Jason Pierre-Paul vows he’s ready to be a bully again — but only on the field.
“I’m ready, bro. I’m ready to turn this corner,” Pierre-Paul said Wednesday as the Giants prepared for Sunday’s home game against the Raiders. “For the past three years I’ve been rushing the passer, you could see fear in quarterback’s eyes, you see fear in the tackle’s eyes. They respect me. … They know when they hit the field, that they got a problem.
“And this week, they’re gonna have a problem. They better bring their ‘A’ game. That’s all I can tell you, man.”
Pierre-Paul believes the back surgery that has limited him to one sack is behind him, finally.
“I say I feel like 90 percent now,” Pierre-Paul said. “For those eight games I’ve been thinking how my back is gonna take this, how I was gonna feel. I can’t think about being hurt. I didn’t get hurt by thinking. So I gotta go out and play this game like I know I can. … I went out there today and I’m turning the edge pretty good now. I’m getting there. For eight games, I’ve been thinking too much and didn’t want to get hurt. Can’t think about if I turn the corner too quick if my back’s gonna gonna give out on me.”
Best practice of the year?
“I think this is the best practice I had by far,” he said. “I feel great. I went out there and had a great practice, and I’m starting to build that confidence back in myself.”
Pierre-Paul says bring on the Raiders.
“I’m anxious,” he said. “I wish the game was right now.”
Asked about his dumping of Prince Amukamara in the cold tub two summers ago, Pierre-Paul said: “When it comes to hazing, you just can’t take it to a certain extreme, don’t do something that you don’t want to be done to you.”