Patriots not buying into revenge angle
New England Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork answers questions during a news conference. (Jan. 30, 2012) Credit: AP
INDIANAPOLIS -- Vince Wilfork hears the Giants' confident chatter, the self-assurance emanating from the Patriots' Super Bowl XLVI opponent.
But Wilfork isn't about to get upset or tack anything up in his locker for motivation in hopes of avenging the Giants' last two wins over the Patriots.
"I don't hold anything against these guys," the defensive tackle said Monday after New England's first practice of the week here. "They should feel like they are the best team. They should feel like they are the team to beat because they are playing some good football. They are probably playing the best football that's out there, and that defensive line can play.
"You can't say anything negative toward what they've got going on. They've talked the talk and walked the walk."
Especially the past two times they've squared off against the Patriots, including the Giants' 24-20 win Nov. 6 in Foxboro, Mass. The Giants, of course, also foiled New England's bid for a 19-0 season in Super Bowl XLII, which still stings for some former Patriots, such as Rodney Harrison. He was covering David Tyree when the wideout made his famous helmet catch to help set up the winning touchdown in the Giants' 17-14 triumph four years ago.
Harrison, now an NFL analyst for NBC, said the other day that revenge would be a factor if he were playing. However, Bill Belichick, who was in a chipper mood again Monday, isn't buying the revenge angle.
"I see this game as this game," Belichick said. "There aren't really all that many people that played in the last game four years ago. This team is this team. I think our team is different than what it was in midseason, different than what it was in December. I think the Giants are a different team than when we played them in November and I think they are a different team than they were in early December.
"So this game, the elements of it, are what we have in front of us, not what happened two months ago, four years ago, whatever it was."
Only six players remain from the Patriots' Super Bowl XLII team: Wilfork, Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski, Kevin Faulk, Matt Light and Logan Mankins. So that's why the Patriots maintain that Sunday's game has zero to do with the past.
"Every time you get to this level, it's a special level," Wilfork said. "You have to enjoy it. This is something that is going to stick with you for the rest of your life. There's going to be footage. You're going to see it on NFL Films. So '07 was '07 and now we are in 2012. Both teams are different.
"I don't think we are looking for revenge. You just have two football teams wanting to play the best they can play and try to win. That's what it's going to come down to. So I don't look at it as revenge or anything going back to '07 because we are a totally different ballclub from then."
Deion Branch feels the same way about trying to avenge the Patriots' Week 9 defeat.
"That game happened, when did we play them? October, November?" the wide receiver said. "What happens Sunday won't have anything to do based on what happened in Week 9. This is a different game, the situation is going to be totally different. We've got two weeks to prepare for each other. This game is going to be at 6:30, we played those guys at 4 [last time]. This game is going to be totally different. Hopefully, the outcome will be, too."
If not, it won't be because the Patriots were all wrapped up in making amends in a rematch.
"I just don't think guys have been thinking about that," Branch said. "Nobody has time to waste trying to get themselves going, 'Hey, we need to go out here and beat these guys because they beat us in [Super Bowl] 42 and Week 9.' Hey, we are here to win the game.
"This is the Super Bowl. This is it. This is it, man."
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