Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie doesn’t expect to do much trash-talking Saturday night when the Giants face the Colts in a preseason game at Lucas Oil Stadium. First of all, it’s only the third preseason game, and the first-team defense won’t play much more than a quarter. Secondly, Rodgers-Cromartie doesn’t like to get verbal unless he is provoked.
“Don’t get it wrong. I trash talk,” the Giants cornerback was saying on Tuesday. “But you’ve got to start it. If you catch a ball and do all that celebration, I ain’t with all that. I’m already mad you caught it. Doing that is only going to bring more out of me. It’s easy to get me going. And when I get it going, I’m going.”
There’s a message in there somewhere, though such emotion won’t likely emerge until the regular season begins Sept. 8 in Detroit. But Saturday night against the Colts does carry some importance in that the Giants will be matched against one of the league’s best quarterbacks in Andrew Luck and a capable receiving corps led by T.Y. Hilton, Reggie Wayne and former Giant Hakeem Nicks.
It’s another litmus test of sorts, monitoring the working chemistry between Rodgers-Cromartie and his fellow Giants defensive backs.
“They definitely have some speed that can get down the field in T.Y. and along with Nicks have the big-play ability as far as going to the ball,” Rodgers-Cromartie said. “You also have a quarterback that can put it there. So it’s definitely going to be a test to see where we are and where we can go.”
For a little more green, Rodgers-Cromartie could have gone to the Jets. But he instead signed a five-year, $35 million free-agent deal with the Giants in March. His presence has helped solidify a secondary that includes Prince Amukamara in his fourth year at right cornerback, plus Antrel Rolle and a healthy Stevie Brown at safety. Walter Thurmond, a free-agent signee from the Seahawks, will also have a prominent role as the nickel back.
The Giants won’t be the next Legion of Boom, but they are an experienced group that will use its collective brains as well as brawn to contain offenses. The early chess match with Luck should reveal how far the secondary has progressed in building its all-important communication skills.
“When you’ve got a whole bunch of older guys, it can (come quickly) because you’ve been around the league and you understand the game,” Rodgers-Cromartie said. “When you’re young it takes time. But with Walt coming over, with me and Antrel having already been here with Prince and Steve, I think it’s been smooth.”
Rodgers-Cromartie probably had his name mentioned more in Cortland this week than in East Rutherford as Jets followers lament not signing him during the offseason to help a Jets secondary that is suddenly depleted. The Jets’ loss is the Giants’ gain.
“I don’t have a chip,” Rodgers-Cromartie said of the Jets not signing him. “At the end of the day, I have an opportunity to play football.”
Rodgers-Cromartie still has to earn his $10 million guarantee. The Giants pass defense wasn’t too shabby last year, ranking 10th in the NFL, allowing 223.3 yards per game. It could be even better this year with the return of Brown, who missed all of last year with a knee injury, and the additions of Rodgers-Cromartie and Thurmond.
Having played in Arizona, Philadelphia and Denver, Rodgers-Cromartie knows when a secondary feels right and when it doesn’t. If the Giants can stay healthy, the secondary could well be the strength of the defense.
“We could be real good just with the leadership ability that we have,” Rodgers-Cromartie said. “Everybody has their own way in this group. But for some reason it comes together and it works.”
We’ll see how it works against Luck and the Colts.