Pierre-Paul stars in Giants' loss

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- What did Jason Pierre-Paul think about his performance in Saturday night's preseason opener? Not much. And that's exactly why it was so effective.

The second-year player admitted that he basically turned his brain off while on the field and allowed his newfound instincts and his raw freakish athleticism to take over. After showing flashes of potential as a rookie last season, Pierre-Paul opened this preseason with two sacks -- and nearly a third -- in one quarter of play against a two-time Pro Bowl tackle.

"It was very encouraging," Pierre-Paul said. "It makes me feel better about myself and what I'm doing."

That may have been the only understated part of his performance: his description of it. Fortunately, Tom Coughlin picked up the verbal slack.

"Jason did a heck of a job," Coughlin said. "He was very physical. He had the two sacks and just missed on another, was a penetrator, was a force. He really enjoyed playing and I thought he gave us a real spark."

He was one of the few highlights for a team that scored only three offensive points, looked out of whack with the ball and might have lost its kicker for the time being because of a thigh injury. The Giants lost to the Panthers, 20-10, but Pierre-Paul for the first time looked to be living up to the potential the Giants were drooling over when they picked him in the first round of the 2010 draft.

It was Pierre-Paul who applied the pressure on Jimmy Clausen on the first drive of the game, forcing the quarterback to throw his pass for DeAngelo Williams early and right into the waiting hands of linebacker Michael Boley, who returned it 56 yards for a touchdown just 2:03 into the game.

The Giants' defense led the NFL in takeaways in 2010, but it was a sore subject with coordinator Perry Fewell that they could not convert them into points. This summer the team concentrated on returning every loose ball in practice all the way to the end zone, sometimes at the expense of missing the next rep. And it paid off this time.

On the next series, Pierre-Paul put a remarkable move on left tackle Jordan Gross, faking inside, juking outside and then coming back inside before swallowing Clausen. On his second sack, he was rushing outside, shed Gross and dragged Clausen down from behind as he attempted to move out of the pocket.

"I feel more comfortable that I know the calls and I'm not thinking about anything but the call and executing the play," Pierre-Paul said. "I know what I'm doing. I'm just going straight to the ball. I'm not really thinking a lot, I just go straight to the ball."

With Osi Umenyiora possibly returning to practice this week after receiving a green light from a knee specialist, Pierre-Paul's performance could impact how the Giants handle the disgruntled defensive end. Pierre-Paul certainly put a dent in Umenyiora's bargaining position as he seeks a new contract or a trade.

Pierre-Paul did say he hopes Umenyiora returns soon because he'll add depth to the defensive line. What would that mean for him, though?

"It's all up to the coaches," he said. "I'm just going out there and whatever the coaches want me to do, I'm doing. If they want me to be a second-teamer or whatever, I'm going to do what I can for the team."