"Kenny Who?" -- Golladay Has Chance To Prove Himself Versus Collins, Giants
Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid
Kenny Golladay, a man of few words, spoke loudly in his NFL debut with two fourth-quarter touchdowns that lifted the Lions to a 35-23 victory over the Cardinals.
But not everyone was listening.
When Giants All-Pro safety Landon Collins was asked about Golladay on Friday, ahead of a clash with the Lions on Monday Night Football, he asked right back, via ESPN, "Kenny who?"
A reporter jogged Collins' memory, reminding him that Golladay is the Lions' receiver who had two touchdowns in Week 1, to which Collins replied, "No. 19? Yeah, yeah, yeah."
"He got a little speed on him," Collins went on, "but other than that, I mean..."
Golladay flashed that speed on his second touchdown versus the Cardinals, a 45-yard bomb capped off by a diving catch in the end zone. He flashed his size on his first, a 10-yard fade that Golladay high-pointed over Arizona cornerback Justin Bethel.
But he has a long way to go in establishing himself in the NFL.
Pressed for more on Golladay's debut, Collins, a third-year pro, said, "He did an excellent job against the Cardinals' defense. That was surprising. Deep threat kind of guy. Don't see him catch intermediate routes and making cuts and stuff like that. See him running digs, deep post routes and catching those deep balls. That is what I see from them."
It's possible Collins was engaging in a little trash talk, trying to deflate Golladay by acting like he'd never heard of the rookie. More likely is that Golladay is less of a concern to Collins than the likes of Golden Tate and Marvin Jones.
A few other Giants defensive backs gave Golladay high marks, including a couple guys who played against him in college.
Cornerback Michael Hunter said, "I think for years to come he's going to be a tough guy to deal with."
Golladay will get a chance to validate his Week 1 performance versus one of the best secondaries in the league Monday night.
It should be fun," he said. "We're the only game on, so everybody will be watching. It'll be exciting."
