I love Osi Umenyiora, but let me succinct. The self-proclaimed 'Chief' needs to shut the hell up.
Osi went on HBO's Inside the NFL Wednesday night and accused New England left tackle Matt Light, whom he matches up against, of playing dirty.
From Ralph Vacchiano's Blue Screen, here is part of the transcript.
Bob Costas: "Trash talking is one thing. You seem to be implying that he made some dirty moves. Did something happen outside the pale?"
Osi Umenyiora: "He was doing a couple of things that you know he shouldn't have been."
Bob Costas: "Like what?"
Osi Umenyiora: "Hitting after the delay and trying to ... I don't know if he was trying to intimidate me, I don't know what he was trying to do, but he did a couple of things that he shouldn't have done and, you know, now we are really going to go at it this time."
I agree with Vacchiano, who asked "Whatever happened to "Talk is cheap! Play the game!" Wasn't that the Giants' motto?"
There is more to my anger with Osi than that, though. Before he starts running his mouth, maybe Osi ought to look in the mirror and straighten out his own house first.
Umenyiora was voted to the Pro Bowl by his peers this season, but as talented as he is I'm not sure he deserved the honor. Fact is, I believe he's been the Giants' third-best defensive lineman this season behind Michael Strahan and Justin Tuck.
Yes, he led the team with 13 sacks this season. Remember, though, six of those came in one game. So, that means he totaled a very pedestrian 7 sacks in the remaining 15 games.
Three times this season, Umenyiora played entire games without so much as registering an assist on a tackle, including last week against Green Bay. In a fourth game, he registered one measly assist.
In the Giants' first meeting with New England, Light held Umenyiora to three assists and no sacks. In the playoffs he has six tackles and no sacks in three games.
Those are not the kind of disappearing acts you expect to see from a Pro Bowl defensive end.
I have a suggestion for Osi. Shut up, go watch some film and make sure you show up on Super Bowl Sunday and actually make some plays. That's what the Giants need.