Offensive linemen usually get noticed for bad plays, and few offensive linemen have been noticed more for bad plays than Eagles tackle Winston Justice was at Giants Stadium on September 30, 2007.
That night, Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora abused Justice for six sacks of Donovan McNabb, making Umenyiora a star and Justice the butt of Jokes around the NFL. The game was Justice’s first career start, and it looked like it would be his last: He didn’t start another game that season, and he didn’t start any games in 2008, either.
But a funny thing has happened in 2009: Justice is a starter again -- now at right tackle, whereas that game in 2007 was at left tackle. As Justice prepares to play the Giants again on Sunday, though, he says he’s not thinking about the 2007 game.
“If I go against Osi, I’m not looking at it as redemption or anything,” Justice said this week, per Tom Rock of Newsday. “I’m looking at it as getting the job done and . . . I’m not looking at it as payback, because it’s not. It’s just me taking care of business.”
Giants defensive end Justin Tuck, who will likely line up against Justice on most plays, calls Justice, “a completely different player.” He’s looked a lot different so far this year than he did that night in 2007. McNabb will need him to be much different against the Giants.