If Sunday’s NFC Championship Game between the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers is anything like the Words With (Not) Friends being played this week between the teams, it promises to be a good one.
Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz got things started Monday by saying he was relieved New York will get to play San Francisco instead of New Orleans, but others on both sides have joined the mix, on Twitter, radio and in comments to reporters.
“Just coming from our schedule and how it turned out and how we played against New Orleans and how we played against San Fran, it definitely works out in our favor a little bit that we’re able to get San Fran as opposed to New Orleans,” Cruz told the New York Daily News. “Just because of how we feel about them and we understand we have a good chance of winning that game.”
Said Giants safety Antrel Rolle: “We are not going to be denied. That is our mindset. I may be a little biased, but in our minds we can’t be beaten.”
Rolle, speaking on a New York radio station, also responded to a comment by 49ers tight end Vernon Davis that he “prayed and prayed” Sunday that the Giants would beat the Packers so the Niners could host New York at Candlestick instead of having to travel to Green Bay.
“If he said that, I can only hope he’s saying it just because they want to get a home game,” Rolle said. “They better be careful what they ask for, because their wish is being granted and we’ll see them come Sunday.”
Niners safety Donte Whitner and offensive tackle Anthony Davis responded to Giants comments via Twitter.
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Tweeted Whitner: “Out here in San Fran we'll let our Shoulder Pads do all the talking … haha.” Added Davis: “Are the Giants doing drunk interviews? Lol.”
Before the Giants game in San Francisco in November, a game the 49ers won 27-20, New York defensive end Justin Tuck stirred the pot a bit by saying Niners quarterback Alex Smith “is a guy who they are trying to keep out of position to win the football game.”
Smith responded after the game by saying, “I managed myself into a victory.”
On Monday, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh was asked about the back-and-forth between players on the two teams this week, and told reporters he hopes his players will concentrate on their jobs.
“We need to really focus on our task here,” Harbaugh told Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. “This is a big game. It’s against a great opponent. That’s where our thoughts will be, not on the irrelevant things that show up in the newspaper.”
