Despite a challenging first game offensively from the New York Giants, there were improvements defensively, which were the lone positives from this game, and it all started with Big Blue's pass rush department. Brian Burns had two sacks, and Kayvon Thobodueax and Abdul Carter each had half a sack.
While there's plenty to be excited about the pass rush this year, this isn't the first time in franchise history that the G-Men have had an elite front seven. It all started with the Big Blue Wrecking Crew in 1986, which featured Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks, and Leonard Marshall.
They also had elite pass rushers in their two most recent Super Bowl victories over the New England Patriots. Those teams consisted of players like Michael Strahan, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Osi Umenyiora, but there was one player who stood out among the pack on both the 2008 and 2012 teams: Justin Tuck.
Justin Tuck is one of the most underrated players in recent memory
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report recently named the NFL's most underrated players since 2001, and Tuck cracked the list. The two-time Super Bowl Champion was named among several other underrated players, such as Alex Smith, Darren Sproles, and Keenan Allen.
Outside of hisl rings, Tuck has been recognized with a first-team All-Pro selection, two Pro Bowl nods, and was inducted into the Giants Ring of Honor, where his No. 91 was retired by the franchise in 2016. If there's any player who embodied the saying "Once A Giant, Always A Giant," it was Tuck.
He played 11 seasons in the league from 2005 to 2015, nine years with the G-Men and spending his final two years with the Oakland Raiders. He totaled 508 total tackles (354 solo), 66.5 sacks, 20 forced fumbles, three interceptions, and one defensive touchdown in 147 games (107 started). He also holds the franchise record for quarterback hits with 120.
He will always be remembered for his time in New York, providing the team with numerous memorable moments on and off the field, including his iconic pre-game speech before Super Bowl XLVI. He will also be remembered for getting after Tom Brady in both championships, as well as forcing a safety by pressuring the GOAT into the end zone early in Super Bowl XLVI.
Although Tuck has been out of the league for a decade, he'll always be a fan favorite among Giants fans for everything he's given this team. He'll go down as one of the franchise's all-time greats and will always be welcomed back to MetLife Stadium with open arms.