Sports

TURNING THE CORNER – WILLS TAKE GIANT STEPS

PHILADELPHIA – Anyone wondering about the mental makeup of Will Peterson would have found his reaction to a key play last season revealing.

As a rookie cornerback, Peterson was the player beaten by receiver James Thrash for the game-winning touchdown in a 10-9 Eagles victory last October at Giants Stadium. It wasn’t as if Peterson was beaten badly, as he followed Thrash into the corner of the end zone and was barely a half-step away when Donovan McNabb delivered the pass.

That McNabb broke containment, scrambled out of the pocket and bought himself the time he needed to wait for Thrash to escape Peterson’s clutches made the play even more difficult for Peterson.

Looking back, Peterson this past week recalled every detail of the play.

“It was definitely a step in my career,” Peterson said. “I remember looking back at it, after that game I was looking how one play can change the game. That made me focus a lot on being perfect on every play, making sure to keep a receiver in front of you, so it changed my game a little bit. I grew from that.

“At the time I said it was my fault, I took the blame for the play. People were saying McNabb scrambled, you can’t say Kenny [Holmes] or [Michael] Strahan should have had contain on him. Whoever caught the ball, who got the ball, it was a receiver, it was my receiver, so it was my fault.”

There hasn’t been much for the Giants to find fault with regarding Peterson, one of their brightest young players. He started the first five games at right cornerback but sat out the 17-10 loss to the Falcons because of a lingering toe injury on his left foot. Last night, as the Giants faced the Eagles at Veterans Stadium, Peterson was expected to return to the starting lineup, moving Jason Sehorn back in the nickel-back role that he filled in the first five games.

Failure can damage the psyche of a rookie, but Peterson did not come off as an ordinary rookie a year ago. He made mistakes, but he never appeared to lose his confidence and never steered clear of the aggressive nature he brings to the field. With Will Allen, last year’s first-round draft pick, playing solidly on the left side, the Giants have the luxury of two young, talented cornerbacks, both of whom do not get mentally crushed if they happen to get beat.

Peterson said he learned some valuable lessons after going against McNabb and the Eagles twice last season, lessons he hoped would help him in last night’s encounter. Now that he’s seen the way McNabb can avoid the rush, Peterson knows the importance of sticking to his receiver long after the play has broken down. Peterson also has a better idea of how the Eagles’ receivers adjust after McNabb breaks free of the pocket.

“You have to look at the team you’re facing,” Peterson said. “Do they turn it up when he scrambles? Do they come back to the ball when he scrambles?”

Peterson now believes he has a better understanding of how to deal with the Eagles’ passing game. The same holds true for Allen, who also looks back to his rookie-year battle with the Eagles and finds fault with himself.

In the late December 24-21 Eagles victory at the Vet, Allen was the primary cornerback assigned to Thrash, who burned the Giants and Allen for seven catches for 143 yards. Allen looks back and recalls two “bonehead” plays that hurt the cause. He allowed a 57-yard touchdown pass to Thrash, then gave up a 32-yard reception that set up the game-tying touchdown. Allen characterized his play as overaggressive.

“That’s all it was, just gambling,” Allen said. “Gambling at the wrong time. That’s something you have to learn. You’re only going to learn that by being out there in the fire.”

That is what Allen and Peterson hoped they learned from getting burned last season by the Eagles.