Justin Tuck sounded like he was spoiling for a fight when he took umbrage with all the criticism he’s received about his lackluster play the past two seasons.
“The one thing I don’t need is motivation, but I’ve found a lot of that this offseason,’’ Tuck said Saturday. “For all you ignorant writers out there, thank you.’’
What would have sounded harsh from someone else really didn’t sound harsh at all coming from Tuck, who has a solid relationship with the media and virtually everyone else around in Giants orbit. In fact, Tuck admitted he completely understands why there are questions about how much he has left to give after getting a total of only nine sacks the past two seasons.
“That’s why you don’t see me upset about them,’’ Tuck said about all the questions about him. “I’m my first critic. I understand where I am in my career and what I’ve done. And the things that I still want to do. But again, me looking back at the past is not gonna help me move forward. That’s what I’m gonna do. I’m moving forward.’’
Tuck is entering the final year of his contract and he’s seen enough of his teammates come and go to understand there are no lifetime scholarships. He said recently every player wants to be like Michael Strahan, who played all 15 of his NFL seasons with the Giants and then retired, on his own terms, after winning the Super Bowl following the 2007 season. Tuck knows, though, that most players fall in line more often with Osi Umenyiora, who after 10 years with the Giants was not resigned and is now with the Falcons.
Once a feared defensive end, Tuck finds himself having to fight for the right to be considered an elite player. He’s the captain of the defense for the Giants but his production – and the production of the entire defensive line – has waned.
“I think we got too wrapped up in sacks,’’ Tuck said. “Where we have made our mark is the time we don’t’ get sack, the time the quarterback does run the ball fast and we’re still competing. We kind of got away from that and caught so caught up in sacks. There’s a process for that too. I think quarterbacks feel that pressure throughout the game and that’s where you start seeing them be rattled in the pocket. It’s not about sack numbers. It’s about the pressures. So we have to get back to doing that.’’