Green Bay Packers

Packers are not impressed after Giants DBs adopt 'NYPD' nickname as motivation

Published Jan. 5, 2017 6:38 p.m. ET

Nunzio Ingrassia

The New York Giants defensive backs are trying to be clever in the hopes of motivating themselves against the Green Bay Packers in Sunday’s Wild Card game. But the Packers don’t seem to be too concerned.

A day after Giants safety Landon Collins said the team’s corners started calling themselves the "NYPD" – New York Pass Defense – Green Bay players basically shrugged off the whole thing.

“Well, we're in Wisconsin, so we don't have to worry about that," Packers wideout Davante Adams said, via ESPN on Thursday.

Collins credited New York fans for the nickname — an obvious play off the city’s police department — as the team prepares to face one of the league’s most lethal passing attacks. Aaron Rodgers led the league in touchdowns (40), and the Packers, winners of six in a row, finished seventh in passing yards per game (262.4).

"If that's what they call themselves, that's what they call themselves," Packers wideout Geronimo Allison said. "There probably won't be too many handcuffs being passed out this Sunday.

"We're going to be prepared for them. Whatever they throw at us, we'll be prepared for it. We're going to attack them at their weak points and we're going to execute our game plan. We're really not concerned about what they're going to do to stop us. We're going to execute our job and do it to the best of our ability."

Stopping the Packers’ passing attack is a tall task for any defense, especially a Giants one that ranked 23rd in the league against the pass. But New York’s secondary did create its fair share of turnovers in 2016, ranking fourth in the league with 17 interceptions.

“We were just trying to figure out what to call our group and they came up with it,” Collins said Wednesday, via the New York Post. “We stuck with it. [Cornerbacks] Coach [Tim] Walton is the one that cranks the name up all the time and we just stuck with it, call ourselves NYPD.”

The Giants have to hope the nickname will travel when they face the Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday.