For the third consecutive season, the New York Giants are 2-7, their season seemingly over by the start of November. The Giants have experienced many ups and downs this year, including blown leads, rookie standouts, All-Pro players, and significant injuries.
But beneath all of these headlines, nothing has made a bigger impact than their horrid run defense.
How’s the Run Defense Been So Bad?
The Giants are a bottom run defense in nearly every category — they have given up the second most yards (1,350) and touchdowns (12), the most yards per carry (5.5), and the fewest points contributed by nearly seven points (-52.73).
On paper, the Giants’ defense appears to be much better than the results suggest. Still, there are multiple reasons for this discrepancy, one being the underwhelming play of former All-Pro Dexter Lawrence.
Lawrence, an unstoppable force for years, has become just an above-average defensive tackle.
There could be numerous reasons for Lawrence’s disappointing play; it could be that he is still not fully healed from last season’s elbow injury, or that he’s playing less at nose tackle. Although his lesser impact is felt more in the pass rush, he could still be a significantly better player in the run game as well.
But the primary reason for the team’s poor run defense is the performance of the back seven players, particularly the linebackers.
Giants Run Defense Faltering On the Back Line
Bobby Okereke, once a bright spot on the team, has clearly lost a step. Next to Okereke was supposed to be Micah McFadden, a breakout candidate for this season, who has injured in Week 1. Since then, it has mostly been Darius Muasau filling in at LB, a sophomore who has greatly struggled.
The linebackers are constantly being absorbed by the offensive line, rarely filling gaps, which allows running backs to gain four or five yards before being touched.
Safety Tyler Nubin has also been an issue. Nubin was another breakout candidate, but his lackluster athleticism and poor angle choices have allowed numerous massive runs, the most recent being Saquon Barkley‘s 65-yard touchdown.
Finally, Shane Bowen, the defensive coordinator, is doing the players no favors. His choice of lining up defensive linemen in unnatural positions has contributed to their struggles mightily.
There is also something to be said about the lack of development among many young defenders under Bowen. His time with the Giants feels limited due to their poor defense and mismanagement of talent.
Edge Rushers Have Lived Up to Expectations
Coming into the season, the edge rush group of Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux was expected to be the best part of the team, and they have not disappointed.
Burns has been one of the best defenders in the league. He leads the NFL in sacks (11.0) and is second in tackles for loss (14). Again and again, he has seemingly wiped out an opponent’s drive, whether via a huge sack, a batted pass, or meeting the running back in the backfield. His career year has made an invaluable impact on the defense.
No. 3 overall pick rookie Abdul Carter has made an immediate difference. Even though he only has 0.5 sacks, he is tenth in the league in pressures (per NFLPro) and is third in quick pressures. His superb athleticism and bend stand out every play, and it is easy to see how he will be an elite edge rusher in the near future.
Re-signing Thibodeaux should be a top priority for the Giants. He is having the best season of his career, serving as the team’s top run defender and still making an impact as a pass rusher. His improved play strength has made a massive difference to his game.
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This edge rush group will continue to keep the Giants afloat and be the standout position group for New York.
Jaxson Dart Has Impressed Despite Injuries
Dart has already started to become a household name, and for good reason. He has made the Giants’ offense drastically more efficient and has put up historical touchdown numbers.
Arguably, Dart’s most notable trait has been his ability to perform well under pressure. He has been fearless under pressure and gives big-time throws with a defender in his face. His elusiveness in the pocket has also led to improbable first downs.
One area Dart needs to improve is sack avoidance. Due to his fearlessness in the face of defenders, Dart takes a lot of unnecessary hits when it would benefit him, and the team, to throw the ball away. Per PFF, the offensive line is only responsible for five of Dart’s 19 sacks, meaning he is capable of getting the ball out before he is sacked, but has not.
Dart is doing all of this while missing superstar receiver Malik Nabers, who tore his ACL in Dart’s first start. More recently, his co-star Cam Skattebo suffered a dislocated ankle and will miss the remainder of the year. Next season, with his top two weapons back and possibly more offseason additions, it’s exciting to imagine how much more Dart and the offense will improve.
Overall, this has been an inspiring rookie campaign for Dart and a well-deserving Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate.
Defensive Backfield’s Inconsistent Play
There have been standouts and disappointments in the defensive backfield. Making prominent free agent additions and spending high picks in previous years, this squad had high expectations. The biggest disappointment from this position group has been sophomore Tyler Nubin.
As stated earlier, Nubin has been brutal in the run game, but he has been just as poor in the pass game. His ball-hawk ability in college has been invisible in the NFL, as he has recorded one pass deflection and zero interceptions this year. There were very high expectations for him before the season, but he has failed to meet any of them.
A defensive back who has been good is Cor’Dale Flott. In Flott’s first season as a full-time starter, he has been the most reliable of the backs. Quarterbacks have a 52% completion percentage when targeting him, along with a 60.5 passer rating and zero touchdowns. His stardom has been critical for the Giants, and he will be another top priority for the team in the offseason.
The Giants’ new additions of Paulson Adebo and Javon Holland are not meeting the expectations of their contracts. Neither player has an interception this year, and they have been battling injuries in recent weeks. Though they haven’t been bad, their mediocre play has made no difference for the team.
With the youth and new additions, there is still a chance for improvement in the future, but it has not been very reassuring so far this season.
It is clear that the Giants have a bright future, but the wins must start coming for the young core to stay around.
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