Are the New York Giants talking a little too much heading into Super Bowl XLVI Sunday against the New England Patriots? Actually, let me phrase that another way, since with all the cameras, microphones and media requirements of Super Bowl (hello, Osi, nice of you to join the media circus) players and coaches have to talk. A lot.
The better question is, are the Giants actually saying too much when it is their time to talk?
ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote today that "the Giants have been yapping for weeks." Is that really true? Maybe the Giants have talked more than we're accustomed to, but that has also come during their best stretch of football in four seasons. So, maybe they have been entitled to act, and speak, life they feel good about themselves.
Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul has been particularly brash this week, saying New England's Tom Brady "is just a quarterback. It's not like he is God" and hinting that Brady felt pressure that did not exist.
"I think it won't have much impact on his performance, because ... if you look at Week 9 when we played them, it's like he felt us," he said. "We went back on the film, we watched the film and we didn't really rush as we can as a defense. ... He was throwing balls on the ground and stuff."
JPP isn't necessarily wrong. I can remember a couple of plays on which Brady spun away from pressure that didn't exist.
Mario Manningham and Victor Cruz haven't necessarily been wrong this week when they have let their excitement show over matching up with Patriots receiver turned nick cornerback Julian Edelman, a matchup they have plainly said they know they should win.
No doubt it makes for better headlines when guys say things that can be considered bulletin-board material, even borderline bulletin-board material. It certainly spices up the week.
I would, however, rather have the Giants keep some of those thoughts to themselves.