Wilfork: 'We'll do our talking on Sunday'

INDIANAPOLIS -- Patriots defensive lineman Vince Wilfork and several of his teammates said Thursday they weren’t going to get into a war of words with Giants defensive lineman Chris Canty, who said Wednesday that New York fans should “get ready for a parade.”

“The game is never won in the papers or in the media,” Wilfork said. “We’ll do all our talking on Sunday.”

Canty made the statement to a New York television station. When asked if he was worried about giving the Patriots bulletin board material, he said he didn’t care.

“Obviously, Tom Brady made a statement at their pep rally. Obviously, both teams are here to try to win a football game,” he said. “It just is what it is. I’m not trying to inflame anybody or anything like that. I want our fans to be excited about the game that’s coming up on Sunday. It’s going to be a great football game. It’s going to be a 60-minute game, and hopefully we can put ourselves in the best position to be successful.”

“I stand beside what Vince says,” said New England linebacker Jerod Mayo. “A good team will lose on Sunday -- hopefully, it’s not us. There are two good teams going at it. It’s good that he has that confidence.”

“I don’t blame him for saying that,” said Patriots offensive lineman Logan Mankins. “Hopefully, our fans are getting ready too. We want to win the game, they want to win the game. We know that only one team can, so, whichever teams wins is going to have a big party, and the other team will be very disappointed.”

“It’s his opinion. He’s entitled to his own opinion,” said New England defensive end Mark Anderson. “The best team will win Sunday night. All we’re going to do is continue to work, continue to prepare and do what we have to do and correct any mistakes so we can play at a high level on Sunday.”

Though Canty suggested that the comment was not the basis of a war of words, Patriots receiver Deion Branch -- when interviewed by the Mut & Merloni show on Thursday morning -- was clearly irked by Canty's comments.

"Philadelphia said that, too," Branch said of Canty's parade boast, referring to an Eagles team that offered numerous boasts in the buildup to Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005. "[At] 6:30, we'll see Chris on the football field Sunday. ... We'll be there. He can say they've got a parade and all that stuff. That's cool."

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