Antrel Rolle On WFAN: Giants Weren't 'Ready' To Face Inferior Eagles
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- After a great week of practice, safety Antrel Rolle says the Giants were prepared to take on Andy Reid's Philadelphia Eagles.
But the distinction he made next came as a surprise.
"The game plan was excellent," Rolle told WFAN's Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts on Tuesday. "Were we ready to play come Sunday? No."
Listen: Rolle with Joe & Evan
The frustration and anger in Rolle's voice came through loud and clear. The Giants, after two straight losses, have seen their two-game lead wash away in the NFC East.
Not only did the Eagles embarrass Big Blue by winning 17-10, they also took the smash-mouth rivalry to a new level.
DeSean Jackson drew a flag for taunting when he flipped Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell the ball after a 50-yard catch. A hard hit from Philadelphia defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins gave running back D.J. Ware a concussion. And then there was Trevor Laws' late hit on Eli Manning.
Rolle was critical on Monday for New York's lack of retaliation. He insisted to Benigno and Roberts that he wasn't questioning the Giants' toughness.
"I never made a statement about the toughness of our team," he said. "Now, was that toughness displayed Sunday night? I can honestly admit and say that, you know, they were the toughest of the two teams."
Want to know what really bothers Rolle? The Eagles, who he says are an inferior team, got the better of the Giants.
"I'm the kind of person, like, I'm gonna call a spade a spade," said Rolle. "The truth of the matter is, that team is a good team. And I respect the Eagles. ... But at the end of the day, do they compare to us? Maybe. Are they better than us? Not at all.
"And that's the thing that really gets under my skin, you know what I mean? We win as a team and we lose as a team, without a doubt. But give yourself a chance. You know what I mean? That team, there's no way we should have lost that game Sunday night. There's no way we should have lost a few of the games we lost at the end of the day. And it got to the point where, enough is enough, man."
Despite worries about yet another second-half collapse, Rolle said his expectations are still "through the roof." But first the Giants have to get on the same page, figure out their true mindset as a team. Because, as he says, "the coaches can only do so much for us."
"We're gonna get it. We're a great team. We are a great football team," said Rolle. "And that's why I'm so upset, because I feel like we haven't gone out there and just played (like) we're a great team week in and week out. Why does every game, we got to come down to the last two minutes of the game?
"We're better than that, man. We're better than that. And as soon as we all get on the same page and understand and believe that we're better, you'll see a better Giants football team."
Giants fans: Are you as upset as Rolle? Vent your frustrations in the comments below...
