Justin Tuck spent virtually the entire morning smiling, speaking to students at Maxson Middle School in Plainfield, N.J., on Tuesday as part of the NFL’s Play 60 initiative event.
When reminded by a reporter the Giants’ four-game winning streak has been loaded with underwhelming opponents and weak quarterbacks, and Sunday’s showdown against the Cowboys and Tony Romo would be a different challenge, the defensive lineman flashed a brief scowl.
“That’s a set-up question, because we’ve had a lot of success against Romo,” Tuck said. “Everyone knows he’s good at what he does, but we’ve had success against him. So we’re going to continue to do what we’ve done.”
The Giants performed terribly in Week 1, falling to the Cowboys 36-31 in Dallas while committing six turnovers in the first of six straight losses.
Tuck thinks the second meeting could be different. Two key members of the Giants — middle linebacker Jon Beason and running back Andre Brown — weren’t on the field that night and the team is now red-hot.
“Hopefully it will be a lot different — meaning we get a win,” Tuck said. “We’re looking forward to it. I think Dallas is the kind of team that, they bring out the best in us and we bring out the best in them. It’s going to be another dogfight for us. I’m excited about it.”
The Giants defense has led this surge, limiting opponents to just more than 11 points per game, to help the team move a game behind the NFC East-leading Eagles (6-5) in the loss column. Tuck has been a major part of the stifling unit, against the pass and run, after struggling the past two years with an assortment of injuries.
According to Pro Football Focus, Tuck is the sixth most productive 4-3 defensive end in the NFL.
In the middle of his ninth season, Tuck admitted he was unsure if he could get back to being the player he once was, the sack-happy two-way dynamo, but he didn’t let speculation from people outside the Giants organization bother him.
“What I worried about was what my teammates say and what the Giants say,” he said. “And that’s the only thing that motivates me, being the captain of this team and understanding that everyone is looking at me and wants to take my lead as far as how I approached the game. That’s the only thing I care about.”
Tuck said this is the best he has felt since 2009, which he credits to adopting a different workout regimen this offseason and eating better.
“I went back to old-school style of [weight] lifting,” he said. “I got back to training the way I needed to train. … I feel great this year. I feel like my play is showing it. Hopefully it’s a sign of things to come.”