Giants Bowl ‘em over at halftime
AT LEAST GIANTS fans could reminisce about the good old days at halftime. While the current team was booed off the field, trailing 17-7, 50 members of the 2007 Giants were introduced at halftime as the franchise celebrated the 10th anniversary of its Super Bowl 42 victory.
Captains Shaun O’Hara, Jeff Feagles, Antonio Pierce and Michael Strahan were the final members introduced, with Strahan and coach Tom Coughlin walking out together holding the Lombardi Trophy.
David Tyree, Justin Tuck, Brandon Jacobs and Plaxico Burress also received loud ovations while the video board also played highlights and interviews with players from that season.
The celebration was quite brief, but Strahan did take the little time he had to address the crowd.
“There’s three things I know,” Strahan said. “One, we have the best fans in the NFL. The second thing I know, is that we proved a lot of people wrong and we are the Super Bowl 42 champions.”
“And the third thing I know, we had to go through a lot of teams for this. We didn’t just win the game. We didn’t just get it done,” he added. “Fellas, I need help, what did we do?”
Strahan then jumped into the air while he and the team shouted, “We stomped you out!”
GETTING DEFENSIVE
The Giants were missing two key pieces to their defense on Monday and certainly could have used the help.
Linebacker B.J. Goodson, who had 18 tackles Week 1, was out with a lower leg injury while shutdown cornerback Janoris Jenkins missed the game due to an ankle/hand injury.
The Lions finished with just 257 total yards on offense, but the Giants missed Goodson’s ability to wrap players up as Lions running backs and receivers bounced off tacklers all game.
“We know defensively we got to be able to anchor the team,” defensive captain Jonathan Casillas said. “This is the New York Football Giants. They’re known for the defense. So we’ve got to be able to hold ourselves accountable.”
Rookie tight end Evan Engram’s first career touchdown catch in the second quarter came with an asterisk: a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, enforced on the ensuing kickoff, for appearing to grab his crotch at the end of a celebratory, Michael Jackson-type dance.
“I was just trying to dance. I was really shocked. I didn’t try to do anything intentional,” Engram said. “I was trying to talk to the refs and let them know, but I guess I accidentally touched something. But it was nothing intentional.”
NEWS AND NOTES
The Giants suffered two more injuries during the game, with right tackle Bobby Hart leaving after reaggravating an ankle injury he sustained last week. Hart lasted two plays, allowing a sack on the second, before falling to the ground a limping off the field. LB J.T. Thomas also left the game with a groin injury.