Posted by ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas

Jeff Duncan has a spot-on analysis of New Orleans tight end Jeremy Shockey as he gets ready to face his old team, the New York Giants.

Shockey made it a point to say this game is not about him.

"I want to make that clear," Shockey said. "There's already been some references about vendettas and stuff like that. It's about two teams. It's two great teams playing against each other."

Let’s first give Shockey, who hasn’t always played the good soldier, full credit for handling things the right way this week. Although a lot has been said and written about Shockey facing a team he didn’t leave on very good terms, he’s staying above all that.

As Duncan points out, there’s also a very real chance this game is extra special for Shockey. Maybe -- just maybe -- this is a sign the tight end has learned something from his days in New York, where he often spoke before he acted. Maybe he’s maturing and maybe he’s realized that staying quiet could give him a chance to have the upper hand when all is said and done Sunday.