New York Giants Defense Focused on Overcoming Adversity
A missed holding penalty on Giants defensive tackle B.J. Hill last Sunday against Dallas epitomized the type of season it's been for the Giants' defensive front seven.
At a critical point in the game, Hill got penetration and forced Cowboys offensive guard Connor Williams to hold.
However, the flag never came, and Dallas quarterback Andy Dalton completed a critical pass to wide receiver Michael Gallup that eventually set up a game-winning field goal for the Cowboys in a 37-34 loss for the Giants.
That's been the story of the 2020 Giants' defense: wasted efforts.
In two of the Giants' five losses this season, the defense held opposing offenses under 100 rushing yards while also racking up multiple sacks in four games this season.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Giants boast a top-10 run defense in the NFL, and they might have managed to maintain that success in Week 5 against Dallas if not for two significant injuries.
The unit's long list of tough breaks also includes injuries to its top two edge rushers. Lorenzo Carter will be out for the remainder of the season with an Achilles injury, while Oshane Ximines is currently on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.
For the Giants, their focus remains on what can be done better and how they plan on overcoming the less-than-ideal circumstances they've been dealt so far this year.
Defensive line coach Sean Spencer is well aware of the moral state of his position group at 0-5. While there is a sense of disappointment and anguish in the aftermath of the loss, Spencer believes that it is indicative of his players' passion.
"Guys were upset in the locker room after the game and that means they care," Spencer said. "There's no question there's a human element involved in the thing and you see these big strong guys in football but these dudes are human and most of them are kids."
"But we have to go back to the drawing board and why we got to that point and how can we correct so it doesn't happen again."
Spencer has emphasized turning the page even believes that on the play in which Hill was held, there were still things he could have done differently to break up the play.
"It's more on me to put him in a better position in terms of his angle," Spencer said. "I just got to work on a different angle with B.J., so that's really on me to get him in a proper angle so that we don't leave him in the hands of somebody else.
"Schematically if it was there and if we do what we're supposed to do and if I coach that a little bit better on that angle then we're going to make that play."
As far as the injuries go, the Giants will look to their depth on the edge with Carter and Ximines out.
The Giants coaches have a mix of veterans and rookies to fill in for their two homegrown starters, but they will have to be creative in deploying their options.
Veterans Kyler Fackrell and Markus Golden are projected to take over as the starters on the edge. Still, they don't' necessarily replicate the same type of skill set as Carter and Ximines offer.
Outside linebackers coach Bret Bielema will be in charge of putting his position players in the right position to make up for those losses.
"The thing we preach in our room is to maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses," Bielema said.
"If you have a lower center of gravity because you're a little bit shorter, hey, as long as you use it. If you're a certain height don't try to play 6'6, play 6'2."
The Giants' defensive front has played better than many expected so far this season. Even though the defense as a whole is coming off its worst game against a top-ranked Dallas offense after losing Carter, it will have an opportunity to bounce back with a full week of preparation this week.
The Giants are set to face a Washington offense that ranks at the bottom of the NFL in yards. The game could serve as a springboard for the defense to ease back into a groove for the rest of the season.
