This past week, Antrel Rolle was asked for the first of many times about this step-up in class as the Giants — who feasted on an array of weak or hobbled quarterbacks in their four-game winning streak — finally face a legitimate threat in Tony Romo.
Rolle, naturally, didn’t flinch.
“Well, he’s going up in class as far as the defense,’’ Rolle said. “We’ve played Tony Romo before. We’ve beaten him before.
“I think Tony Romo is a great quarterback. I think he’s very athletic. When this guy gets hot he can be one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in this league. I think he throws exceptional on the run and he can hit on all his targets. We understand what we’re facing but at the same time we’re not the same defense he faced the first time around.”
Though the Cowboys beat the Giants 36-31 in the season opener, it was not a scoring festival for Romo. He completed 36 passes but for only 263 yards and his longest pass went for only 23 yards.
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Jon Beason said he didn’t like seeing the familiar TV graphics this past week listing the NFL teams currently in the playoffs, those teams in the wild-card race and those on the fringe of the race.
The Giants at 4-6 were not listed anywhere.
“We’re in the race for sure,’’ Beason said. “It kind of upset me the other night in the Monday night game they showed the leaders, they got the teams in the wild card and they have the teams ‘in the hunt’ and there was no Giants team up there. I was like ‘Whoa, what’s going on here?’ ’’
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Victor Cruz caught three touchdown passes in the season opener but, surprisingly, it is second-year receiver Rueben Randle who has scored the most often for the Giants. He has a team-high six touchdown receptions, getting all six in the past six games.
“That’s just how the offense works, third wide [receiver], Rueben, he’s a good enough receiver to beat one-on-one coverage,’’ Hakeem Nicks said. “He’s taking advantage of every opportunity he gets, which is what he’s supposed to do.’’