EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -Big, strong, fast, relentless, a Pro Bowler.
There are a lot of words the New York Giants use to describe teammate Justin Tuck.
Defensive tackle Barry Cofield just smiled on Thursday when asked about the NFC defensive player of the week.
“Tuck is lucky, that’s what we always say, he always finds himself around the ball,” Cofield said, before getting serious.
“When you are consistent, play hard and have that level of talent, those guys always seem to be around the ball. He has become the type of guy. When we need a big play, we look for him to make it and he has done that a lot.”
The season opener against the Washington Redskins exemplified that.
With New York leading 17-7 late in the third quarter, Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall picked off an Eli Manning pass and returned it 18 yards to the Giants 11.
It was one of those game-defining moments. In a game the Giants had dominated, Washington was on the verge of changing the momentum.
to tackle on that series to allow Osi Umenyiora and Mathias Kiwanuka to play the ends.
On first down, halfback Clint Portis tried to go off right tackle and Tuck blew through the line and took him down for a 6-yard loss.
Washington got 10 yards back on a short pass to Portis on second down, setting up a third-and-6 from the New York 7.
Jason Campbell went back to pass and Tuck broke through again, sacking him for a 2-yard loss.
“Those are changing points, tackles for losses, sacks,” cornerback Corey Webster said. “That’s big for the defense. It gets everybody going when that happens.”
On a team known for its defense, Tuck might now be its best player. In the past 19 games, including the Super Bowl in 2008, Tuck has recorded 15 1/2 sacks. When he has sack, the Giants are 14-3, and they have won nine in row when he has more than one sack. He had 1 1/2 on Sunday along with five tackles, three quarterback hurries and a pass defense.
Tuck seemed at a loss when told a teammate called him lucky.
“Osi,” Tuck said. “Osi said that. It’s absolutely Osi.”
When told no, Tuck thought about the comment.
“I am lucky, I definitely think I am,” Tuck said. “They say luck is when preparation meets opportunity. So I guess by saying I am lucky, they’re saying I’m prepared, I guess.”
years. He missed most of the 2006 season with a foot injury that required surgery, but his game really picked up in 2007 when he benefited from a training camp holdout by Michael Strahan.
It gave Tuck time to work with the first unit and he became an integral part of the line rotation. He had 10 sacks that season and then took his game to a new level in the Super Bowl run, recording five tackles, two sacks, three quarterback hurries and two other hits on Tom Brady in the title game.
Tuck, who had a career-high 12 sacks last season, said listening to players such as Strahan and Umenyiora has advanced his game as much as anything.
“Luckily for me, I have had a lot of guys in this locker room that have done well for a long time,” Tuck said. “It behooved me to pay attention to what they did and how they were able to be successful. Not only here, I like to look at a lot of people around the league and pay attention to the things they like to do against certain people.”
In a league where players generally concentrate on one position, Tuck is the exception.
“He is a Pro Bowl defensive end and when he moves down inside to tackle he is still a pretty damn good player,” Kiwanuka said. “That’s real hard. I’ve had experience being inside, that’s a tough spot to rush from.”
Center Shaun O’Hara has had the chance to occasionally go against Tuck on the inside.
d job of doing is he doesn’t give you a lot of surface to block,” O’Hara said. “He gets on angles. He’s like a boxer, constantly moving. Shifty is the only word I can think of. If you are off-balance at all, he’ll get you. He just has a knack for making big plays, and they always seem to come when you need them most. Call it clutch.”
Veteran offensive tackle Kareem McKenzie probably faces Tuck more than any other player on the Giants, who play at Dallas on Sunday. He said the things that impresses him about Tuck is his work ethic.
“What makes him a great player is the fact he works hard in every practice,” McKenzie said. “He works on different things. It’s never the same thing twice. He works on different aspects of his game to keep people guessing.”
“He’s an animal,” Webster said. “Relentless, that’s a good word to describe him. He is a guy who always tries to be great, who’s always working to be great. I think he bought into what Michael taught him and picked up where Michael left off. He is moving forward on a fine, fine journey.”
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