Phillips has good feeling about Giants
Kenny Phillips after a game against the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field. (Nov. 7, 2010) Credit: Getty Images
There are some players who make brash, boastful comments every week. They guarantee wins and playoffs, give other teams poor odds of winning and sometimes even insult their opponents.
It's not only a Jets thing, either. There are plenty of Giants players who engage in that type of chatter.
Kenny Phillips usually is not one of them. The Giants safety rarely makes any predictions. But the last time he did, it was when he felt supremely confident going into what many observers believed to be an unwinnable game on Nov. 6 in Foxboro against the Patriots. He turned out to be correct.
That's why this week, his words carry some weight, standing out from the trash- talking and bravado that has been inflating the build-up to Saturday's game against the Jets with so much hot air.
"I think it's going to be something special this week," Phillips said. "We usually have a good week of practice, but it's just a feeling I have that it's going to be different from here on out. I hope I'm right."
Phillips pointed to the spirited practices that the Giants have had the last few days as they prepare for the Jets and the final two games of the regular season that will define them.
"The morale, you would think after losing five of the last six, guys would be down," Phillips said.
"Where guys are right now, you can tell they're really buying into the defense and to the whole Giants organization. Practice has been crazy. Guys are running around, having fun. I feel really positive about this week."
Phillips is part of a Giants secondary that Jets receiver Santonio Holmes verbally shredded this week, calling them poor tacklers and noting that they can be beaten over the top. The Giants don't have much of a comeback against that. They have missed tackles, and they have given up more pass plays of at least 20 yards than all but two other teams.
"He's entitled to his opinion," Phillips said. "I think it's very disrespectful. We feel a certain way [about them]. We're not going to put it in the media, but we'll have it in the back of our heads when we're out there playing . . . That's the Jets. They talk a lot. We don't."
Most of Phillips' talking was about the Giants and the vibe he's getting -- and sharing with teammates.
"I'm not the only one saying it," he said.
"We talk to each other. I'm not going to get into what we're saying, but for the most part, everybody feels positive about this week. And not only this week, the rest of the season. We're all talking about what's on the line and what we have to do. I think we're going to get after it.
"Everyone has tunnel vision right now looking at the Jets," Phillips said. "I like our chances."
