Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews and New York Giants defensive end Justin Tuck are doing the old he said/she said routine… or something like that.
Yesterday, Matthews said the Giants didn’t beat the Packers in the playoffs last season — the Packers beat themselves.
“We picked the most inopportune time to play our worst ball,” Matthews said of January’s divisional round loss to the New York Giants. “The fact is, (the Giants) didn’t beat us; we beat ourselves. We need to play our best ball when it counts. This year, I expect us to be right back where we should be.”
While there’s a case to be made for the Packers beating themselves when you look at the turnovers and mental mistakes, Tuck isn’t having it.
“Thank you for giving us the game, Clay,” Tuck said with a touch of sarcasm Wednesday. “I appreciate it a lot.”
“When they fumbled the ball, I think it was us that stripped it out,” Tuck said. “When we sacked them, I think it was us who beat their O-linemen and got to (quarterback Aaron) Rodgers. So, I don’t think they just ole’d everything and gave us the game.
“It is football, it is a funny game,” Tuck said. “Talk is cheap. Play the game. We will see Green Bay again this year so we will see who lays down that week.”
Tuck’s right, Clay’s wrong. Clay can believe otherwise all he wants, but he didn’t need to broadcast it. The Giants kicked our ass and we deserved to lose. Everything Tuck said is just how it happened. Just take your medicine and move on.
We should get a chance at redemption in both the regular and postseason.
I’m with geopack on this one. While the Pack did turn in it’s worst performance of the year, I think the Giants had a little something to do with it.
Clay’s Depends or whatever pee-stopping undies he’s advertising must have been a little too tight when he said that.
The worst team in the NFL could have beat the Pack in that game. I like how Clay gives the Giants no respect, fuck them and fuck that asshole Tuck. The Giants wouldn’t have done shit if our Offense decided to show up. No love for those piles of shit that play in Jersey.
Keep crying Pack Loser! We came to your house twice and handed you your lunch. We made the super bowl in 2007 and last year and you guys had to watch us win! Fuck Clay and his last ranked “defense”. “If our offense had showed up”?????? If if’s and but’s were candy and nuts every day would be Xmas! And when you come to our house this year we’ll send you “packin” again. Discount Double Check my ass.
Let’s face it, last years’ Giants were the Packers the year before. Nobody laid down and let us reel off 4 straight road playoff wins including the SB. The Packers were the hottest team at the right time, same as the Giants last year. Sure, a few lucky bounces here and there. It’s a tough pill to swallow but that’s football. Anyone feel sorry for the 13-3 Falcons that got stomped in Atlanta? Bears? Eagles? Nope. Funny how when your team wins, you don’t question who played well and who played poorly. A win is a win.
But still, fuck the Giants.
We beat the gnatsi’s without a defense once last season, just not when it counted.
Honestly, Clay is right, we did beat ourselves–if our defense played even half as well as they did in 2010, the turnovers of which Tuck speaks would have been meaningless in that playoff game.
There wasn’t even an innuendo of insult to the Giants in CM3’s statement; he was putting the blame where all of us did last season–on the backs of a 15-1 team who’s defense finished DEAD LAST in the NFL. I feel he spoke as an emerging leader of the defense who isn’t afraid to own up to his own failings as well as those of his team.
Seems to me Tuck is a prick itching for a fight. Of course if I were in his position, I’d have a chip on my shoulder, too. The Giants defense was outstanding in 2011; as key as our defense was in 2010, but the biggest conversation after their amazing playoff run & super bowl win was “Who’s the better Manning at QB?”
Clay isn’t wrong & Tuck has an inferiority complex. Strange considering even I realize he’s a huge reason the Giants defense was so dominant last post-season. Little bitch needs some time on the couch to talk about his bruised vagina. I mean ego.
Football players and all athletes always talk about mental mistakes and a team “beating themselevs”. Matthews never said the Packers laid down and gave them the game. He was simply using a phrase that I’m sure Tuck himself has used. I hate how the Giants always try to play the role of the ugly step-sister. They alway act as if they never get any respect and everyone is always hating on them even though they have the “best” quarterback. It gets tiring. I’m from NJ so I always have to hear how no one gives the Giants credit. All Matthews meant was they played a terrible game when it matter most. So Tuck needs to shut his mouth and the Giants need to man up and stop playing the “we don’t get any escort card”.
FUCK DA BEARS!!
The Giants defense ranked 27th last season, only 5 spots better than the Packers. They quit against the Saints in giving up 49 points.
Clay was just speaking his mind. I don’t have a problem with that.
The Giants won the Super Bowl thanks to fumbles: by the Packers and 49ers, and then the recovery of their own fumbles in the Super Bowl.
At the same time, Tuck is right too. A win is a win. When you lose, you forfeit the right to talk trash.
Of course, maybe Tuck should remember that the Packers have played the Giants 3 times in the past two years and are 2-1.
but that 1….DAMN THAT 1!!!!!
The Giants are turning themselves into a formidable foe for us. If we dont prep better we can lose that whole dynasty talk.
Wow – begrudging a Super Bowl Champ. A lot could be said – the Packers were quite fortunate to escape with a victory against the Giants during the regular season. A couple of curious calls… and that game could’ve had a different outcome than the 38-35 final score. Reminded me of the Giants regular season loss to the Pats in 2007 – a closely fought contest that they would avenge in the post season.
The playoff game was entirely different. It’s not as if this was the Giants first playoff victory at Lambeau Field. It was their 2nd in 4 years. The Giants outplayed the Packers in virtually every facet and, most importantly, finished plays when they mattered.
The ONLY reason the Packers were relevant in the 2nd half was due to some phantom roughing the passer call on either Tuck or Osi, can’t remember which. The bottom line is that the final score was 37-20 and the game was not even that close.
En route to their 2nd Super Bowl victory within 4 years, the Giants beat the Cowboys to close out the season, manhandled the Falcons 24-2, trounced the Packers 37-20 in Green Bay, beat the 49ers at San Fran in a REAL football game, and beat the Patriots for THE SECOND TIME in one season, 21-17 and, of course, for the 3rd time in 4 years…
Disappointed in Clay Matthews. He should get a haircut and keep his mouth shut.
And I’m being nice.
All said, I don’t impute Matthews’ comments to the Packers or their fans. I like the Packers as I like the Steelers – just great football organizations with a rich and colorful history.
Matthews comments were beneath the Packer tradition. I couldn’t imagine Bart Starr, Brett Favre or Aaron Rogers even thinking along those lines. For Clay, the less said, the better. He’s a good player and should let his performance do his talking – in other words, be a Packer.