It wasn’t quite like Nate Robinson jumping center versus Shaquille O’Neal, but it was nearly as unfair. The pivotal play in yesterday’s 17-3 Giants victory over Tampa Bay was a mismatch of height, something that’s usually in Plaxico Burress’ favor.
When Giant quarterback Eli Manning looked in the left corner of the end zone for the 6foot-5 Burress on a 7-yard touchdown score late in the first quarter yesterday, he noticed Ronde Barber was draped on him. Thing is, Barber is listed at 5-foot-10 and copped to being a half-inch shorter.
Manning threw the ball high, and Burress reached up with his left hand and plucked the ball from the heavens, bringing in the key TD that sparked Big Blue’s win.
“I thought I was in pretty decent position, but 6-5 and 5-9 1/2, that’s not a battle I’m going to win too often,” Barber admitted.
When asked if it was a helpless feeling to see Burress literally looming large in the end zone on a jump ball, Barber looked directly in the eyes of a reporter who was the same height and said, “Yeah. You want that job?” “He’s tough to deal with, man,” Barber continued. “He’s a great receiver. He’s got great hands.
“I mean, he caught that thing left-handed. A one-handed, lefthanded grab. There’s not a whole lot I could do. It’s what he’s good at. He’s a great redzone receiver and you just have to know what to expect when you play against him.” Burress called it “probably the windiest game I have ever played in,” so his big game should be a credit to his skill and concentration. He made seven catches for a team-high 86 yards, including a long of 25 yards that put the ball on the 3-yard-line to set up the Giants’ second TD. He credited Manning on the acrobatic catch for his first score.
“Ronde played kind of high on me,” Burress said. “I stuck my hand out there because I couldn’t get around him, and I came down with it.
“It says a lot about my quarterback.
I make the plays all week during practice and I really don’t have to be open. He puts the balls out there and says, ‘Make a play.’ When he puts it up there, he is confident in my abilities to come down with it.”