Giants Bring Back a 'NASCAR' Package From Their Super Bowl Days

New York Giants linebacker Tremaine Edmunds found himself in familiar territory during his team’s 28-20 Week 1 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

The eight-year veteran, who has seen it all on the field, led New York’s defense with eight total tackles — helping contain what is typically a highly productive Cowboys offense.

The Giants held their NFC East rivals to 69 rushing yards, while limiting quarterback Dak Prescott to only 175 passing yards. Receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens compiled only 72 total receiving yards in Dallas’ losing effort.

To the surprise of few, Big Blue is currently the toast of the town.

While the Giants’ performance may have collectively opened the eyes of the NFL Universe, Edmunds maintained that it was just business as usual.

“I think it's just the attention to detail,” Edmunds said earlier this week of New York’s season-opening win. “I think it's something that we emphasized.

“Just to see guys out there really making it our priority, trying to make a team like that one-dimensional—to be honest with you, I'm not surprised,” he added.

“It's what we've been doing. It's what we've been preaching in our room. So, to see it come to light on that stage, it was good to see.”

Edmunds is no stranger to operating within highly-functional defenses. From his days as a team captain with the Buffalo Bills to his most recent stint with the Chicago Bears, the 6-foot-4, 250-pounder has aligned in multiple linebacker roles.

Using both height and length to his advantage, Edmunds is a consistent force in pass defense. His downhill speed lets him pursue the quarterback and defend the gaps against the run.

Still, Edmunds may actually be at his best when deployed in team packages — a concept which worked well for both him and the Giants in Week 1.

Instead of consistently placing one player in position to rush the passer, the club used an ‘old-school’ strategy by putting both pure pass rushers and edge defenders on the field at the same time.

Whether it was defensive end Chauncey Golston or linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux playing the tackle role on the inside, Edmunds and the remaining edge rushers enhanced the team’s speed while creating favorable matchups against Dallas’ offensive linemen.

“We have a ton of athleticism on our team,” Edmunds said. “Guys that can make plays and be able to put everybody on the field at once, I mean, that's hard for the offense.

“Now you got to not just account for maybe two pass rushers, but you got four. That's hard for the offense.”

A Bit of ‘NASCAR’ for Nostalgia

Sep 13, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (49) tackles Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson (87) during the third quarter at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Additionally, Edmunds acknowledged that this portion of New York’s Week 1 defensive strategy resembled the vaunted “NASCAR” packages — which delivered two Super Bowl titles to the blue side of the Meadowlands, thanks to the efforts of team legends such as Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Jason Pierre-Paul and Michael Strahan.

Though he may be reluctant to place himself in such company just yet, he remains cognizant that the versatile nature of their strategy can lead to greater success this season.

“Anytime that we can change, we look up, put guys in different positions, move them around, give the offense a different look and make them have to make checks, make them have to adjust to the stuff that we do,” he added.

“I think that's just taking the hats off to the scheme that we're in. It gives guys ways to put the athleticism on display for the whole world to see.

“And that's kind of what you saw with that package in particular, just guys moving around. It’s a different look for the offense. It makes it more challenging for them.”

In the end, Edmunds and the Giants will need their best effort to prevail in what promises to be a challenging Week 2 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.

No matter the assignment, the 28-year-old is confident that both his on-field prowess and his experience are sound complements to that of his teammates, and especially John Harbaugh’s coaching staff, led by defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson.

“I'm a linebacker, man. I'm always an advocate to see the linebackers out there moving around, making plays. It's always exciting to see,” Edmunds said.

“Hopefully, we can keep gaining that trust from our peers, that trust from our coaches to be on the field. I'm pretty sure they're going to put us in a position to succeed no matter which way.”

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