NEW ORLEANS — All week long, Jeremy Shockey tried to downplay the personal significance of his first opportunity to play against the Giants since they traded him to the Saints for second- and fifth-round picks before the 2008 season.
But after Shockey grabbed a 1-yard scoring pass from Drew Brees in the right corner of the end zone — putting the Saints up 14-0 en route to a 48-27 rout of his former team — Shockey began a wild celebration that looked like he was a 250-pound version of Calvin Borel whipping Mine That Bird to victory in the Kentucky Derby. What exactly did Shockey call that victory dance?
“I haven’t done it (before),” he said. “I don’t practice it in the mirror. I don’t know what it was. It was riding a horse.” At least for one day, Shockey was the one with the whip in his hand.
“Any time you get a win in this league it’s something special, especially going against a team that’s 5-0,” Shockey said. “It’s very special. I’d be lying if I didn’t say it felt better than (beating) some (other) team, being there for six years and knowing everyone there — the trainers, the coaches and the players. It’s a little awkward and it was a long week, but it was important to get the victory.”
The ex-Giants’ tight end caught four passes for 37 yards — with a long gain of 18 yards — but he was just one of many weapons Brees used to slice apart the Giants’ defense. Seven different players scored touchdowns for the Saints.
Shockey’s best catch came earlier in his scoring drive when he caught a back-shoulder pass from Brees for an 18-yard completion against Terrell Thomas.
Brees said he was proud of the way Shockey kept his competitive juices under control. Even when the Saints’ defense was on the field, Shockey rarely took a seat, waving a white towel with his right arm to get the home crowd going. He also joined the defensive coaches on the sideline, offering any tips he might have about the Giants’ offensive hand signals or tendencies.