January 8, 2012, feature on Jason Pierre-Paul for AJC (picked up by FoxSports.com)
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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. --- One thought ran through David Carr's mind on the night of Dec. 11.
The New York Giants' backup quarterback stood on the visiting sideline at Cowboys Stadium and watched teammate Jason Pierre-Paul dominate their longtime NFC East rivals, the Dallas Cowboys.
The second-year defensive end from South Florida authored one of the more dominant defensive performances in Giants history. He sacked Tony Romo twice (once for a safety), made eight tackles and may have saved New York's season by blocking Dan Bailey's game-tying 47-yard field-goal attempt with one second left to preserve the Giants' 37-34 win.
"I'm glad I'm not playing on their side," was Carr's recollection of that night as he spoke after a recent Giants practice.
Among the key Giants whom the Falcons must neutralize Sunday to advance to the divisional round, Pierre-Paul looks as if he were created in a defensive coordinator's lab. At 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds, he is tall and strong enough to successfully engage in the hand-to-hand combat against offensive linemen, yet fast enough to bring down running backs.
"Phenomenal athlete. Run game, pass game, screen game, he does it all. Some guys are strong. Some are fast. It's hard to put it all together," Michael Boley said of his teammate. When it was suggested to the ex- Falcons linebacker that he was glad to have Pierre-Paul on his team, Boley said with a laugh, "No doubt."
The Giants selected Pierre-Paul with the 15th pick in the 2010 draft after being astounded at the athletic ability he displayed during his pre-draft workout.
Jacquian Williams, who played with Pierre-Paul at Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College and at South Florida, and now with the Giants, was confident that his teammate could be successful in the NFL.
"Knew he had potential," the rookie outside right linebacker said. "It was all about his determination."
As a rookie, Pierre-Paul recorded 30 tackles and 4 1/2 sacks while playing in 16 games. This season, Pierre-Paul played in all 16 games, starting 12. He made 88 tackles, 67 solo, and forced two fumbles.
On a team that boasts pass-rushers extraordinaire in Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora, it is Pierre-Paul who led the team with 16 1/2 sacks. Jared Allen (22), DeMarcus Ware (19 1/2) and Jason Babin (18) were the only players in the NFL that had more sacks than Pierre-Paul.
What has been the root cause for the metamorphosis from tantalizing prospect to prospective defensive player of the year?
"He's a hard worker and has a lot of talent. He made marked improvement in his technique," offensive tackle Kareem McKenzie said, before adding it "helped a great deal" that Pierre-Paul's body had not taken years of abuse from playing football. "He's fresh, compared to the typical second-year player."
Pierre-Paul downplayed his season, instead praising more experienced teammates and presenting a macro view of what could be accomplished.
"Lean on veteran guys. They tell me good stuff," Pierre-Paul said.
"I'm not a network guy. I keep quiet and let it go on," he added when asked about the increased media attention he has received during this season. "[I'm] trying to win a championship."
While he was not interested in promoting himself, his teammates were glad to do it for him.
"Special player. Beast. Great talent. Beast in the run game. Beast in the pass game," safety Kenny Phillips said. "JPP wreaks havoc on a lot of teams."
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/ON-THE-FALCONS-BEATGiants-standout-has-foes-at-a-loss-67524283
posted by Denis P. Gorman at 12:42 PM
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