Everyone expects the NFC Championship game to be one of the most physical match-ups of the year. One reason for that is it involves the 49ers, who may have the best defense in the NFL, and are certainly among the league’s toughest teams. The more obvious reason is that it is the NFC Championship game. If the chance to play in Super Bowl 46 doesn’t get your blood boiling, nothing will. Brandon Jacobs is certainly excited, as evidence by the fact that he wants to be hit in the head.
“I wish like hell they’d hit me in the head. …,” Jacobs said Thursday according to NFL.com. “A helmet-to-helmet hit. I want one of those. Because that means they’re staying high, you know. They’re not going to the ground and trying to make tackles at the shoe strings.”
Easy, Brandon. Just because you’ve gone from historic malcontent to playoff big mouth over the course of a few months doesn’t mean you’re the Giants’ X-factor. Jacobs was extremely effective in a blowout win over the Falcons in the Wild Card round, rushing for 92 yards on 14 carries. He was virtually nonexistent, however, against the Packers, as he picked up only 22 yards on nine carries. Still, Jacobs seems tired of hearing about how tough the Niners’ defense can be.
“I really don’t care how physical they are,” he said. “It’s going to be a football game. They’re a physical bunch; we’re a physical bunch. We’re going to be out there playing ball. I’m not afraid of them, I’m not afraid of anybody on their team, I’m not afraid of anybody in their organization. I’m ready to play football.”
The question is which Brandon Jacobs will show up? Will it be the Jacobs that punishes defenders for trying to take him down or the one that can’t even get out of his own way, let alone run through a guy like Patrick Willis? We’re about 72 hours away from finding out.
