Kenny Phillips back with a big-play bang

EAST RUTHERFORD – Kenny Phillips could not watch anymore.

Disgusted and frustrated by Carolina's ability to gut his defense with a record-setting performance on the ground in a forgettable farewell to the old Giants Stadium, Phillips did the only thing he could do from the couch in his Miami home.

He shut off the television.

At that moment, his comeback – and that of his team – began.

"I had to stop watching," Phillips said. "To see us have a game like that, I had to turn the channel."

Nearly nine months later, Phillips and the Giants were finally able to turn the page.

It's no coincidence he was back at safety helping the cause, providing several game-changing plays that turned Sunday's 31-18 victory over the Panthers into something plenty more memorable in their New Meadowlands Stadium debut.

Not only was Phillips on the field, the third-year pro never left it as long as the Giants' defense was out there, proving he's a lot closer to his standout form than most expected.

Phillips missed all but two games last season after an MRI revealed patellofemoral arthritis in his left knee, a condition that required surgery. One of the Giants' most valuable players – not to mention the foundation of their secondary last season — landed on injured reserve Sept. 24, 2009.

"Last year it was noticeable; we hurt not having him there," defensive tackle Barry Cofield said of Phillips' absence. "He's a playmaker."

Two of the biggest plays the Giants made Sunday involved Phillips, whose presence changes the complexion of a defensive unit out for redemption.

The hard-hitting 23-year-old tripped up DeAngelo Williams on a third-down run that was seemingly headed for a touchdown, forcing the Panthers to settle for a field goal in the first quarter. Phillips came up huge in the fourth quarter as well, intercepting a Matt Moore pass in the end zone to thwart another Carolina drive deep in Giants' territory.

"Any time they got the ball in the red zone, we just had to man up and get our offense back the ball," said Phillips, who finished with four tackles, starring in a secondary that got more from its safeties Sunday – Deon Grant and Antrel Rolle included – than it did most of last season. "I was just trying to make a play [on the interception]. The quarterback's scrambling, he's looking for someone to throw the ball to. I was just able to step in front of one."

The crowd of 77,245 greeted Phillips with one of the loudest ovations in the pregame introductions, welcoming back a player who represents the team's present as much as he does its future.

"It felt great and if I was kind [of] wimpy, I probably would've shed a tear," Phillips said with a laugh. "[My knee feels] good: No pain, no anything. I don't feel limited in any way."

Phillips didn't look limited, either, delivering a jarring welcome-back hit of sorts soon after by popping Carolina's Gary Barnidge on Grant's interception at the goal line.

"That got me going," Phillips said, and fortunately for the Giants, he never had to stop.

"Kenny's a great player, so he's going to make a difference X and O wise," Cofield said. "His presence is exceptional because he covers so much ground. A lot of times where you might have to put an extra guy here or put an extra guy there, Kenny can cover both of them and it makes it easier on us. He loves playing in the box. He hits you. He can do everything a safety is asked to do."

After rushing for 247 yards in their last game, the most the Giants ever gave up in their old stadium, this time the Panthers managed 89 yards on 24 carries, averaging 3.7 yards per carry.

"You try to leave the past in the past, but we definitely played with a chip on our shoulders," Phillips said. "We wanted to come out and open this stadium up the right way."

The Giants did that with a victory, and they did so with Phillips having the level of impact he did before his knee surgery.

Reporters gathered around Phillips amidst the Giants' postgame celebration; as he stood in front of his locker getting dressed, teammate Corey Webster joked from two lockers away: "Right where [Phillips] left off. I like it."

Nobody appreciated being in that position more than Phillips himself.

Click here to order Kenny Phillips’ proCane Rookie Card.



(northjersey.com)