Jordan Raanan, ESPN Staff Writer October 19, 2024, 6:00am ET
Close Jordan Raanan is ESPN’s NFL Nation correspondent. Raanan covers the New York Giants. You can follow him on Twitter @JordanRaanan.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants defense was without outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeau on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Still, it didn’t seem to slow me down.
Thibodeau’s replacement, Azeez Ojulari, was always in the backfield. He had two sacks and six pressures, tied for the most of any player in Week 6. Meanwhile, outside linebacker Brian Burns had four pressures and two tackles for a loss. Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II had his seventh sack of the season, one-half sack shy of his career high. Let me tell you, there are only six games left in the season.
This is the driving force behind the Giants’ defense. New coordinator Shane Bowen’s group has made a name for itself by getting into opponents’ backfields, especially the front four.
“I think they can beat us one-on-one a little bit,” Bengals manager Zac Taylor said after his offense beat the Giants 17-7. “They’re really invested in this area and it shows.”
It may not have been enough for the Giants to win, but it was enough to generate some optimism that this group is really getting better.
What we expected to happen this offseason when the Giants acquired Barnes in a trade from the Carolina Panthers is starting to take shape. Their defense has the most sacks in the NFL with 26, four behind the front-runner Denver Broncos. The defense ranks in the top 10 in scoring (20.2 PPG) and yards allowed (314.0 YPG). It always has an impact on opposing high-end quarterbacks and seems to get better each week.
The Giants’ defense held Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow, Dallas’ Dak Prescott and Seattle’s Geno Smith to fewer than 235 passing yards in consecutive games.
Barnes believes his defense will play more solidly.
“It was a good performance (by the Bengals). It’s not up to par,” he said. “There’s still a chance. I never want to get complacent. So if there’s more plays to make, I should make them.”
In a week when the Giants (2-4) are set to face Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles, general manager Joe Schon has added running backs during an offseason focused on reallocating resources. The way the defense played further explains why he was allowed to walk. His main goal was to improve the pass rush and offensive line, not invest top-of-the-market money into running backs.
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Now, that seems wise, even if Barkley is having a great season. He gained 482 yards in four games, ranking fourth in the NFL in rushing. Meanwhile, the Giants have acquired rookie Tyron Tracy Jr. He’s flashed enough over the past two weeks that I think a fifth-round pick could be a starter.
But right now, the Giants team’s strength is defense. And that starts with Barnes and Lawrence doing their part, which is necessary considering they are the centerpieces and two of the highest-paid players on the defense.
Barnes ranks fifth in the NFL in pass rush win percentage at 26.3%, but Lawrence is redefining his position. He had 13 pressures from the nose tackle position and 11 quarterback hits. This is more than twice the pressure of other nose tackles.
Thibodeau was the third piece of the puzzle. However, after breaking the navicular bone in one of his wrists last weekend, he was placed on injured reserve and is obligated to miss at least four games.
When Ojulari arrived on Sunday night, the defense showed no signs of opening up. The pressure continued from the front four. The Giants had seven quarterback hits off Burrow, six of which came from the front four (including DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches).
“I thought our defense played very good football. … They played winning football,” coach Brian Daboll said.
Ojulari should be able to hold up in the short term. He is a 2021 second-round pick out of the University of Georgia. He had eight sacks during a promising rookie season, but injuries have slowed him down in recent years.
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Well, Ojulari is healthy. He has created 10 pressures in 86 pass rushes this season, giving him a pressure rate of 11.6%. This is higher than Burns despite the smaller sample size.
Ojulari’s success Sunday night still isn’t a complete surprise. He has been patiently waiting for this opportunity. Lawrence, the defensive captain, even texted him last week: “It’s your turn!”
It will be up to Bowen to make it work when Thibodeau returns. That should be fine. He’s made it work so far and his squad has been playing good football in recent weeks.
The Giants’ defense has not allowed more than 21 points in any game. The Giants lost the season opener to the Minnesota Vikings, 28-6, but one of those points came from pick Daniel Jones.
It was thought that Bowen would fall back and rely solely on his front four. But he was more shocked than he expected. His 28.6% blitz rate ranks 11th in the league through six weeks. His game plan varies depending on his opponent and throws him off balance.
But it still all starts with the Giants’ front four. As expected from Shane, the game plan is built around that.
“We were productive for the most part in influencing the quarterback,” Bowen said. “We got some sacks from other places as well. I think that’s a credit to those four as well.”
They are becoming the mainstays of this Giants team, and not just on defense.
