Jeremy Maclin, Eagles answer Giants trash talk

Is it really a rivalry when one team has beaten the other one six straight times?

We’ll save that debate for another day. On this date, Sept. 21, 2011, the Eagles and Giants are already in midseason trash-talking form.

The Giants’ Antrel Rolle lit the flames earlier this week when he told a New York radio station that he could “handle” DeSean Jackson. OK. Maybe he can cover the speedy receiver — Jackson was held to eight catches for 102 yards in two games last season — but he might want to check the replay on that 65-yard, game-winning punt return on Dec. 19. We did.

Either way, Jeremy Maclin fired back at Rolle and the Giants on Wednesday, saying, “A lot of times people talk, they’re either insecure or scared … on the other hand, they have no business talking because they haven’t done anything the last six times.”

Ouch. We certainly didn’t expect to hear that coming from the NovaCare Complex, especially not from the usually soft-spoken Maclin. Then again, Maclin was speaking the truth.

Of course, the whole Giants-Eagles feud took root this past summer, when LeSean McCoy and Osi Umenyiora openly beefed on Twitter. Hopefully, the two sides keep the shit flying in the days leading up to Sunday’s big game.

Meanwhile, the other two teams in the NFC East — the Redskins and Cowboys — will tee it up this week on Monday Night Football. Those teams were also stoking fires Wednesday.

Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall told reporters that he was going to be aiming for Tony Romo‘s fractured ribs.

“I want to get a chance to put my helmet on whatever’s hurt … Romo’s ribs,” Hall said.

Romo is expected to wear a vest to protect himself in that game. Stay tuned.