Whenever someone is looking to take over a new residence, it’s often best to inspect the place first and make sure the surroundings are comfortable. That might be what the Seahawks have in mind Sunday when they play the Giants at MetLife Stadium, site of Super Bowl XLVIII.
The Seahawks (11-2) look every bit like a team that could represent the NFC when the Vince Lombardi trophy is at stake on Feb 2. That would mean spending the week at a New Jersey hotel, practicing at the Giants training facility, and spending quality time in the New York area before playing the big game in the Giants’ home stadium.
While Seattle coach Pete Carroll insisted, “We’re not looking at it that way. We’re just trying to get there and get focused on this game,” at least one Giant is sure playing at the Super Bowl site will be part of Carroll’s pep talk this week.
“As a coach why wouldn’t you?” said cornerback Terrell Thomas, who played for Carroll at Southern California. “You’ve already clinched a playoff spot. At the start of the season, your goal is to win the Super Bowl, so it’s ‘Here we are fellas. This is going to be like the Super Bowl. It’s going to snowing and it’s going to cold. So we need to get ready.’”
The Giants understand someone else will be in their locker room and practicing on their field in preparation for the Super Bowl. But don’t expect them to be hospitable starting Sunday.
“For us this is about pride and finishing the season strong,” Thomas said of the Giants’ three remaining games. “We’re a good team that started too late and put ourselves in a hole by losing some close games. But we’re going to give them everything we’ve got.”
What might be hard to swallow is the Seahawks look better equipped to play in cold weather than the Giants. They have the NFL’s third-best rushing offense at 141.5 yards per game; they’re tied for third in the league in turnover differential at plus-12; their defense is ranked No. 1 in the league, allowing just 287.1 yards per game; and they’re one of the more physical teams in the league.
All of that is a credit to Carroll.
“He wants confident guys out there that can back up what they say,” Thomas said. “That’s why you see so much trash-talking coming out of some of their players. But I think they do a good job of backing it up. We were kind of the same way at SC. You could almost say arrogant with cockiness. That’s his mentality. He is one of the coaches that’s going to prepare his butt off and have his players ready as well. So come Sunday it could be fun.”
The Giants say they’re not jealous of the Seahawks. It’s not as if Seattle had anything to do with them being 5-8.
“We should have done more to put ourselves in position to get to [the Super Bowl],” defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins said. “What we can control is to come out and play our best game of the season and take it from there.”
The reality of another non-playoff season has made this an unusual week for the Giants, who haven’t been out of the mix this early since 2004. Now they say they’re playing for pride and to show character and respect for their franchise and their jobs. It’s as much a mind game as it is getting motivated for the Seahawks.
“We’re preparing as if we’re still in the race,” Thomas said. “We’re going to fight. It’s a good challenge and good gauge against the best team in the NFC. If we can get them in our house and beat them it would be good for us.”
MetLife Stadium could be home to the Seahawks seven weeks from now. But the Giants hope to remind them it’s still their house on Sunday.