INDIANAPOLIS — The Patriots have sworn up and down this past week and a half that avenging the Super Bowl XLII loss to the Giants is not a factor in Sunday’s rematch.
Rodney Harrison, who was a safety on that New England team and is now an analyst for NBC, says they’re lying.
“It’s crap,” Harrison said. “Of course it is. If you played on that 16-0 team and had an opportunity to do something that no one has ever done in the NFL and the opport unity to go 19-0, and to lose that game, of course you’re devastated.”
COMPLETE GIANTS SUPER BOWL COVERAGE
Harrison was the closest defender on David Tyree’s magical helmet catch that set up the game-winning touchdown from Eli Manning to Plaxico Burress. Harrison said he just recently got over “the devastation and humiliation.”
“Their core group of guys on that team are their leaders and they played in that 2007 championship and it hurt,² Harrison said of the seven players who remain from that Patriots team. “And when a Tom Brady comes out and says they don’t watch that tape… these guys are just saying it, because it hurt. And it hurt me. And I’ve got a chance to see it a couple of times, and every time I do see it does hurt.”
Harrison will have to relive it again on air Sunday, when as part of NBC’s pregame coverage, he and Tyree will look back at the play.
Harrison’s loyalty to his former team has come into question because he has been critical of the Patriots as an analyst. He said this week if he had to choose a quarterback, he would take Eli Manning over Brady.
“If you put to the side everything that Tom Brady has done – and it’s hard to do, because the history of what Tom’s done and success he’s had winning three Super Bowls – but if you look strictly at what Eli has done the past six weeks, he’s been fantastic,”Harrison said. “If you look at that, you almost have to give the edge to Eli. And you have to trust him because he’s been fantastic.”
Despite some of his harsh words, Harrison said there’s no doubt he’s rooting for the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. But he respects the way the Giants have made it back to the game.
“I’m really excited because the Giants deserve to be here,” Harrison said on a conference call this week. “They went on the road and played two tough games, and they played tremendous, so I’m excited.”
jterranova@nypost.com