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The New York Giants have allowed an average of 372.2 yards per game, which ranks 22nd in the NFL. The secondary is in shambles and their vaunted defensive line has a combined 3.5 sacks through four games . Poor defensive play has been a major contributing factor in both of the Giants' divisional losses this season. In particular, defensive ends Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck have been nearly invisible through the first four games of 2012.
It's possible that Umenyiora and Tuck are no longer what they used to be. Both have experienced a great deal of wear and tear throughout their lengthy careers, including several injuries to both players.
However, last January and into February we saw the same two guys wreaking havoc on the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. In an ESPN radio interview on Tuesday, Osi Umenyiora said teams have began to counter the Giants pass rush by getting the ball out of the quarterback's hands quickly, and that there's not a lot Big Blue can do to stop it.
"There's really no counter for it, honestly." Umenyiora said. "Because if you blitz, obviously, we have some injuries in our secondary so you can't really commit too many people to a rush. If you don't do that then you're going to allow the teams to have more time because they're keeping more people in to protect. So it's a very difficult situation that we're in. It's a precarious situation, but at the end of the day it's on us, the defensive linemen, to find a way to make more plays."
Against the Dallas Cowboys, quarterback Tony Romo massacred the Giants with a steady dose of quick slant routes over the middle of the field. The Giants corner backs played with their backs to the sideline and the pass rush was unable to get to Romo with consistency. These short, quick passes cost Big Blue the game.
The same scenario played out in Philadelphia this past Sunday. The Giants front four rarely got to Michael Vick in time to hit him, and if they did break through they were seldom able to contain Vick in the pocket. When the Giants blitzed, they got pressure on Vick, but he was able to make big plays through the air to DeSean Jackson as the game progressed.
"Obviously teams have gone to their quick passes, they've gone to their double teams and their chips to negate the pass rush," Umenyiora said. "That's just what it is. That's respect. And that's what we've come to expect and it's just something that we're going to have to deal with. Nobody really wants to hear any excuses. Nobody cares that we're getting double-teamed, triple-teamed, all this stuff. They still expect us to get to the quarterback so eventually that's exactly what we're going to have to do."
The Giants don't have any proven talent at cornerback, Kenny Phillips is hurt and Chase Blackburn can not cover anybody over the middle of the field. In short, there are not enough healthy, talented players in the secondary to consistently compete with the NFL's elite right now. If Corey Webster gets back on track, Amukamara and Jayron Hosley gain more experience, and Kenny Phillips gets healthy, there's a chance that can change in the near future.
However, for now, it's up to the defensive line to carry the defense. Despite the lack of production so far, this is still one of the most talented groups in the NFL. If the secondary ever gets healthy enough to cover anybody, we will see JPP, Osi, and Tuck break out like we have in the past. Until then, the defense is going to be suspect.
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Remy says:
October 3, 2012 at 5:36 AM
Is it safe to return to G101 yet? Oedipus-like levels of tragedy here the last I looked.
Losing to a good team on the road on a last-second kick (or penalty) and half the folks here were losing their minds like a Matt-Millen-era Lions fan. For shame…
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Love it!
I saw someone say Larry Fitz is the reason for why the Cards are currently 11-2, while hes certainly a great WR that team goes a as far as the D takes them. And that D is pretty awesome
And the other half are predicting a 14-2 season followed by our 5th Superbowl … all the while singing tunes from “Sound of Music’.
The reality is that neither is correct. Most folks … with a few exceptions … have been quite measured and logical in their posts.
I come not to bury Fewell, but to praise him. And I’m as sincere about that as was Brutus.
Perry isn’t a “bad” coach, but there’s a reason he wasn’t given the head job in Buffalo, and it wasn’t Ralph Wilson’s ignorance. Fewell just isn’t that good.
He spent a good part of last season forcing his defense to fit his scheme and only made changes when the players rebelled and said the scheme didn’t allow them to play the way they needed to based upon their talents. Almost immediately after changing things up the defense stepped up and played very well thereafter.
He seems wedded to Chase Blackburn when it so obviously isn’t working that a high school coach would make a change. I suspect Chase is Perry’s security blanket just as Antonio Pierce was for Spags and Sheridan and, just as was the case with AP, stays on the field for that reason long past the point he cannot execute as a MLBer must.
Fewell seems to be the only one in the world who hasn’t noticed that Corey Webster is usually fine covering “big” #1 receivers (although Vincent Jackson certainly made him look bad) but completely incapable of covering shifty, speedy ones like Desean Jackson, especially if playing Fewell’s “watch the quarterback” technique while offenses load up their blocking to prevent our pass rush from getting to the QB and run double moves on Webster.
I know we’re being hurt by injuries, and returning players would help. But this team cannot afford to have this guy take 2/3 of a season again to make the admission that what he’s doing isn’t working and make some significant adjustments. The schedule is too tough and we won’t have the Jets this season to help launch us into a good period of aggressive and confident football.
Fewell needs to adapt or we’re in trouble. I cannot believe I once thought he might be a candidate for the head coaching job if Coughlin retired. I’m not sure he’d be high on anyone’s list as a coordinator at this point. And I don’t want him anywhere near the reins of this team, ever. He just isn’t very good.
And I’ll repeat because I need to continue to flog myself over reaching such a horrible conclusion: Kevin Gilbride is, IMO, a FAR superior coach to Perry Fewell. Not only that, it appears that Tom Quinn is also better. Who would have EVER thought that? But Quinn, whatever else any of us may think, has adapted his “system” to fit his players and has done it well. Perhaps a lot of that is Izzo’s doing, but Fewell has more assistants than does Quinn and his ability to adapt looks a lot slower. I’m really disappointed in Fewell because I thought when he got here he’d change the passive approach he had in Buffalo to fit the Giants’ tradition. That just doesn’t seem to be happening. Maybe the change starts this Sunday? I hope so.
We should find out about Nicks knee today. Assuming BBG source is correct it really depends how severe the tear is and if they choose to repair it or just cut out the torn part. When the meniscus tears it shreds, and after it shreds it’s the scar tissue that causes the pain and swelling ( I have had 3 meniscus tears so I consider myself the local expert)
What Osi did a few years back was to have his repaired, which is a long recovery, I believe 6 months. If it is not severe, you can just have the damaged part cut out and be back to 100% in 2-4 weeks which is what I had done 2 of the 3 times. It really is a quick recovery with no residual effects.
I lean towards the thinking that it is not severe considering he played through the original issue, and only experienced swelling after the fact.
I think Nicks will either play through it ala MM last year, or have a quick clean out procedure done, and will be back on the field in 2-4 weeks.
UUT
I’m not sure that everything is Fewell’s fault, attractive though that is. Did he tell Osi to give up containment Sunday night and let McCoy run wild? Like fanfor55, I wonder why Blackburn is on the field so much–and, I would add, why Kiwi isn’t–that’s up to TC to correct, and so far, he’s seen fit not to. I have to feel that Rivers’ absence messes up the depth chart, but I admit, that’s no excuse. Coaches are supposed to coach.
Who Cares what Osi Umenyiora Says… The bum has a big mouth and hasn’t backed it up… Osi sucks… he averages one tackle per game… he can’t contain, can’t stop the rush…He’s very slow..he’s not even in the top 50 % of good players in the NFL…
I’m not sure what Osi’s reputation or ability has to do with what he says. He admits that the DL has underperformed. Who’d disagree?