The Defense Is Still Loaded
Just two years ago, the Giants were a top 10 defense in the NFL. In 2016, the Giants were 10th in the NFL in total defense and were second in scoring defense (17.8 PPG allowed). This was due to a spending spree on defense in the offseason. The Giants signed Olivier Vernon, Damon Harrison, and Janoris Jenkins to bolster their defense. It proved to be very beneficial to spend the amount of cash they did.
Last year though, the defense took a nose dive, becoming the 31st ranked team in total defense and the 28th team in scoring defense (24.3 PPG allowed). That’s a huge turnaround in just one season. Whether you want to blame that on the coaching or the players, we know this defense can be better than that. You can also partly blame the Giants offense putting the defense in plenty of bad spots.
This year is a new year though and New York can quickly make people forget about last year. Although they traded Jason Pierre-Paul and let Domonique Rodgers-Cromartie go, this defense is still very capable of being great. The Giants still have Vernon, Harrison, and Jenkins while also having Landon Collins and Eli Apple on defense. They also added Alec Ogletree to roam the middle and Connor Barwin to bring pass-rushing depth.
The talent on this defense is undeniable, but it will be interesting to see how they come together under new defensive coordinator James Bettcher. Bettcher was the defensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals from 2015-2017, creating a solid defense in Phoenix. Don’t be surprised if Giants return to the top part of the league when it comes to defense.
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