Antrel Rolle: Giants can go 12-0

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants are 0-4, but Antrel Rolle thinks they can still make the playoffs.

In fact, Rolle thinks the Giants can do much better than that.

"I believe we can go 12-0 from this point on," Rolle said Monday. "People can look at me like I'm crazy, but you know, I could really give a damn at this point. This is what I truly believe. I know the talent of this team, I know the mindset of this team, we just have to go out there and put it all together."

“

We've played some bad football, but this is gonna be a true testament of who this New York Giants football team is. We can either go in a hole and hang our heads, or we can come out fighting. And I believe we're definitely gonna come out fighting. You all haven't seen the end of us yet. ”

-- Giants safety Antrel Rolle

The Giants regrouped Monday, a day after a 31-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. New York has been outscored 68-7 over the past two weeks, but coach Tom Coughlin saw progress in Sunday's game, which was close (10-7) until late in the third quarter.

"I felt good, as I told you last night, about the effort," Coughlin said. "There were good things in all phases. I liked the position that our defense put us in the majority of the day."

Coughlin also said he began his team meeting Monday by talking about the standings and the fact that the Giants are just two games out of first place in the NFC East despite their 0-4 record.

"Obviously it doesn't mean a whole lot unless you win," Coughlin said. "But we are aware of the circumstances in the NFC East."

Rolle, one of the team's captains, asked Coughlin whether he could address the team.

"He's had a couple of messages today," Coughlin said. "One is that he feels tighter and more connected to these players right now than he ever has -- that he knows our back is against the wall. He's not afraid of that circumstance; he's kind of put his arms around this team and asked the members of this team to accept and understand that as well.

"And they know full well that when you take the field as a unit and you really do feel as if you represent one another and have each other's back, you gotta totally believe that you have the ability to succeed. And I thought that was a good message today."

Rolle emphasized that the Giants should look at their next game as a fresh start to what has been a dreadful beginning to the season.

"This is a 12-game season for us at this point," Rolle said. "Nothing that has taken place matters. That's something that we've been preaching today. Guys just have to believe again. We have to get back that good feeling again, as far as winning."

Eli Manning echoed Rolle's sentiments, saying that getting a victory is crucial to a Giants team that also lost its final three preseason games.

"I think a win would be big for this locker room and the morale," Manning said. "We work hard each week, and the reason you work hard is for that feeling after a game when you can celebrate and you can feel good about all the work that you put in. When you don't have anything to show for it, it gets frustrating."

Both Manning and Rolle agreed with Coughlin, saying they saw some good things against the Chiefs.

"I thought we had chances and I thought we had the right game plan," Manning said. "We said we're going to attack these corners, throw the ball down the field and try to get some big plays. We only hit one of them. I thought we had opportunities for some other ones and the defenders made some decent plays."

"I thought we fought a little bit more that game," Rolle added. "I thought our intensity was a little bit better that game."

Next up is a huge opportunity for the Giants -- a home game against a division rival, the Philadelphia Eagles, who currently are 1-3. Meanwhile, the first-place Dallas Cowboys (2-2) host the undefeated Denver Broncos (4-0), meaning the Giants could amazingly claw within a game of first with a win.

"We've played some bad football, but this is gonna be a true testament of who this New York Giants football team is," Rolle said. "We can either go in a hole and hang our heads, or we can come out fighting. And I believe we're definitely gonna come out fighting. You all haven't seen the end of us yet."

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Kieran Darcy | email

ESPNNewYork.com

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Kieran Darcy is an ESPNNewYork.com staff writer. He joined ESPN in August 2000 after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, where he played four years of JV basketball.
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