Spotlight: Mathias Kiwanuka

by Ed Valentine on Jul 13, 2009 7:00 AM EDT in New York Giants News

I don't know about you guys, but I am really looking forward to seeing what kind of player Mathias Kiwanuka becomes for our New York Giants this season.

Kiwanuka was OK last season, subbing for the injured Osi Umenyiora as the starting right defensive end. He recorded a representative 8.5 sacks, made 68 tackles and generally held up pretty well in his first season as a starting defensive end.

I have the feeling, though, that we did not see anywhere near the best that Kiwanuka has to offer.

Remember, Kiwi spent the 2007 working as an outside linebacker and only occasionally putting his hand down in the grass as a pass-rush specialist in long-yardage situations.

He spent all of the 2008 off-season and training camp preparing to be a linebacker as well, only shifting back home to defensive end out of necessity once Umenyiora was lost for the season during an exhibition game.

As well as he played at times, I don't think last season was a fair indication of the type of force Kiwanuka could become on the 2009 defensive line. His body, and his mind, were prepared to play linebacker. Kiwanuka repeatedly said last season that playing defensive end came naturally to him. There is no way he could have been as physically ready for the pounding a defensive end takes after working for more than a year on his linebacking skills. Not to mention coming back from a broken leg.

As the third defensive end in a rotation with Umenyiora and Pro Bowler Justin Tuck, a healthy, prepared Kiwanuka could be a tremendous force for the Giants. I don't know if there is another team in the NFL that has a trio of defensive ends as potentially dominant as the Giants. We have seen Kiwanuka and Tuck both rush from the inside, and you know all three will be on the field in passing situations. I can't wait to see it, with the match-up problems that will cause for opposing offensive lines.

New defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan knows that his defensive line depth, at both end and tackle, could make this a special group. During OTAs in June Sheridan spoke about getting all of the defensive linemen playing time.

Usually, when we have to make cuts for the final roster, you are basically carrying two deep. In a sixty, sixty-five play game, sure. All those guys will be playing at least twenty, twenty-five snaps. Your starters will be playing forty or more. Yes, there are enough snaps. It is a great problem to have. It was an issue (last year). You know how guys get nicked up during the season. You are going into some games when you are not really in a full two deep strength. They will be playing hard, too, because they won’t be playing sixty five straight snaps.

I really believe that Kiwanuka, going all-out after opposing quarterbacks 20-25 times per game could do some really special things for the 2009 Giants.

I can't wait to see them happen.

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I agree

I can easily see him getting like 10-15 sacks, while only having like 30 tackles in total. I think this is what he is ideally suited for, his body is not built to handle playing 3 downs a game and holding up the point of attack on a run. I can foresee 2-3 years of brutal pass rushing and then some team drastically overpaying him to be a 3 down lineman.

Homer: Aw, twenty dollars! I wanted a peanut!
Homer's Brain: Twenty dollars can buy many peanuts!
Homer: Explain how!
Homer's Brain: Money can be exchanged for goods and services!
Homer: Woo-hoo!

by bigbluethruandthru on Jul 13, 2009 10:01 AM EDT reply actions

Kiwi

He plays the run decently, but he’s built to rush the passer. This role is perfect for him.

by Ed Valentine on Jul 13, 2009 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions

Kiwi II

With the depth of the Giants’ D-line, Kiwi is going to be a second half beast, kinda like ward was to the offense last year. Starters are going to wear down the o-line while Kiwi will come in fresh, fast and strong. I too see him getting at least 10 sacks next year and I predict the Gmen will lead the league in sacks.

by njgiant on Jul 13, 2009 10:22 AM EDT reply actions

Oh Yea

the OTHER DE on the Giants.

I’ve been watching probably too much Animal planet lately, but whenever I see those lions on the kill it just reminds me of Kiwi, Tuck and Osi running after a QB.

Id call them the ‘lions’, but that’s just about as big an insult as you can get in the NFL.

by FreeBradshaw on Jul 13, 2009 10:34 AM EDT reply actions

i just can't imagine

How long this strategy of stockpiling lineman is going to last for a cap perspective. I guess you’d need to do what the Steelers do with LB’s in the secondary, just keep drafting cheap CB’s and safeties. If the line plays right, it’s going to make these corner’s look very good and probably not worth their market value.

by queler on Jul 13, 2009 11:06 AM EDT up reply actions

well

Osi and Tuck are signed for a long time, kinda like how the O-Line is signed for a long time.

Kiwi Id assume will get an extension as well, considering how untouchable he was in those vet WR trade talks.

The NFL cap is gigantic-isn’t it at like 120 million, and it always goes up. I know that’s cuz of 50+ players on the roster, but it just never seems that unless you got ape shit with signing vets’ to cap unfriendly deals, its impossible to stay under.

I mean if the Skins seem to sign the largest # of gigantic deals in the offseason, I don’t think it will be a probem for the Giants to eventually extend Kiwi (even after they extend Eli.)

by FreeBradshaw on Jul 13, 2009 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Imagine this

Tuck, Osi, Canty, & Bernard, are locked up for years to come, the Giants just have to worry about
Kiwi at then end of nxt season or if there is an uncapped year….he will be with us for two more seasons. Jerry Reese and staff have already accounted for the cap…think about it….when do you
think we will be forking over a large chunk of change again to an offensive player besides Eli this
summer???? trust me, they are balancing the cap well, they know there strength is defense and thats
where there money is heavily invested…….As for the corners and safties I think they will all be worth their market value…….Corey Webster has already proven it.

B.G.

by Blue Gates on Jul 16, 2009 6:56 PM EDT up reply actions

So Kiwi's LB experiment is over?

Good.

http://nygiants247.blogspot.com/

by NewYorkGiants24.7 on Jul 13, 2009 10:59 AM EDT reply actions

It's been over

for quite a while now.

by Ed Valentine on Jul 13, 2009 11:09 AM EDT up reply actions

When Osi went down, yeah

but now it’s really dead.

http://nygiants247.blogspot.com/

by NewYorkGiants24.7 on Jul 13, 2009 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Football is a game of aggression ...

and the 2009 G-Men have the opportunity to really be special on D. Maybe not quite the ‘85 Bears or 2000 Ravens, but here’s hoping they realize the D-line depth gives them a real opening to be super-agressive and have guys go all out for fewer snaps each per game. Have the secondary play a lot of opportunistic man coverage, and be a threat to score on D.

I also hope they strategize a bit in camp on how to deal with the no-huddle offense, as that may be what teams are forced to do to neutralize this advantage.

by Shofner85 on Jul 13, 2009 12:07 PM EDT reply actions

don't count'em out

the way they’ve geared, I think there’s potential to be an all-time classic D like the teams you mention. But they’re going to need to have at least 3 players from the front 7 show some glimpses of Hall-of-Fame careers to come. Those teams were other than being good notable for the presence of some absolute animals. If we can have Tuck and Osi becomes some of the league’s most feared ever bookends, it’s attainable. But who’s going to be that monster LB?

You play to win the game!

by Simms-McConkey on Jul 13, 2009 12:21 PM EDT reply actions

Defensive Minded

The Giants will have the league’s best Defense this year if Bill Sheridan’s play calling is up to par ( which it will be, I think he is actually smarter than spags as a DC, spags best attribute was motivation and you will see that in the Rams this season) not to mention Sheridan was actually Spag’s 1st choice to be Rams DC over Flajole but good old Tom Coughlin shut that down. Sheridan will have this defense looking to set new records. Our D-Line will be great and the LB’s will perform like they should but the best unit will be the DB’s….They are extremely talented, Corey Webster is a shut down corner and should’ve been a pro bowler, Aaron Ross provides us with an aggresive, never give up on any play attitude and will be moving into the upper tier of CB’s this yr. But the real monster’s will be Terrel thomas who was just finding his niche in our defense in the playoff loss, Kenny phillips( 09 pro bowl candidate) and Michael Johnson. These 3 will turn alot of heads this season. STAY TUNED.

B.G.

by Blue Gates on Jul 16, 2009 7:23 PM EDT reply actions