Back in early December, Antrel Rolle generated yawns when he boldly labeled his Giants a playoff team in the making.
On the heels of a four-game losing streak, the riffing safety appeared to be just another mouthy New York defender promising more than his team could deliver.
Funny thing is, Rolle was right. In a blur, the Giants won the NFC East and, in the process, morphed into a team nobody wants to deal with in January.
Next up: Green Bay and the 15-1 Packers in Sunday's NFC divisional playoff matchup. And Rolle is still talking.
"To me, it's another game," he told The Associated Press. "I don't put any opponent on a pedestal. I understand they have a lot of weapons on this team and they are an awesome opponent, and so are we.
"... We're a different team right now. We understand that and we're going to keep that focus and keep that drive. We're going to keep playing at that same level and we're going to pick it up a bit. We're coming in here expecting to win this game; that is going to be our mindset and stay our mind set. No one is going to tear that away from us."
Playing in Green Bay in January remains a massive headache for opponents, but the Giants are just four seasons removed from unseating the Packers at Lambeau in the NFC title game en route to winning the Super Bowl. Repeating that feat will be a tall order this time around, but even if we're staring at the end of the road for Rolle and the Giants, his words can be taken more seriously.
