The One Patriots Defender the Giants Could Really Use This Week

The New York Giants have had a ton of trouble stopping the run this season, so much so that it finally cost defensive coordinator Shane Bowen his job.

This week, they welcome the New England Patriots and rookie running back Treyveon Henderson, who has emerged over the past few weeks as a real force in the backfield.

Big Blue will have its work cut out for it as it tries to slow down this team, buoyed by the emergence of Drake Maye and the leadership of Mike Vrabel, who has returned to New England and elevated this organization back to championship-level excellence.

The rushing attack has been the catalyst. They have been able to run the ball and, more importantly, stop the run. The Giants could use some of that sauce if they plan to slow down the Patriots on Monday night.

That's why this week's choice for a player on the upcoming opponent we wish was on the Giants is defensive tackle Christian Barmore.

Size and Power

At 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds, Barmore is a massive presence inside. He has long arms that he uses to control would-be blockers and to snatch up ball carriers.

His lower-body power allows him to drive blockers back and displace the line of scrimmage, which is effective in both run and pass defense.

He has enough explosiveness or suddenness to burst past a blocker.

One of the benefits of being powerful is the ability to control your environment, and he does so extremely well.

One of the other benefits of power is the explosiveness that it provides, and many people do not think about how it makes you feel faster than what you may very well be or react faster in your movement.

For a guy who essentially operates in a phone booth, flat speed is not very important, but the ability to move quickly definitely is.

Run Stuffing

This is what he is here for. The Patriots have the top run defense in the NFL, and he is a major reason.

If you look at his statistics, you may not see the immense impact he has, but that is often the case with interior defenders who are not heavy sack artists. His value is in his ability to eat up blockers.

Because he is so big and powerful, offenses can not just block him one-on-one. If they did, he would likely push the guard or center a few yards into the backfield.

When they commit multiple blockers to him, it allows other defenders to go unblocked, but this only works because even when being double-teamed, Barmore does not get pushed back.

Instead, he fights and does not allow either blocker to feel like they can leave the double to go block another defender. This gives the defenders behind Barmore free rein to operate. It's why linebackers like Robert Spillane have had such good seasons.

Pass Rush Utilization

Barmore is not a sack artist by any stretch of the imagination, but he does add value in the pass rush as a unit.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that you need four legitimate pass rushers on the field at once to rush only four. The truth is, you need four people who understand how to excel in their roles.

Imagine Barmore when he utilizes that size and power, just bulldozing the interior offensive lineman assigned to blocking him. He will eliminate the quarterback's ability to step up in the pocket and create more obstructions as he scans the field.

This will give the edges the ability to hunt a stationary target or one that can only go east and west.

His addition would also mean one-on-one matchups for Dexter Lawrence, something that now rarely happens. Lawrence could play more 3-tech, and they could both align in 2-tech and terrorize the guards or play games with the edge rushers.

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Size and Power

Run Stuffing

Pass Rush Utilization

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