Let's get one thing straight. Jason Pierre-Paul is NOT the next Lawrence Taylor. There is only one of those, only one LT, and it isn't the guy known as JPP or the guy who currently plays running back for the New York Jets.
Lawrence Taylor is a guy who changed the way the game of football is played. He changed the way defenses used linebackers. He changed the way offenses schemed to block Taylor and the other devastating outside pass-rushers he paved the way for. There will never be another Lawrence Taylor.
What Pierre-Paul is is the next -- no make that current -- great defensive end for the Giants. Andy Robustelli, Jim Katcavage, George Martin, Leonard Marshall, Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and now JPP. The tradition is in good hands, but let's not call JPP the next LT.
I have to get that out of the way because our good friends at Sports Radio Interviews have fallen all over themselves trying to make that comparison this week while posting a transcript of Pierre-Paul on WFAN with Joe and Evan discussing his monstrous game in Sunday's victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
Pierre-Paul was indeed a man among boys Sunday. He had eight tackles, two sacks (one which caused a safety), a forced fumble and the game-salvaging blocked field goal. Teammate Dave Tollefson has nicknamed Pierre-Paul "Superman," and after Sunday no one could blame him. Without Pierre-Paul the Giants had no chance to win.
Here are excerpts of the full interview.
Have you ever had a game like the one you had against the Cowboys on Sunday night? Have you ever had a game as dominant as that?
"Not as dominant as that, but I had a couple of games that I had changed the game, but not like that. It was exciting for me."
Talk about blocking the second field goal at the end of the game. You had said on the first attempt you couldn't get by your man, so on the second kick you decided to move over the center?
"Yeah. The whole game I had been going against the guard. I tried jumping and it didn't work. I tried avoiding him and it didn't work. It came down to the last play of the game and they tried a field goal and Coach Coughlin called a timeout. I went through the guard and I tried to jump, but it didn't work like it was the whole game, so I was like I am not going through the guard. I'll push through the center, so when the ball is snapped just push me. When the ball was snapped I stepped over to the left and ripped through the center when he got his head up and he pulled my hands up and that was it. A blocked field goal."