When New York Giants defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins looks back at the 2013 and 2014 NFL seasons, he isn’t happy with how the team crumbled on game day—even after a strong week of practice.
According to Tom Rock of Newsday, the 12-year veteran said the Giants must improve how they respond to difficult moments. Jenkins said:
“This is the NFL. No one team is just going to go out there and not have its fair share of adversity. That comes along with the game. If you know that, you know it’s required that you have to be able to respond to it. That’s what we need to do a better job with. When we get hit in the mouth or go through adversity, we don’t respond as well as we should.”
Jenkins said the team would sometimes “freeze up” and needs to display a “killer instinct” more often this season.
New York only managed 4-7 record in games decided by eight points or less during the 2013 and 2014 campaigns, including a 2-4 mark within the NFC East.
The Giants enter the 2015 season as an afterthought, despite the rising star power of Odell Beckham Jr., a second-year wide receiver. New York is planted squarely behind the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles in nearly every prediction, while the Washington football team typically rounds out the division.
However, if the roster find that “killer instinct” Jenkins feels is lacking, the Giants might challenge for a Wild Card spot and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2011.