall."
What about fellow safety Kenny Phillips, who also did some talking during the week?
He gave the Patriots their due. "This is a great team, an elite team," he said of New England. "We went out and proved to the world that we're also a great team."
Why was Rolle not on the field in the third quarter?
He had cramps in both calves, he said, and had to go into the locker room to take fluids through an IV.
Speaking of Rolle, how many yards did Wes Welker wind up with?
The Patriots' leading receiver had nine catches for 136 yards. Tight end Rob Gronkowski had eight catches for 101 yards.
Why was Michael Boley complaining after Gronkowski's late touchdown?
Boley thought the tight end had pushed off to get separation. "That's one of those calls where I thought that he did," Boley said. "Unfortunately, it happens like that sometimes."
Did this win remind Tom Coughlin of any other recent wins over the Patriots? Maybe one that ended with a Roman numeral?
No, the coach said, although he was able to recall that the Giants gave the ball back to Tom Brady with 35 seconds left in the game in Super Bowl XLII. "I wasn't real comfortable there, and even with 12 here, I wasn't real comfortable," he said. But for the most part, Coughlin said the two games were separate entities. "This was a whole new game,'' he said. "Just trying to be in the moment against a very good team. Didn't have a lot of time to think about that stuff."
How many home games in a row had the Patriots won against NFC opponents?
Eighteen, dating to November 2002 against the Packers, when they lost their first-ever NFC game at Gillette Stadium. Anyone else remember a time when the Patriots had won 18 in a row in some regard, only to lose to the Giants?
