After last week's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants (6-3) are looking to get back on the winning track when they face the Cincinnati Bengals 1 p.m. Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Despite several mistakes made by the Steelers, the NFC East-leading Giants let Pittsburgh erase their 20-10 lead to lose 24-20, snapping their four-game winning streak.
For the Giants to win, they'll need star quarterback Eli Manning to return to form. While the two-time Super Bowl MVP completed 63.8 percent of his passes for 2,109 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions while posting a 92.5 rating in the first seven games, he's fallen off since then. In his last two games, Manning has only completed 47.2 percent with no touchdowns in two interceptions for a 50.6 rating.
"No one likes to lose or play poorly," he told ESPN. "We have to see where we can do better and above everything, you have to look at yourself first. I'm responsible for a lot of it. I'm where it starts. Our offense is not playing up to its potential."
But that will only be one part of the equation for the Giants. Their defense, ranked 28th in the league, is going to have to find a way to contain second-year Bengals receiver A.J. Green, who has scored touchdowns in seven straight games, and would love to have a big day against a Giants secondary that is still looking for ways to stop opposing paces.
Green, who is ranked second in the NFL in touchdown receptions with two other players behind Houston's Arian Foster, recently stirred the pot in an interview with WFAN in New York, where he alluded to holes in the Giants' defense that could be exploited.
"I feel like they've got a lot of holes in their defense," Green said, CBS Sports reports.
After the Giants defense relinquished 15 pass plays of 30 yards or more and 38 passes of 20 or more-nine of the 38 plays have been for touchdowns-one would be hard-pressed to argue.
However, the Giants' secondary players aren't letting Green's comments get under their skin.
"You don't worry about it," Rolle said of Green's comments to the Associated Press. "I'm a deep safety. I'm going to play my responsibility and if I get a chance, I'm coming across. He's a great receiver, though. You can't take anything from A.J. Green. He's a great receiver and I think definitely the best player on the offensive side of the ball. He makes a number of plays for them and I think his relationship with (quarterback Andy) Dalton is something special. The game has to be played on Sunday and we'll play it."
"I'll let my pads do the talking on Sunday. That's how I approach the game," Rolle added. "That's how we approach the game, and if he sees me, he better duck."
For more game information, visit NFL.com.
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