New York Giants Veterans Deliver Messages To Younger Teammates

New York Giants veterans Eli Manning, Jonathan Casillas, and Zak DeOssie offered up some words of advice to their teammates for the postseason.

When the New York Giants head into Lambeau Field tomorrow for their Wild Card game, they will be doing it with a lot of inexperienced players. The Giants have seen a lot of roster overhaul from the last time they qualified for the postseason after the 2011 season. They do not have many players left from that Super Bowl winning team, so there will be plenty of people making their postseason debuts tomorrow.

When the Giants take the field against the Packers, only six of their 22 expected starters have past playoff experience according to ESPN New York’s Jordan Ranaan. What the Giants do have working in their favor is that some of the players with playoff experience have Super Bowl experience.

Eli Manning, Zak DeOssie, and Jonathan Casillas all have multiple Super Bowl rings to their name and will be leaned upon by their teammates. They do not mind, as they have provided messages and advice for their teammates.

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“Just go play. Don’t treat it any differently,” Manning said of his message. “Enjoy the opportunity. Go do what you’ve been doing all year.” DeOssie, the Giants’ long snapper, delivered a similar message, saying, “Just keep doing what you’re doing. Have faith in yourself. Have faith in the guy next to you. Keep doing what you’re doing. Do whatever you’ve been doing. Take it to the next level.”

The Giants have done a lot of winning since they last faced the Packers in Week 5. They have gone 9-2 since that game, learning a lot about themselves and getting past a lot of adversity. But the playoffs bring a new intensity to the game, something veteran linebacker Kelvin Sheppard pointed out when discussing everyone knows the magnitude of the win or go home reality of the postseason.

Casillas made sure that his teammates do everything they can in preperation for the game this weekend when delivering his message to the team.

"“Work as hard as you can this week; leave no stone unturned. If you’ve got to cut communication off between your family and you, then so be it. This is it, we’ve got one week, or five weeks — that’s how I look at it. You put everything into it because this is what we all wanted to do in the beginning. This is why we play the game, to get to the Super Bowl.”"

The Giants veterans can try painting the playoff picture for their younger teammates as much as they want verablly, but it is something they will not fully understand until they take the field for themselves, which defensive back Coty Sensabaugh acknowldeged, saying they have to experience it for themselves.

You can be sure that there will be a lot of nervous players taking the field for the Giants tomorrow afternoon. It is a normal feeling, even something the usually unflapable Manning admitted to being when he was readying to make his postseason debut during the 2005 season against the Carolina Panthers.

"“I’m sure you’ll be nervous. That is normal,” Manning said. “It means you care and you want to do well. Just try to be relaxed and calm and well prepared and let your training take over.”"

Wide receiver Victor Cruz echoed the same feeling when he made his playoff debut after the 2011 regular season. Unlike his first time teammates this season, Cruz got to make his playoff debut in front of the home crowd, something that would quell some of the nervousness.

"“My first playoff game, I remember being extremely nervous and not knowing what to expect,” he said. “I had the luxury of playing my first playoff game right here at home, so that made it a little bit easier. I still remember being nervous and kind of having the jitters. Once that ball is kicked off and you start playing some football, you’re good to go.”"

Cruz is the veteran leader in the wide receiver room, where he has had the task of trying to contain the emotional Odell Beckham Jr. Beckham Jr. is undeniably excited to be making his postseason debut, something Cruz helps he doesn’t get overly hyped about.

"“Just relax,” Cruz said. “The moment can be hyped, and it can get you excited. There could be a lot running through your mind in that specific moment. Just relax and let the game come to you. Take it for what it’s worth, enjoy the moment, but understand what you need to do so we can continue to have that feeling week in and week out.”"

There will be a lot of eyes on Cruz, Beckham Jr. and the Giants wide receivers after they spent their off day Monday in Miami. Veterans such as Manning tried to extinguish with jokes earlier in the week, but they will have to show up or risk getting crushed by media and fans alike.

Next: Where Is Eli Manning In The NFC Playoff Quarterback Rankings?

If they are able to play well it will quiet their critics. It would also help the Giants immensley as they try to pull off another upset victory in the postseason with Manning under center.

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