Will they ever learn?

"If you don't learn from history, you'll relive it."

Those words came from my natural science professor my freshman year in college, about the only words I remember from that particular class. It's a life lesson applied by many, but apparently not by those whose upcoming opponents are the New York Giants.

Cleveland Browns defensive end Corey Williams is the latest to provide the Giants bulletin board fodder and more fuel for their disrespect angle that carried them to a Super Bowl championship last season. The Browns host the Giants Monday night. Williams, for reasons known only to himself, had this to say about Brandon Jacobs:

"If we can come out and hit him in the mouth from the jump, he tends to slow down and do some tip-toeing," Williams said. "You've got to swarm him, swarm to the ball."

Jacobs is 10th in the NFL in rushing (380 yards), averages 5.8 yards per carry (good for fifth) and makes his living running over people. Think Williams has been paying attention? In a word, no.

"He's a good back who runs hard and has speed, but we're gonna get the job done regardless," Williams continued. "I'm gonna try to knock his head off. ... His whole attitude is to knock our head off when he's running the ball. I'm trying to get him before he gets me. He's a pretty good overall running back, but once you go to putting that wood on him, go to really hitting him, not letting him run wild like he wants to do, he's a totally different running back. He'll start tip-toeing, shutting it down.

"We came real close to beating the Giants in the NFC title game," continued Williams, a member of the Packers team the Giants stunned in January. "We were hitting (Jacobs), and he was slowing it down. He left the game. They let the (Ahmad) Bradshaw kid come in. He's really the one who killed us."

Judging by the recent past, Williams and the Browns are in serious trouble. There are enough problems in the Dawg Pound. The Browns, expected by many to contend in the AFC North, are 1-3. Their coach, former Giants assistant Romeo Crennel, is on the hot seat. Their All-Pro tight end, Kellen Winslow, was hospitalized with an undisclosed illness. Quarterback Derek Anderson, a revelation last season, has been a dud and is looking at Brady Quinn in his rear view mirror.

And now Williams decides to sound off. Maybe he's looking to fire up his group of underachievers, but his comments and timing are downright stupid. Want proof? Ask these two who had their pregame words for a postgame meal:

Ronde Barber
His Tampa Bay Buccaneers headed to the playoffs, Tiki's brother told his twin on Sirius Satellite Radio, "Of course we want to play the Giants. They [win] ugly, [Jeremy] Shockey's hurt and Eli [Manning] has been inconsistent."

Result: The teams met in the first round of the playoffs, where the Giants won 24-14 in Tampa by holding the Bucs to 166 yards before their late 88-yard drive.

Patrick Crayton
This is my favorite. Leave it not to Terrell Owens, but Crayton, of all people, to run his trap days before the 13-3 Cowboys hosted the Giants in an NFC Divisional Playoff Game.

"It's funny that those guys talk, every time we get ready to play them," Crayton said. "What I have learned is when players have to talk about another team like that, either they are scared or they are trying to talk themselves into believing they can do it. I think they are trying to talk themselves up into believing they can do it.

"Tampa Bay didn't even have all their wideouts. I think (the Giants) realize we are not Tampa Bay. We don't have Tampa Bay's personnel. I think across the board, I think we are a little bit better than Tampa Bay."

Crayton also dissed Jacobs. OK, Jacobs did say the Giants would "whup" the Cowboys' butts. Instead, Dallas destroyed them, 45-35, in Week 1. That should have been enough, but you're not a Dallas Cowboy if you don't have a big mouth.

"Jacobs is a talker. (Michael) Strahan does it but he doesn't do it directly. He does it indirectly. Go back and listen to some of his stuff.

"He even talked after the first game. I think it was like a Wednesday. He was like, 'I wish they were flying in today, I'd go wait at the airport for them.' Just little stuff like that. We showed up and you weren't there. And when we got to Giants Stadium, you still weren't there."

Result: Crayton dropped two huge passes, one slanting across from the left sideline on third-and-13 from the Dallas 17 with at least 20 yards of open field in front of him, and muffed a punt. He finished with three catches for 27 yards in the overconfident Cowboys' humiliating 21-17 loss. Furthermore, owner Jerry Jones, who had NFC Championship Game tickets printed, stood on the sideline looking like he just ingested two-week-old meat.

If I left anything out, by all means drop me a line.