Osi doesn't sound as if he'll be back
Now healthy, Osi Umenyiora could prove to be a big factor against Green Bay. (undated file photo) Credit: David Pokress
Osi Umenyiora never came out and said Thursday that he believes he is one loss -- or a Super Bowl victory -- from the end of his nine-season stay with the Giants. But the defensive end did not dissuade reporters from reading between the lines after he said of Sunday's playoff game against the Falcons: "I'm really cherishing this opportunity, probably more than everybody."
Umenyiora has a year left on his contract, but it seems unlikely that the Giants will keep him around as a situational player at a salary of almost $4 million, and it seems even less likely that Umenyiora will shed a tear if he departs. He's been trying to wiggle out of his contract for nearly four years, including a faux holdout during training camp last summer.
For now, though, he is "all in," as the Giants' mantra goes. Well, mostly.
Upon returning Sunday after a four-game absence because of a sprained ankle, Umenyiora was moved from his usual right end to the left side to avoid disrupting Jason Pierre-Paul. How did that go?
"Not well," he said. "I felt so awkward, man. I'm happy I got a sack over there, but it's not something I plan on continuing."
Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said that in his eyes, Umenyiora performed well.
"I just have to convince him he looks good on the left," Fewell said. "He might feel awkward, but he looks good."
Rolle remembersThis may be the first time the Giants are facing the Falcons in the playoffs, but for Antrel Rolle, it's not. Rolle was a member of the Cardinals team that beat the Falcons in the first round of the playoffs after the 2008 season. He played a critical role in a key play in that game.
Rolle returned a fumble 27 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter that swung momentum and gave the Cardinals the lead for good in their 30-24 win. The Cardinals went on to play in the Super Bowl and came within a few minutes of beating the Steelers (Santonio Holmes was on the field at the end of THAT game!). It's also interesting that the Cardinals were 9-7 and the No. 4 seed in that game against the Falcons -- which is the exact scenario the Giants have for Sunday's game.
"It's very similar," Rolle said. "Things were definitely falling into our favor [in that game], whether it was a big play or other things happening . . . It was a lot of things that played into our favor and it was a big momentum change in the game."
