Justin Tuck said on Monday that the Giants were well aware of the reputation surrounding the Falcons' offensive line for playing through the whistle and being accused by some opponents of dirty play.
That is why he said "most people, you would call them dirtbags." While appearing on ESPN's NFL32 on Tuesday, Tuck reiterated that he was not calling the Falcons' offensive linemen "dirtbags" but rather saying that most would call them that based on reputation.
But Tuck's comments will put the spotlight on the Atlanta offensive line now and all eyes -- and perhaps the officials' eyes as well -- will be on how Matt Ryan's linemen conduct themselves. That could benefit the Giants' defensive linemen and Tuck.
"I said that they have the reputation," Tuck said on NFL32 when asked about his comments. "Never did Justin Tuck say that the Atlanta Falcons' O-line is 'dirtbags.' I said most people would say that. But with that being said, it is football. Those guys play to the end of the whistle. I know my comments will be taken out of context. Honestly, it doesn’t really matter. We still got to go out and do our jobs."