They know where John Randle will start, but they do not know where he will eventually land. The Giants, though, are braced for the physical and verbal assault that they’re sure will come Sunday against the Vikings in the NFC Championship Game.
As a face-painted, motor-mouthed defensive lineman, Randle begins each game lining up at end, directly across from the right tackle, in this case Luke Petitgout. Randle then moves across the line, searching for a vulnerable place to strike.
“He’s going to line up where he thinks a weakness is,” center Dusty Zeigler said.
It is a ready-made insult. You see Randle on the other side of the line of scrimmage, you know he’s targeted you as someone he can abuse.
“He’ll try to get matched up on the person he feels is the weakest link, be it experience or injury, whatever he thinks he can figure out,” Petitgout said. “Certainly I’m the youngest guy in there. I’m sure he’ll be across for me, and that’s fine with me.”
Petitgout figures he’s the marked man, which makes sense. Lomas Brown at left tackle knows more tricks than Randle ever dreamed about. Glenn Parker at left guard is too smart to fall for Randle’s ploys. Zeigler has been solid in the middle and Ron Stone at right guard was voted into his first Pro Bowl. Petitgout after struggling as a rookie last season has been consistent in year No. 2, but Randle will test him all the same.
Once a terror, Randle has slowed quite a bit and finished this season with only eight sacks and 31 tackles. He came up big in last week’s 34-16 victory over the Saints and is always a threat to have a destructive game.
He’s also always a lock to attempt to get in an opponent’s head with what can best be described as bizarre, obscene trash talk. If he tries it against Parker, stand back and listen.
“It will be funny if somebody gets miked and you hear Randle and Parker out there going at it,” Zeigler said. “Parker’s not going to hold his tongue one bit. He doesn’t chatter much unless someone else taunts him.”
Petitgout says Randle can talk all he wants, for all the good it will do as far as trying to throw him off his game.
“If he beats me for three sacks that’s going to bother me, but him saying something to me, I don’t think it will affect me,” Petitgout said. Randle last week unveiled the purple face paint he used a few years ago, which is supposed to make him look more menacing.
“Is he Batman, who is he?” Zeigler wondered. “Maybe we should do something to reverse his mojo, paint our faces.”