Super Bowl 2012: Cocky NY Giants in Store for a Wake-Up Call from Patriots

The New York Giants have been hyping themselves up all postseason long, and the two weeks before their Super Bowl XLVI rematch with the New England Patriots was no different.

Sure, the Giants' confident and talkative group has earned the right to give their own opinion of themselves, even if it is a little high sometimes.

But oh, how fitting it will be for Bill Belichick and company to snatch revenge from the loudmouth team in the biggest game of the year. 

Having dropped two-straight to Big Blue, the Pats are in desperate need of a W over the Giants in order to make this matchup a rivalry. They have all the motivation needed to do just that on Sunday, thanks to the Giants.

Second-year defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul was quick to point out the defensive line's impact on Tom Brady back in week 9 earlier this week.

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“I think it will have much impact on his performance because if you look at Week 9, when we played them, it’s like he felt us. When we looked back on the film, we watched the film, and we didn’t really rush like we can rush as a defense. He was throwing balls on the ground and stuff, but like I said, it’s going to be a battle. We have to get there. We have to.”—Jason Pierre-Paul 

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Does JPP remember that Brady and the Pats' offense scored a touchdown with just 96 seconds remaining to take a 20-17 lead late in that game?

If anyone made a significant impact in that game it was Eli Manning and Jake Ballard on the Giants' final game-winning drive.

Earlier this week, another Giants defensive lineman spoke out. Chris Canty essentially guaranteed a third straight victory over the Pats.

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“Get ready for a great game on Super Bowl Sunday, and get ready for a parade on Tuesday.”—Chris Canty

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This was by far the most reckless comment made by any player participating in Sunday's championship rematch. 

To guarantee victory is one thing, but it's hard to be taken seriously when you are planning a parade just two days after winning a Super Bowl that has yet to be played. 

Most of the NY cockiness it seems lies on the defensive line, where the Giants' front four has been glorified for the past few seasons thanks to one improbable Super Bowl win four years ago.

Pierre-Paul continued to push the verbal ball into Brady's court when questioned about NY's defensive presence leading up to Sunday's big game.

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“He did react to pressure that didn’t exist, and he was just throwing the ball places where there wasn’t even a receiver there. Imagine us getting there even faster and actually doing our jobs and getting hits on him.”—Jason Pierre-Paul

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Confidence comes standard with the NY Giants, that's for sure. But talk is cheap and the Giants have done far too much this winter. 

They barely got into the playoffs at 9-7 and were swept by the Washington Redskins this season. Until they learn consistency, they will continue to rely on talk to scare opponents.

The New England Patriots want revenge and the Giants just want to gloat, that's the difference in Sunday's Super Bowl.