Newsday: Payback time for Pierce

[bubba9497]

Payback time for Pierce

Giants LB Pierce wants to show Redskins that they made mistake in letting him go

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/giants/ny-spgiants1027,0,2222959,print.story?coll=ny-giants-bigpix

It's no surprise that Antonio Pierce has had Sunday's game with the Redskins circled on the calendar since not long after he left Washington in March to sign with the Giants.

But even Pierce is a little surprised at how well his old team is doing, especially the offense that he and the rest of the Giants' defense will face.

Behind 35-year-old quarterback Mark Brunell, the Redskins (4-2) have the league's second-ranked offense, thanks in large part to Sunday's 52-17 thrashing of the 49ers, who have the only defense in the NFL ranked lower than the Giants'.

"I mean, 52? I don't think we got 52 in six games combined last season," Pierce said. Washington didn't score more than 20 points in 2004 until its 12th game, a 31-7 rout of the Giants.

"Knowing the offense as well as I know it, I'm definitely surprised. The thing you see is Mark Brunell making a lot of the throws he didn't make last year."

What folks will see Sunday is a man on a mission in Pierce, who has shown more than a few flashes of being the relentless force at middle linebacker the Giants wanted when they signed him to a six-year, $25-million deal. Pierce knows a thing or two about playing to prove people wrong. He's kept a notebook of the 30 linebackers drafted in 2001, the year he came out of Arizona and went undrafted. When one of those players is cut, Pierce crosses his name off.

So that's why he flashed a very big grin yesterday when asked if he's been relishing the chance to prove the Redskins wrong for letting him go. Pierce said he talks to his friends on the Redskins' defensive unit regularly, particularly linebacker LaVar Arrington, who had plenty to commiserate over with Pierce after starting just one of the first six games.

"I have a lot of respect for those guys because they've been through a lot," Pierce said. "[Defensive coordinator] Gregg Williams and me have a great relationship. I have a ton of respect for him. It's not animosity between me and those players. It's just a difference of opinion about value, and loyalty, between me and the front office."

That means team owner Daniel Snyder, who hasn't endeared himself to Redskins fans or many around the NFL with his Steinbrenner-esque machinations.

As Pierce noted: "I was there four years and I had four defensive coordinators, four linebacker coaches and three head coaches. It's just an organization that doesn't have a lot of stability."

Coach Joe Gibbs was the one who finally gave Pierce a shot to play regularly last season, and Pierce responded by leading the team with 112 tackles. Gibbs took responsibility yesterday for not keeping Pierce.

"That was my mistake," Gibbs said. "We went to a point where we thought we were going to keep him and it didn't work out. He was a heck of a player for us."

Pierce, who leads the Giants with 49 tackles (including 12 against the Broncos on Sunday), is out to show the Redskins he's still that player.

"It's a day that's been circled for a while; let's leave it at that," he said.

Notes & quotes: The Giants will wear a white patch with the letters "WTM" in black on their uniforms for the remainder of the season in honor of Wellington Mara, who died Tuesday. The flags at Giants Stadium will remain at half-mast through Sunday's game. Tom Coughlin said the team will attend Mara's funeral tomorrow at St. Patrick's Cathedral ... LB Barrett Green went on injured reserve yesterday, effectively ending his Giants tenure after two injury-plagued seasons. Green saw an ankle specialist yesterday, and he could not determine immediately whether Green's ankle, operated on in February, needed further surgery. "The timing is not good for us to continue to wait," Coughlin said. The Giants signed fourth-year LB Alonzo Jackson off the Eagles' practice squad ... LB Carlos Emmons has a slightly torn pectoral muscle but is not planning to miss significant time. Playing Sunday appears unlikely, though, and Emmons did not practice yesterday. Reggie Torbor would start in Emmons' spot ... Also sitting out practice were WRs Plaxico Burress (shoulder) and David Tyree (elbow), who are questionable for Sunday, and DE Michael Strahan, who left the stadium early because of illness. Strahan is probable.

[Tulane Skins Fan]

I don't get why Pierce needs to give us payback? We signed him as an undrafted free agent, cultivated his skills, gave him a chance to start. Then we offered him a deal that was in his own words "very close" to what the Giants gave him. If you ask me, AP is shooting off a lot of crap and acting like a fool with all of his quotes lately.

[grhqofb5]

"That was my mistake," Gibbs said. "We went to a point where we thought we were going to keep him and it didn't work out. He was a heck of a player for us."

This quote says it all... Antonio Pierce chooses to remain bitter and believes that he was somehow wronged by the Redskins. The way I see it, Gibbs and Williams gave him his first chance to start, and now he's set to make millions of dollars if he stays healthy. The NFL is a business, or at least Pierce believes it is... Otherwise, he would have stayed a Redskin and accepted whatever good faith offer we made. It's incredibly hypocritical for Pierce to say that they Redskins lacked loyalty, when he obviously has an eye for the business aspect of this profession as well.

[sableholic]

hmmm Plax is questionable and they are out a couple LBs.

[RedzoneHunter]

Pierce is highly overated and overpaid. Granted, he was a little bit quicker and a little bit better tackler than Marshall, but the players around them make them both look better than they actually are. Both are too slow getting to the line of scrimmage on most plays. Sure, Pierce made over 100 tackles, but what middle linebacker doesn't? The key is looking at where the bulk of his tackles are made. And usually it was 4 0r 5 yards down field, which is unacceptable for a true middle linebacker, like Urlacher or Zack Thomas and the like.

Gregg Williams could plug almost anyone in there and his team mates around him will make him shine like a diamond in the rough. Watchout for McCune next year.

[SkinsNoles21]

another payback article. Does anyone remember last week it was Mike Nolan's payback time. Once the game starts none of this matters. It's all about who outperforms who. Skins are good

[scruffylookin]

AP had a great year in 2004. Nobody can take that away from him. But Coach Gibbs was right, you can't give Pierce Arrington or Washington money.

AP went for the bucks, more power to him. Doesn't look like we miss him a whole hell of alot, while "his" defense is ranked 31st. I wonder who needs who in this situation?

[Parlett316]

They got an undrafted linebacker that looked good in the right system.

Does anyone remember Pierce's big play before Gregg Wiliams got here? I can. Dallas was lined up for a field goal, Antonio starts yelling out Cowboys signals. Flag. First down Cowboys. Soon after touchdown.

[jonjeff]

Pierce ought to be very thankful to the Redskins defensive system for making him a hot commodity. He was nothing before he came to the Skins, an undrafted free agent. Maybe Antonio should be more worried about his teams 31st ranked defense and how they are going to stop a very solid Washington offensive unit. Paybacks are cheap. Victories are the ultimate.

[Burgold]

Pierce also shined under Schottenheimer. I think keeping Pierce would have been better than losing him, but this was all about money. This was not about loyalty from either side. I do wonder if some of the big plays we have given up could have been avoided because AP might recognize the scheme and adjust the d better. I know our ability to pressure has been greatly reduced this year and we are out of position more often this year. There are only two changes on d.

[ntotoro]

He left for more money and he's still mad at the 'Skins... ? I don't get it. Maybe he's upset that the Defense he leads is as putrid as it is and is venting. Who knows...

[whitejimmy]

I think Antonio is right on. If the Snyder et al had made him the offer during the season that they ultimately offered him at the end of negotiations, he'd still be a Redskin. Snyder tried to save money. Not because he's cheap, he was just trying to save cap room. His initial offering was strategically too low, and Antonio was rightfully offended. Lesson learned by Snyder (I hope).

[tundey]

All I can say is Redskins defense is still amongst the best this year. And we are ranked higher than the Giants. So what's the loss? Not saying AP isn't a good player but he's obviously not the thread that holds the defense together. That thread is Gregg Williams and thank God his salary isn't controlled by the salary cap.

[PCS]

I'm sure the guys on the offense are looking forward to the game as well. Familiarity works both ways.

[softballs]

The part I never understand is the "if they offered me that much earlier I would have stayed" that athletes typically say. Who in their right mind gives their best offer right off the bat? If we offered him that much his agent would have countered. Really don't understand the sour grapes from a guy who got millions. Oh and newsflash to AP - Gibbs brings instant stability to our franchise.

:gaintsuck

[oriolesfan93p]

JEEZZZ, don't these people have anything else to write about. This is like the 15 story about Pierce leaving that I have read already. Sure I wish he had stayed, and yes maybe we should have been willing to try to pay to KEEP instead of always paying to TAKE players. But come on ppl, there can't be 15 different opinions out there on this one story alone, and nobody is writing anything original besides the 1st person who broke the story. I am absolutly sick of hearing about Antonio Pierce, I liked the man before, but now I am so sick of hearing about him, I hope he has 2 tackles all game and the skins route the G-men if only to keep from having to hear how Pierce "showed" the Redskins.

[redman]

Payback, huh? Is he returning his salary from last year?

[dreamshatterer]

He went to a team that needed help on D, so the Giants were going to offer more money regardless of what we offered in my opinion.

[DB44]

i just hope the results are the same as when we had Trotter, and every article that week stated "Payback time for Trotter"

The result of course was Trotter's team lost to his former team on Monday night 37-7

Here hoping history repeats, and we crush the Giants 37-7.

[Riggo-toni]

Our defense was definitely better against the run last year with Pierce, but we're truly damned if we do, damned if we don't. I remember the Giants criticizing us a few years back because they believed we overpaid to retian Jansen (they were in the process of negotiating with their RT at the time).

[Matador36]

bla bla bla is all I hear. We're not the same Redskins as his last 4 years.

[Skins11]

I don't get why Pierce needs to give us payback? We signed him as an undrafted free agent, cultivated his skills, gave him a chance to start. Then we offered him a deal that was in his own words "very close" to what the Giants gave him. If you ask me, AP is shooting off a lot of crap and acting like a fool with all of his quotes lately.

Exactly what I was thinking. HE'S the one who left in free agency for more money. Shouldn't we be looking for payback instead? What a freakin loser. He left for the money, so he should live with that decision and not be a bitter b!tch about it.

[Destino]

Payback? Damn right it's payback. All of this fools comments hint at shock that we are a respectable team. Time for him to see just how improved we are when we march down the field and beat some blue @ss.

[rvan1]

hmmm Plax is questionable and they are out a couple LBs.

plax played last week as questionable, expect him in again this week id say.... that is... unless ST lays a crayton like hit on him ::crosses fingers::

[gshaffer88]

As was mentioned earlier in this thread Pierce has no right to say the Redskins did anything wrong to him. They gave him an opportunity as a undrafted free agent and allowed him to develop. Without Greg Williams AP never would have seen the $$ he's now getting from the Giants. When the Vikings tried to sign him as a restricted FA before last season it was for a fairly low salary. The Skins made him into the player he is and offered to pay him an amount that was in line with performance and made sense for the organization. The Giants knew they needed some players on D and they could hurt a divisonal rival in the process so they offered him more than the skins could pay. The Skins still respect that he was a good Redskin and a good player for them and the reason he's not here is purely buisness related. Why AP doesn't see that and chooses to view this as being disrespected by the organization is his own self esteem problems. He thought he was worth enough to the team for them to sacrifice some of the future. He had seen them do it many times before pay a player too much just to get or keep them in burgundy and gold. The problem is that that was the old regime this is the Gibbs era. My view is that AP was proud to be a redskin a figured they would keep him regardless because he was a core Redskin. What he and Smoot came to realize is that you can't make unreasonable demands of this organization anymore. With Gibbs now in charge things have top make sense both ways (buisness front and football front) To pay AP in the neighborhood of Washington and to pay Smoot more than Springs just didn't make sense.

:eaglesuck :gaintsuck :dallasuck