Jason Pierre-Paul: Giants' 'fear' factor could propel Super Bowl run in 2017

Jason Pierre-Paul: Giants' 'fear' factor could propel Super Bowl run in 2017 Updated on July 21, 2017 at 9:32 AMPosted on July 21, 2017 at 7:25 AM

B y Ja mes Kratch jkratch@njadvancemedia.com, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

NEW YORK -- Jason Pierre-Paul won't declare the Giants a Super Bowl contender because "everyone thinks they're a Super Bowl contender" at this time of year, but he understands others have a somewhat-different outlook.

"I think a lot of people are like, 'Wow, this could actually be a team that goes to the Super Bowl this year,'" the star defensive end said Thursday night in Brooklyn at the Phillip R. Shawe Charity Gala. "But it's all about the hard work, man."

It's also about the fear - in the Giants and their defense, that is.

Pierre-Paul is the Giants' longest-tenured defensive starter and one of the few remaining holdovers from the 2011 team that beat the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. He said he knows opponents feared that squad, and he believes it was the same in 2007 when the Giants won Super Bowl XLII from the stories he's heard. This year's team has to strive to achieve the same.

"I know what it takes to get to the Super Bowl, what Giants pride and that defense is really about," Pierre-Paul said. "Everything looks good on paper, but when other teams fear you, that's a big difference."

Did opposing teams fear the Giants and their defense last year? "Somewhat," he said. "But I think we can be a lot better than last year. We can be as great as we want to be. I'm all about work and effort."

Pierre-Paul, who signed a four-year, $62 million extension in March, could be the key to that desired improvement. The Giants' defense was strong all season long in 2016, but the unit played at its highest level late in the year after losing Pierre -Paul to a season-ending core injury. The defensive end was playing at a Pro Bowl level when he went down, too, with seven sacks in 12 games and 5.5 in the previous two before he suffered his injury in a Week 13 loss to the Steelers.

Pierre-Paul missed the Giants' final four regular season games, including dominant defensive outings against the Cowboys and Lions, as well as the playoff loss to the Packers.

"It probably would have made a big, big difference, I'm pretty sure. But everything happens for a reason," he said when a reporter reminded him of his absence. "Not to

be cocky, but if I was there, it would've been a totally different ballgame. Everyone knows that.

"I was on a roll, man. And once I get on a roll, it's hard to stop me. I've got a lot more football left in me."

Pierre-Paul has been hesitant to make any declarations about his physical status, but he did say he expects to "hit the ground running" with no lingering limitations from surgery when the Giants report to training camp on July 27. Pierre-Paul was a full participant in the team's offseason program, so he should be cleared without issue.

"I don't feel any spot is weak. With the players we have, as long as we all work together ... no one can defeat you when you're working together as one," Pierre-Paul said. "I'm very excited about training camp. All the guys are going to get together and we've got to build our team. I'm excited to get out there and run around like a little kid again."

Pierre-Paul and Giants punter Brad Wing were both in attendance to support the Shawe charity gala, as well as the Shawe scholarship competition, which was held prior to the gala at Brooklyn Borough Hall. The gala benefited four charities - The V Foundation, Resilience Rising, TransPerfect Advocate and the Key West Film Festival.

Pierre-Paul served as the honorary bailiff at the competition, which saw law students make mock oral arguments in connection to the TransPerfect case, an actual case which is still ongoing between the co-CEOs of TransPerfect Global, of which Shawe is one, in which a Delaware court has ruled to force a sale of the company. The judges for the competition included famed Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, who is counsel for Shawe.