Giants rookie Sisi Mauigoa is prepared for a unique confrontation when his team faces the Jets in a preseason game Friday night. He expects to go head-to-head with his brother, Jets linebacker Kiko Mauigoa, in what promises to be a special, albeit intense, matchup. "Pancake him," Sisi said with a grin when asked about his plans, referencing their childhood and college days where they were frequent on-field rivals.
The Mauigoa brothers, who grew up together and played collegiately at Miami, have often been teammates. This upcoming game marks a relatively new experience as Sisi plays right guard for the Giants and Kiko patrols at linebacker for the Jets. "It's going to be special," Sisi stated. "It's something new, but it's also what we dream for. And to be able to go against him, he knows that I'm going to bring it. It's going to be an extra juice behind it because I know that if he ever gets something on me, I will never hear the end of it."
Sisi anticipates that Kiko will be equally aggressive. "He knows that I'm going to bring it," Sisi added. Their mother, who initially expressed hesitation about watching her sons compete, will attend the game after Sisi reassured her that they were playing for the same purpose of supporting their family.
In other Giants news, the team announced the signings of TE Josiah Deguara and WR Kobe Prentice. The team's decision on whether quarterback Jaxson Dart will play in the upcoming game remains undecided. Head coach John Harbaugh acknowledged that a lack of recent game action could be a significant factor for Dart heading into the regular season opener. "You haven't played in a game, now we're going to go play in a game under the lights, high stakes. It's going to be loud," Harbaugh commented on the potential challenge. He also noted that the starting defense could benefit from the communication practice afforded by playing in the game.