Written By Jon Beason

December 18, 2008

I was recently selected to the Pro Bowl and it’s a great honor, especially because the fans vote, your peers vote and your coaches vote, so it means a lot.

I was emotional because last year I kind of expected to make it but I felt like I got shafted. This year I knew I had the same stats as last year so I didn’t want to get my hopes up. When I found out I made it, I realized how much it meant to me that I didn’t make it the year before.

My next goal? Well, all that individual stuff is great. I think about that stuff, and part of making it to the Pro Bowl is being a great player for your team, being consistent and helping the team win games. For me, the main goal has always been to win a championship. That’s what we call the Real Bowl, the Super Bowl. Guys were congratulating me on making the Pro Bowl, but we reminded each other to keep focused on the Real Bowl.

Beating the Giants on Sunday night would be a good step in that direction.

We definitely believe we can beat the Giants and the Giants know it’s possible. Now it’s just a question of whether we will be able to make it happen and if the Giants will let it happen. Hey, we haven’t even clinched a spot in the playoffs yet. If we win we’ll be the No. 1 seed, but if lose we might not even be in the playoffs. So to be associated with a game of this magnitude is a great feeling.

Yes, all three of our losses this season were on the road and we’ll be playing in New Jersey. I think it really comes down to starting fast, realizing where we’re at. Having home field is great, but personally I like to play on the road because I like coming out of the tunnel and having everybody boo. That gets me fired up, I like it.

And if it snows, let it snow. I’m pretty sure it will snow, there’s a big storm headed that way. Everyone’s been asking me about the weather, but having gone up to Green Bay and played well and got the win, I don’t think the weather will have any impact. It’s such a big game, no one is focused on that.

The Giants have a big back in Brandon Jacobs. You have to respect him at 6-4, 265, he’s a man among boys. The way to stop him is to hit him before he gets started, or just swarm him. If everybody gets to the ball it will be tough for him to run. It’s a great opportunity to make a name off someone who is a monster in the backfield.

I think the Giants are a complete football team, but what makes them special in my eyes is the defense. They especially have good players all across their front four, but their offense hasn’t given them anything lately. I think they gave up 14 sacks in their last two games, eight against Dallas and six against Philly. You can’t win like that.

What’s scary is you know they’re the Super Bowl champions and they’ll be there fighting until the end, so on defense we can’t give up anything.

Carolina Panthers starting middle linebacker Jon Beason writes a blog for playerpress.com at www.jonbeason.com.