The New York Giants suffered one of their most embarrassing losses in franchise history against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Eli Manning and company strung together just 150 total yards of offense en route to a 38-0 loss. Defensive back Antrel Rolle plans to do everything he can to make sure it ends there.
On Tuesday, the nine-year veteran said he “never” wants to know what a humiliating loss like that feels like again. He said he intends to be more aggressive on and off the field.
“That feeling that I felt last Sunday, I can never have that feeling again,” Rolle said, via the NY Daily News. “I’m gonna do whatever it takes, anything it takes. And whatever the outcome is, it is what it is.”
Rolle has always been one of the most outspoken players in the Giants locker room. He called teammates out a couple years back for not practicing through injuries and has guaranteed victory and said his team can’t be beat on many different occasions. This week, however, he was singing a different tune.
“From this point on, I don’t care what the situation may be, I don’t care what the outcome is,” Rolle said. “I don’t care what the hell has to happen. If they want to kick me up from around here, from the New York Giants, then that’s gonna be what has to happen. But I’m gonna play Antrel Rolle ball the way I know how to play Antrel Rolle ball, and I’m gonna lead the way I know how to lead.”
The former Miami Hurricane added that everyone has been getting along just fine in the locker room, but that none of that matters unless they show some fight on Sundays.
“I think we need to do some serious soul-searching within the locker room and try to understand and try to form an identity of who we’re gonna be, for one,” he said. “Do we still love to play this game? That’s No. 2. And third of all: Are we going to fight like hell to get out of the situation that we’re in?”
Unfortunately, the Giants may have already dug themselves into too deep of a hole. They’re off to an 0-3 start with a road game upcoming this week against the 3-0 Kansas City Chiefs, followed by a home game against the Philadelphia Eagles and another road contest against the Chicago Bears. A 1-5 start is a legitimate possibility for New York.
H/T LBS tipster David
