Former New York Giant safety C.C. Brown has a reason for his struggles and benching last season.

Brown blames some of it on the New York media. In an interview with The Detroit News’ John Niyo, Brown says he still is sensitive about his abysmal season with the Giants last year.

Brown was asked what he thought about how some fans and media labeled him “Can’t Cover” Brown.

“I don't even want to comment on that, because I still, at times, get sensitive about how they did me (wrong) there,” Brown said. “The biggest thing with New York is the media controls the team. So whatever the media says, that's what's gonna happen.”

So, the media apparently controls what happens with the Giants and specifically Brown's benching and struggles, according to the safety. Of course, if this were true, the Giants would have drafted a middle linebacker in the first round since many members of the media felt the Giants needed to take a middle linebacker with their first pick.

But back to last year. Once Kenny Phillips went down with a season-ending knee injury after Week 2, the Giants' safeties struggled badly. Brown, who is better suited as an in-the-box safety, feels he was the scapegoat for the Giants’ defensive fiasco last season.

“I was, I was,” said Brown, who was benched in November after getting beat deep a few times. “Me being the new guy, I was the first guy on the block to be blamed. But it's all right. It's water under the bridge.”

Brown no longer has to worry about the New York media now that he is a Lion. The Giants have since moved on with the signings of Antrel Rolle and Deon Grant in the offseason.