DETROIT — The question was off-base enough that Antrel Rolle saw the need to repeat it before responding.
Does he see any extra passion from Tom Coughlin this season?
“Extra passion?’’ Rolle asked. “He’s always been a passionate guy. I think Coach has a chip on his shoulder, as well as we do. I’m sure last season was definitely bitter for him, as it should have been. It’s our job as players to go out there and make sure that he doesn’t feel that way. We’ve got to go out there and make sure that we don’t feel like we’ve been letting him down as players.’’
On Monday night against the Lions, Coughlin embarks on his 11th season as head coach of the Giants. It will be his 19th time on the sideline for opening day as an NFL head coach. After all this time, he admits he still gets extra excited for the kickoff of a new season.
“Absolutely,’’ said Coughlin, at 68 the league’s oldest head coach. “The day you don’t get excited about the beginning of the regular season, you better do something else. It’s an exciting thing to be a part of, believe me, the start of the National Football League season. Because, first of all, the way that the fans and the nation grasp the start of the regular season is really good, it’s really exciting. It’s inspirational to us that are involved.”
A “fast start’’ has not been a part of the Giants’ recent history. They have lost their last three games on Kickoff Weekend — they lost to the Redskins in 2011 and to the Cowboys the past two years.
Eight rookies made the Giants’ roster and figure three will get on the field in prominent or semi-prominent roles.
Weston Richburg will start at left guard, running back Andre Williams will share the ball with the starter, Rashad Jennings, and linebacker Devon Kennard will play in certain defensive packages, probably in goal-line situations.
After not playing outside linebacker for a single play in the preseason, Jameel McClain will start on the outside to accommodate the return of middle linebacker Jon Beason. McClain filled in at middle linebacker while Beason’s right foot healed. That gives the Giants two players familiar with calling the defense.
“Linebacker is linebacker,” said McClain, who mostly played on the outside with the Ravens. “Football is football to me. Everybody else makes it complicated.”
How important is winning the opener? Since 1990 when the 12-team playoff format was adopted, teams going 1-0 made the playoffs 54 percent of the time. Teams starting off 0-1 made it into the postseason only 25 percent of the time. … The Giants are 4-3 in season openers on “Monday Night Football.” The last time they opened up on Monday night was a 31-20 loss in Denver on Sept. 10, 2001 — the night before the terrorist attacks. … Former (and short-lived) Giants defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan is the Lions’ linebackers coach .