This is the second in a nine part series previewing the Eagles division opponents. Today, we look at the New York Giants defense.
What was the Giants defense like last year?
It was a disappointing defensive year, if not outright terrible. The defense finished top 10 in yards per game, but closer to 20th in points per game, and often looked more like the Little Giants than those Super Bowl Championship teams. The stats are also padded by what appeared to be a preseason flashback during weeks 7-11, when they faced Josh Freeman, Matt Barkley, Terrelle Pryor, and Scott Tolzien with a bye-week throw in between for good measure. Perry Fewell returns as defensive coordinator, and although he isn’t on the hot seat, a poor season could see him fired.
Are the Giants going to look any different?
The short answer is yes. It may not, however, matter. The players who left aren’t irreplaceable schematically or talent-wise. Besides, the Giants want to look different, because looking the same probably won’t make them a real force this season anyway.
What’s the long answer?
On the defensive line, Justin Tuck is gone, as is Linval Joseph. And while Tuck is the bigger name, Joseph is the bigger loss, both physically and schematically, as his ability to create pressure in the middle won’t be easily replaced. In the secondary, free safety Will Hill had one too many run-ins with the league, and his strong performance last season will also need to be replaced. Corey Webster will not return, but his days as an NFL cornerback were already over. At linebacker Keith Rivers, and the flim-flam that came in to replace help towards the end of the season are also gone.
So how do they plan to improve?
The Giants brought in a couple of big new guys in the secondary (more on that later) and Jason Pierre-Paul claims he’s going to be a different beast now that he’s 100% healthy. They also believe that the young guys on the D-line will step up, especially last year’s rookie DE Damontre Moore (who may end up starting across from JPP). In the middle, they expect second year man Jonathan Hankins, as well as Markus Kuhn and rookie Jay Bromley to all play significant snaps.
Accounting for the guys who are leaving, they’ve swapped Justin Tuck, for Robert Ayers, who is known for his work against the run. Keith Rivers is replaced by Jameel McClain, the experienced Ravens linebacker, but that will still leave the linebackers a bit short, as they have been for the past few years in Big Blue.
You mentioned their secondary, what’s going on with that?
The Giants went out and bolstered the secondary by acquiring a potential shutdown corner in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who followed up an atrocious time in Philly with a renaissance in Denver, and Walter Thurmond III from Seattle, who likes to being the best third cornerback in the business as a way to honor his namesake (that may or may not be true.) Quintin Demps also joins as the likely third safety.
As for the guys who are already there, Prince Amukamara (already their 2nd cornerback) should be on an upward, or at least stable, trajectory. Jayron Hosley is still young enough to improve, and will likely be the fifth cornerback when he returns from suspension (if he avoids being cut in the preseason.) Trumaine McBride remains everything you could hope for in a fourth cornerback.
At safety, Antrel Rolle was the Giants best defensive performer this season and he’s rejoined by Stevie Brown (who started for the Giants in 2012) and Cooper Taylor, a second year player who has the size to play the safety/linebacker hybrid role, both returning from injury.
Where can this defense be exposed?
The weakness is easily at the linebacker position, and to an extent, through the middle of the defensive line, which is going to hamper them against the run.
They don’t have any standouts in the linebacker corps, and Jon Beason’s heel injury has left them in an uncertain position as to the opening day middle linebacker. McClain arrived to provide leadership and experience and will probably play that role until Beason is 100%. Jacquian Williams and Spencer Paysinger are athletic and experienced in a variety of roles, as well as young enough to continue improving. The Giants also like fifth round pick Devon Kennard and he might even have more of a say than Mark Herzlich as a primary backup. They’re just going to have to hope the rest of the defense steps up while Beason is out.
So what are the keys to their success?
Really, it’s JPP, who could be the best player on this team if he returns to his 2012 self. If the monster defensive end is the game changer of two years ago, this defense could be quite good. The combination of pressure on the quarterback and a strong secondary would cover up the weakness in the linebacking corps, and might be all they need to be effective in this NFL that is dominated by the pass.
Which version of DRC (who apparently heralds the year of the acronyms for Big Blue) arrives in New York is also important. If it’s the cornerback who harnessed his talent in Arizona and Denver, the Giants should be a formidable team to pass against. If it’s the one who showed up in Philly, this team is in trouble. Antrel Rolle is convinced he can mentor Rodgers-Cromartie, and the Giants hope his promise ends up more like that of Qui-Gon Jinn than Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Let’s keep it simple. What should I expect from the Giants defense this season?
There are quite a few question marks, but the team returns enough of its players and its scheme to make an educated guess. This Giants team should be effective against the pass, but it’s going to take a real team effort to be average against the run (unless the team is so good against the pass they can send more bodies to plug the gaps.) Of course, the NFL is much more of a passing league now, and the Giants made a concerted effort to get younger and more athletic. The defense should be better, and this will be a hungrier team this season.
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