You have to admit that you were a little concerned that the Giants would overlook the Detroit Lions this weekend.
Two emotional victories in a row after two rough, rough weeks can take a lot out of a football team, especially when the final 10 weeks of the season look to be as tough a collection of games as any in the NFL. The Lions are an NFL team so they're worthy of some respect, but they aren't exactly a team that keeps you up at night wondering just how you'll beat them. It can be easy to let your preparation lag a bit leading up to such games and it can be hard to fully ignite come Sunday with so little fear in your heart.
Thank goodness for C.C. Brown, then. You remember Brown, don't you? He was the "safety" for the Giants last season who spent most of his time turning his back and running after receivers who had beaten him way downfield. Or perhaps you recall his attempt to blame the media for his benching when he said that Tom Coughlin does whatever reporters tell him to do. Just look at David Diehl in the starting lineup on Sunday and you'll know that's not true.
Back to Brown, though. He's still got the gift of gab and spoke to the Detroit Free Press about this week's game with the Giants and, specifically, about Eli Manning.
"You never know what you're going to get with that guy," Brown said. "You never know if he's going to come in and make bad decisions; you don't know if he's just going to have one of them Peyton Manning games where he lights you up."
This isn't about the message, because everyone knows Brown is right. Eli's been terribly inconsistent this season and his 12 turnovers are a concern for everyone associated with Big Blue. It's about the messenger. Brown isn't a guy who gets to talk about other players, because he can't do his own job, and guys from other teams don't get to talk about guys on your team.
It's sorta like when a comedian makes a joke about an ethnic group. It's okay when you're a member of that group, but it can be more than a little dicey when you're an outsider.
U.S. & World
The Giants seem to enjoy circling their wagons when they feel they are being attacked by those not in the organization. It has brought out some of their best work in recent years. That looked to be a problem this week because everyone is whistling sunshine about the wonderful Giants. Now they've got something to tack onto the bulletin board for a little extra motivation.
If the Giants come out on Sunday and blow the Lions off the field, take a moment to remember what Brown did for them.
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com. You can follow him on Twitter.
