What's amazing is that they do it mostly with a four man rush. They have an astonishing 22 sacks in the last three games. Lets see how they do going against two vastly superior olines the next two game.
Hankins is 5th in the league among DT's with 7.0. Noteworthy since he's often been on the sidelines when they go Nascar. He's a very big man but he gets there with quicks more often than bull rushing. Should be considered for the Pro Bowl.
Sacks stats - ( New Window )
The Giants are whipping up versus bad teams...and there are a lot of bad teams in the NFL!!!!!
If you went into next season thinking pass rush isn't an issue, you'd be wrong. Outside observers might say that.
Hankins, however, is impressive in his overall game.
Need to get a LDE if they don't plan on using JPP there.
It's a mirage, just like the 7-9 record last year was a mirage.....
This is my fear.
The garbage time numbers being produced is going to be dressed up in the offseason.
You can just hear it now: "Giants finished in the Top 5 in the NFL in sacks in 2014. Nothing is wrong with the pass rush!"
In fairness, you have to acknowledge the fact that we're going into Week 16 of the season . . . it's not like the other teams around the league didn't already have the opportunity to feast on the same weak opponents.
Quote:
Last 3 games. It matters. Garbage time stats.
This is my fear.
The garbage time numbers being produced is going to be dressed up in the offseason.
You can just hear it now: "Giants finished in the Top 5 in the NFL in sacks in 2014. Nothing is wrong with the pass rush!"
This.
And you left out the special teams. Remember the back to back plays against the Cardinals. Ted Ginn returns a punt for a td followed by the Giants (Demps?)losing a fumble on the ensuing kickoff. And what if anything have the specials contributed this year.
When the game is on the line Giants have NO pressure and sit back in a soft zone and get picked apart.
Also - the reason Bobby Griffin is no QB is because he sits back there holding the ball not looking downfield until he is sacked.
Fewell can't be invited back.
We've changed the offensive scheme, defense has to be next.
Football Outsiders ranks us 22nd in the league in defense, which I think is a better indicator of where the D is. They can't play the likes of Blake Bortles, the current incarnation of RGIII, or Mettenberger every week it seems.
Fewell must go. Injuries have been a factor, but it's not like he's covered himself with glory any year other than 2011.
Despite the overwhelming success our pass rush recently enjoyed (against three of the very worst teams seen in the 21st century), a new stud DE, two new stud LBs, and another space-eating DT simply must be added to the 2015 roster.
Add those to the crying need for an NFL-appropriate guard, a WR to replace the bust we've got in Randle, a TE who can both block and catch, and maybe two more RBs, and that's your offseason wish list.
I wish we had 20 draft picks this year - even in what is supposed to be a weak class of college players. The holes in this roster boggle the mind.
STL is now eliminated, and have nothing to play for, so it won't be the "test" I hoped it would be...they have only won one more game than us, and their offense is nothing to write about....if their defensive line comes to play, they will give our OL something to play for....
1-2 record?
Anyway..
Flaherty is another coach who should be shown the door but I am convinced he will be retained.
This^^^^^^
Imagine if they hadnt padded their sack totals the last 3 games against garbage opponents.
I've got news for you - the defense wasn't the biggest reason for the Giants collapsing this year.
Coming off of the 3-game winning streak, the Giants went into Philly and the offense put up 0 points - a complete shut out.
Dallas was a winnable game the following week, but the fact that the Giants still weren't able to rush the ball (yet kept sticking to it) was probably the biggest factor in that loss.
The Colts were leading the league in offense when they played them. Giants defense did the best they could and held them to 16 going into the half . . . but when the offense only manages to match them with 3 points the results are predictable.
Same thing with the Seahawks - the defense held them to 17 points going into the 4th quarter. But the offense didn't score a single point in the entire 2nd half of that game. Zero second half points. And that game effectively ended the season for the Giants.
The defense has actually performed pretty well in 5 games since playing Seattle - granted against subpar teams. There are plenty of issues that need to be address with the defense - that unit certainly wasn't playing superbly during those 4 games mentioned. But if you think that the defense is the biggest problem with the team then you are sadly mistaken.
Same offensively, however, I do this OBJ proved to be consistent throughout the season in production, and as ghe gets settled with more games under his belt he can be even more productive.
I do think Fewell is being more aggressive than any other time in his tenure. So that's a plus.
That's right Fewell is dialing it p against some of the worst competition. He needs to go...
Same thing with the Seahawks - the defense held them to 17 points going into the 4th quarter. But the offense didn't score a single point in the entire 2nd half of that game. Zero second half points. And that game effectively ended the season for the Giants.
So it was the zero second half points that did them in, not the 250 yards rushing they gave up? Give me a break.
In both Dallas games, had the defense made a stop when the game was on the line, the Giants had a chance to win. They didn't.
I'll give you the Philly and San Fran games, where both offense and defense did poorly, but the defense gave up 31 to Dallas twice, 40 to the Colts and 25 to the worst offense in the league, the Jags. Those are not offensive issues.
Hankins, Moore, Bromley
Near-Locks
Ayers
50-50
Wynn
Probably Gone
Jenkins
Kuhn
Gone
Kiwanuka
Patterson
Huge Decision
Pierre-Paul
If they let Pierre-Paul walk, they will be building a defensive line around Hankins, Bromley and Moore, plus Ayers and maybe Wynn.
2-1
Cornelius Griffin
I'd take any one of them over the Giants' pass rush.
It can t all be because of the competition. How has the rest of the league faired against those 3 opponents in regard to sacks.
The goal is to win playoff games and win against good teams.. Its great if you can score 70 points in 2 games when facing 1 horrible defense and 1 great defense by scoring 35 points against each but if you get to 70 points by scoring 10 points against great defense and 60 against bad defense you are not really a good offense.. This is why all these teams that pass for 7 tds against bad opponents don't win the superbowl or playoff games against good teams..
Same way our defense will get 7 sacks a game against jags and titans and such but they will be ineffective against cowboys, eagles and seattle.. Guess who you will be playing in the playoffs? Either way we need to improve our front four play against both run and pass..
2) nothing should fool the Giants into thinking the D is decent based on these 3 games. Likewise, they shouldn't think they have a good or consistent pass rush. Fewell should be shown the door as soon as the clock in Week 17 hits 00:00.
3) This defense absolutely sucks and played a large part in every one of their losses. Even in games where they played reasonably well in terms of holding teams scoring down, they still shit the bed when a stop wins the game or gives them a shot at winning the game. This has been a pattern with this D for several years, regardless of personnel.