George Willis

George Willis

Sports

Jason Pierre-Paul: I’ll put up big numbers this season

Jason Pierre-Paul says he can be “a lot” better than he was in 2011 when he collected 16.5 sacks and helped the Giants win their fourth Super Bowl. He said despite the last two injury-plagued seasons he can be even more of a pass-rushing force than he was that year.

“I’m back now,” Pierre-Paul declared on Monday. “The only thing that can stop me from being me is me.”

If that’s the case, then it’s time for Pierre-Paul to prove he’s back. If he’s as healthy as he looks and as confident as he sounds, then it’s time to prove he can be the quarterback nightmare he was three seasons ago and not just a one-hit wonder.

The Giants open their regular season in four weeks at Detroit on Monday night.

That will be the time when all talk and all the promises become due. That will be the time when he can bring the pain instead of having to endure it.

“I know for a fact when it’s time to buckle down and get ready to play Detroit on [Sept. 8], we’re going to be ready to go,” Pierre-Paul said. “The whole defense, the whole offense. … I know for a fact that the defense is going to be ready to go in and we’re going to play to our best capabilities.

We’ve heard Pierre-Paul boast before about having a big year. About this time last season he was still recovering from offseason back surgery, yet vowing to become an impact player after a 2012 season when he collected just 6.5 sacks and made his second Pro Bowl. But he started in just six of the 11 games he appeared in in 2013, totaling a paltry two sacks.

A persistent shoulder injury and a recurrence of his back problems hampered him throughout the season and caused him to miss the final five games. At one point Pierre-Paul said playing football wasn’t fun anymore. Watching him play football wasn’t much fun either.

“Being injured, nobody wants to be injured,” Pierre-Paul said.

He’s healthy now, and the Giants are counting on Pierre-Paul more than ever as they rebuild their defensive line. Their most productive defensive lineman and team leader Justin Tuck is now with the Raiders, while Osi Umenyiora is beginning his second-year in Atlanta and Michael Strahan is in the Hall of Fame. If the Giants were known for linebackers in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, it’s been the pass-rushing defensive ends that have defined the team over the last decade.

Now it’s time for Pierre-Paul to accept the torch and become the consistent impact player he said he will be.

“I’m trying to be better than that 2011-12 year,” he insisted. “Each year is a year for you to get better, so that’s what I’m trying to do.”

So far so good in training camp. He keeps talking about how good he feels, how fast he’s running and that he’s in terrific shape. There were glimpses of all of the above during his limited duty in Saturday’s 20-16 win over the Steelers. Pierre-Paul had four tackles and one quarterback hit. But it was the speed and hustle he showed that impressed his coaches most.

“I thought for the play he had in the game that he gave good effort and was in good position,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “Again, the way in which he chased the ball and was coming in from behind was very good.”

The Giants need Pierre-Paul to be great. So does his wallet. He’s in the final year of his original five-year contract that pays him $2.11 million this season. He could command five times that as a free agent.

On Monday, Pierre-Paul said his best is yet to come. Now he must prove it.