How Matt Rhule taunted the NY Giants this week and Joe Judge's team finally punched back

EAST RUTHERFORD — The Giants like to say, as most professional athletes do, that they pay zero attention to the outside noise. 

The fans. The media. Guys who played here.

But sometimes, that noise comes from unexpected sources, and when it does, it's impossible to ignore. In fact, smart teams use it to restart a fire that has come dangerously close to burning out for a few weeks now.

This time, for the Giants, the fuel was provided by Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule.

You know, the coach the Giants wanted to interview for their head coaching opening in January 2020, the one that ultimately signed with the Panthers after cancelling his trip to New Jersey to meet with team brass to talk about the job.

Giants ownership made zero pleas for Rhule to reconsider, and hours later, the Giants hired Joe Judge, shortly after co-owner Steve Tisch met with him in Providence that morning. When Rhule was meeting with Carolina, Judge was convincing the Giants that another candidate deserved serious consideration, too.

It's worth visiting the events of that fateful day after Rhule essentially taunted the Giants earlier this week by suggesting his Panthers would pound the football on the ground, establishing their physical presence against them.

The Giants heard about Rhule's declaration, which some players took as dismissive of their heart and effort. He'd obviously been watching them on video, too.

Those who did not hear it, the coaches and team leaders made sure they did.

When the Giants punctuated their 25-3 victory over the Panthers on Sunday afternoon, with Rhule and his team headed back to the airport for their flight home, it's fair to wonder if the coach who decided he didn't want them got played by the one who did. 

Rhule wanted to establish an identity at the Giants' expense.

Instead, he helped reignite the fire within a team that was searching for one, too.

"I love Matt Rhule to death, I respected Temple when he was there and he's a great coach," Giants safety and co-captain Logan Ryan said. "But, he talked about them establishing their identity and running the ball 33 times, and figure out who they are, and they've just got to do it next week. They couldn't establish it against us, so they've got to do it next week."

That, my friends, was the most damaging thing of the previous two losses for the Giants (2-5): they let the Cowboys in Jerry World and then the Rams in their own building run them up and down the field, on their terms, and the outcomes were ugly.

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The Panthers, as Rhule clearly stated, had the same goal. These Giants, reeling and a bit shorthanded on offense, finally punched back. 

That's a sign of the mettle of a team that had been accused of being on the verge of quitting. Judge pushed the right buttons and never wavered in his messaging. His coordinators got the most out of their plans, from Jason Garrett leaning on Daniel Jones and calling a great game to Patrick Graham striking the right balance with the defense.

The Giants' pride was challenged. Their play, at least for one game - most importantly, the most recent one - provided a resounding answer.

"You just don't let teams come in here and say they're gonna do this to you, do that to you," Ryan added. "So, we definitely heard about it. There was a lot to take personal, how it's been. To us, we just had to play with a certain type of identity, and dominant defense is a great way to start."

The Giants were facing opponent in their same weight class, a team that got off to a 3-0 start but has been waning a bit over the past month. This wasn't a game against Dallas and Los Angeles, two of the top contenders sparring with Tampa Bay to represent the NFC in Super Bowl 56.

On paper, given the losses on both sides, this was an even fight - and the Giants won by knockout, sending Sam Darnold to the bench and putting away a much-needed triumph by the middle stages of the fourth quarter.

"We’re a very resilient team," Judge said, and for the first time this season, that resolve, questioned by many, showed up when the Giants needed it most.

One win doesn't change a season, but certainly it can stem a tide that had been rising at an incredible rate just seven weeks into the year.

The Giants still have a long way to go to get back into contention in the NFC East, and a daunting trip to Kansas City is on deck for next Monday night.

Even with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs struggling, the challenge is what it is.

"It came together for us defensively, it came together for us as a team," Ryan said. "We found a way to win, and that was the biggest thing. Now we have our way, and we just have to try and replicate that."

Pride intact, the Giants will have to get a lot healthier and deliver their best performance if they're going to turn this triumph into a stunning winning streak, which would absolutely change the narrative of this season if that were to happen.  

Art Stapleton is the Giants beat writer for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to all Giants analysis, news, trades and more, please subscribe today and sign up for our NFC East newsletter.  

Email: stapleton@northjersey.com 

Twitter: @art_stapleton