Giants Defense Looking to Play Its Best Ball in Final Weeks

The New York Giants defense wants to crank up the intensity over these remaining final weeks of the 2022 season.

Author:
Gene Clemons
Publish date:
Dec 1, 2022 3:40 PM EST

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The New York Giants defense did not put their best foot forward on Thanksgiving. Still, with ten days between that game and their division matchup against Washington, Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale is keeping things in perspective.

"Seven and four heading into December when all the fun begins, and we’ve got everything in front of us," Martindale said. "We’re looking forward to the challenge of playing Washington, and it’s going to be a great challenge here."

He's not kidding. The Commanders have the NFL's 15th-best rushing game (121.1 yards/game), highlighted by the one-two punch of Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson, who give the Commanders solid options at inside and outside runs. That duo isn't necessarily a good matchup for a run defense that's ranked 26th in the league and has allowed 138.9 yards per game to opposing rushing attacks.

Since Robinson returned from injury, the run game has taken off and become the strength of the Commanders offense. Over the last three games, they averaged over 150 yards on the ground. Coach Wink was asked about stopping that rushing offense on Sunday.

"We’re just going to have to get 11 hats to the football, and right now, statistically, our run defense isn’t very good," Martindale said. "We need to continue to work on fundamentals and technique and to get everybody to the football. When you start putting in all the other runs, the wide receiver sweeps, and all the other plays off of it, I think run averages are up across the league, but we need to get better at it."

The defensive coordinator said he was impressed by Robinson's physicality as a running back. He knows that bringing him down won't be his unit's sole responsibility.

"Yeah, he’s a load. He ran over that corner from Atlanta. He seeks out contact, so he’s going to be another one of those tough backs that we’re going to have to get a lot of people to the ball to get him down."

But Martindale thinks he has the personnel, especially up front, to give the Commanders more than what they can handle.

"I love our front. I love the front that we have, and I haven’t studied other people; that will be in the offseason when we do that. I know they play well there in Washington, too, their front. So, I’m just looking at what’s best for us to win that week. I’m not thinking about backseat, front seat, or anything else," he said.

The Giants' pass rush is another area where the numbers aren't gaudy, mainly because of the lack of sacks that are just not materializing despite the pressures. According to ESPN's pass-rush win rate, the Giants rank 14th (43 percent) in pass-rush wins.

If Martindale is worried about that part of the game, he's not letting on.

"To me, sacks are a lot like turnovers, they’ll come in bunches when they do. When you look at the quarterback hits, then look at the completion percentage of the quarterbacks in this league, and I think we’re third overall in both hits and quarterback completions against us. Low rate, saying a good rate for us," he said.

Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence insisted that getting pressures are just as good as anything.

"Last game, a couple hits turned into picks. As long as we’re staying around the quarterback, making him uncomfortable, we’re doing what we can," he said.

"It’s hard to get a sack, you know what I mean. Everything has to be on point. Proud of the guys how we continue to rush hard, continue to fight every play, and just keep going."

Still, is it frustrating to put all that work in and not have the ultimate prize of a sack?

"I mean, I want to win. I don’t care about my numbers, and I don’t care about stats. The only stat I care about is our record," Lawerence said. "If I get 20 pressures, no sacks, and we win, that’s fine. Sacks are sacks. You can get off the ball with no o-line, and he can still throw it before you get there, so everything has to go right.

"But upfront, we pride ourselves on whooping the guy in front of us and affecting the quarterback."

Martindale believes if they stick to the course, things will begin to click with the pass rush.

"I think that the sacks will come. When are the sacks occurring? When they have to hold the ball to make a play," he said.