Linemen expect to show toughness Sunday

There aren't many things you can say to offensive linemen to insult them. Call them ugly, call them slow; heck, call them dirtbags. None of it really sticks. But question their toughness? That's the nuclear option when it comes to trash-talking in the NFL.

So how did Chris Snee react when Packers defensive lineman B.J. Raji said he is not impressed by the toughness of the Giants' offensive line?

"I was upset about it all night," Snee said with straight-faced sincerity. "I couldn't sleep. Really tossing and turning. I'm starting to feel a little better today."

Later, when asked about his shtick, Snee didn't break character.

"How do you know I was joking?" he said. "I didn't sleep all night. B.J. was just in my mind. He's a beast out there, so I'm grateful for the opportunity [to play against him]."

Snee did everything he could to mock Raji's comments short of driving a Mr. Softee ice cream truck. Given more time, he might have done that, too.

"Whatever you have to do to get yourself psyched up," Snee said. "Personally, it's the divisional round, so that's all I'm excited about."

Then came the hammer.

"All kidding aside, no one cares what B.J. has to say," Snee said. "Sometimes when you're young and you make it to the Pro Bowl, make it to the Super Bowl, when you have your own commercial, sometimes you feel the need to talk. Like I said, we'll do our talking on Sunday."

That last part was the consensus and not the comedic opinion of the offensive linemen who were available in the Giants' locker room Friday as the team prepared for its trip to Green Bay and Sunday's playoff game.

Their words ranged from patriotic ("Everybody's entitled to their own opinions," guard Kevin Boothe said. "This is America") to patronizing ("I think he's the best defensive tackle in the league," Snee said) to paying no heed ("I don't care," center David Baas said five times).

Baas, who was not on the field for the Dec. 4 game against Green Bay and wasn't even a Giant in the previous December game against the Packers, theoretically is exempt from Raji's critiques.

Then again, Baas missed the last Packers game with what were described only as "headaches" at the time. It later was learned that Baas had a serious neck injury that sidelined him for several weeks, but sitting out a game with a headache might be a reason to have one's toughness called out.

"I'll do my talking on Sunday with my pads," Baas said. "I don't care. He can say whatever he wants. Doesn't matter."

On the other side of the ball, the Giants' defensive linemen knew that Raji had pulled out a big card Thursday.

"I'm not saying they're soft," Raji told reporters about the Giants' blockers, "but they're not the toughest group I've been against."

"That's one thing you don't want to do is question somebody's toughness," veteran defensive tackle Rocky Bernard said. "We'll see on Sunday if he believes the same thing."

Chris Canty, who played against the Giants for four seasons as a Cowboy and has been here for three, said he disagrees with Raji.

"That's interesting to go about it that way," he said of the comments. "I'll put it this way: I wouldn't do that. But some guys do. Some guys do that to get themselves going. I don't know the motivation behind the comments that were made. We'll see on Sunday."

Canty and Bernard insisted there is little chance of Raji's remarks affecting the Giants. But that doesn't mean they'll completely brush them off or even be laughing about them when they are on the field Sunday.

"It won't bother them," Bernard said. "They'll probably remember it, though."