New York Giants Notebook | Select Takeaways From Assistant Coaches
The Giants assistant coaches discussed a wide variety of topics with the media Tuesday, a common theme being reflections of the season past that could come to an end for New York Sunday, depending on if they win their game against Dallas and the Washington Football Team loses.
Here is a rundown of some of what was said.
Defensive Line Coach Sean Spencer
No matter what happens on Sunday, defensive lineman Leonard Williams has flipped the narrative surrounding his presence on the Giants in 2020.
After being acquired via trade for the Jets in the middle of last season, Williams only racked up half a sack for the Giants and was labeled a poor acquisition by critics.
The Giants brought Williams back for the 2020 season on a one-year franchise tag, and it's paid off for both parties.
Under the personal instruction of first-year defensive line coach Sean Spencer, Williams has recorded a career-high 8.5 sacks.
Spencer even believes that his statistical output undersells everything Williams has accomplished this season and the progress he's made as a player and even more-so by the lack of accolades he's received.
"I think he's played at an All-Pro caliber," Spencer said. "I was surprised when he didn't make All-Pro, but that's not my call ... but our conversation with Leonard is that he is changing the narrative.
"He was a guy that people said couldn't finish, so we changed that narrative. He was a guy that never reached his potential, and we have begun to change that narrative.
"So I'm just proud that he stayed the course during the process and he didn't get outside of himself trying to prove things to outside entities. Basically just doing what he needed to do within the function of the defense."
Williams will now look to finish off his 2020 season as strongly as he has on his rushes this season and take a lofty resume into offseason contract negotiations.
Williams helped bookend a stout Giants defensive line this season and has left the front office with another decision to make regarding his future with the team alongside fellow defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson who will also be a free agent this offseason.
Spencer helped the Giants' defensive line emerge as one of the best in the NFL this season. With two key starters facing impending contract negotiations, Spencer is hoping they both return next season and beyond.
"I'd like to coach all three of them multiple years," Spencer said. "Those three guys have a chance to be special. They do a great job against the run and equally against the pass so I'm really excited about those guys moving forward. I'd love to coach em!"
Quarterbacks Coach Jerry Schuplinski
There's no way around it: quarterback Daniel Jones regressed from a production standpoint in his second season.
Jones went from passing for 3,027 yards and 24 touchdowns in 12 games as a rookie last year to just 2,714 yards and nine touchdowns heading into his 14th start of this year.
However, quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski believes that Jones has improved in his anticipation even with his statistical regression.
"I feel like his anticipation and his understanding of coverages and reads have been improved," Schuplinski said.
"I would say from not just what I saw on film last year because it was a different system, I guess but in our system from day one in training camp, understanding where he's looking, where he wants to go, what the defense is doing.
"We game plan for a specific look sometimes and it doesn't come up. I think there were some good examples from the other game where he saw it, it wasn't there, he threw it down in the back and we gained 10 yards ... There were some examples where he would have held it in the past and tried to force something and he's doing a better job of that now."
While it took Jones a couple of ugly weeks to get into that groove, Schuplinski' s praise is justified in Jones' recent play. The quarterback has gone five straight weeks without throwing an interception. His only turnover committed in that span was a fumble he committed when he was rushed back from injury against the Cardinals.
Jones never had a mistake-free streak like that as a rookie or in his college career at Duke, as his discipline and decision-making as a passer has seen promising NFL progression, and it is a good pattern for him to take into his third season in 2021.
Linebackers Coach Kevin Sherrer
The Giants lost their outside linebackers coach two weeks ago when Bret Bielema accepted the head coaching job at Illinois. That left the inside linebackers coach Kevin Sherrer with the dual responsibilities of coaching the team's inside and outside linebackers.
For Sherrer, it's been a quick adjustment. He's had to get all of the team's linebackers in the same room and is tasked with dolling out specific instruction two position groups previously separated into different groups.
While defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has taken a more hands-on approach with the outside linebackers, they are still technically part of Sherrer's position group.
The merger is not without its challenges, but also not without its advantages either, according to Sherrer.
"In this system, we've talked about having our linebackers be 'hybrid guys,'" Sherrer said.
"You have some in the room that are solely kind of edge guys--you might say the bigger bodies at 250 to 275 range. Then you have guys like [inside linebacker] Devante Downs, who's in the 240 to 255 range and can do both.
"So there are advantages to having one linebacker coach when you have multiple guys like that in the system ... but it is hard though because one day outside linebackers are at d-line and then the next day they're a linebacker."
Sherrer's influence may have manifested with some interesting personnel packages last Sunday against the Ravens, as David Mayo and Tae Crowder, who typically fill the inside linebacker role, played multiple snaps on the edge throughout the game.
"In this defense our backers are all multiple so they have to play at the end of the line and they have to play stack backer," Sherrer said.
"David was solely more of an inside backer but he's done a really nice job because we have put him in that situation and he allowed us to say 'Okay Dave you go play this role here,' this week because he actually has carryover from what we've done in training camp and throughout the season."
