Giants' Game Changing Off-season moves: Perry Fewell

by Ed Valentine on Apr 19, 2010 6:00 AM EDT in New York Giants News

[*Sponsored Post: This post is presented by Sprint. Bringing you the first wireless 4G network from a national carrier. Only on the Now Network.*]

This is the first of a series of off-season posts that will delve into "Game Changing" off-season moves by our New York Giants. Yes, the series is sponsored by Sprint. And, yes, you will find similar posts at all of the SB Nation football blogs.

We, of course, occasionally do have to pay some bills around here. None of that, however, means we won't find some interesting topics to discuss throughout the series.

The first post in this series is a pretty obvious one. The biggest "game-changing" move made by the Giants to date this off-season is without doubt the firing of Bill Sheridan and the hiring of Perry Fewell as defensive coordinator.

Sheridan helped turn a good, and sometimes outstanding, Giants' defense into a disaster in 2009. It is Fewell's job to fix it.

The former Buffalo Bill defensive coordinator and, in 2009, interim head coach, has described what he wants this way.

"I want to be fundamentally sound. I want to be multiple in what we do. I want to attack. I want to be aggressive in what we do. I want our players to play fast and have fun playing the game. Definitely create turnovers; I believe you score on defense," Fewell said. "I think you have to be physically tough. We have to play with discipline and we have to play as a team on defense."

The injury-depleted, and often schematically challenged, Giants were none of those things on defense last season. Fewell, at the least, brings experience and a knowledge of exactly what he wants. He also brings a reputation as a motivator.

With improved health, free-agents additions Antrel Rolle and Deon Grant, and likely some help forthcoming from this weekend's draft, the outlook for the Giants defense has to be much better in 2010.

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Comments

In JR we trust.

Per Judy Battista in today’s NY Times, JR:
1.Before last season, thought the team was the strongest during his time with the Giants.
2. Believes injuries were the biggest reason for the dismal 8-8 record.
To justify his reputation as a top evaluator of talent, the article compared his three years as the final voice determining draft picks that of the Patriots. Of his 24 picks, 7 are starters, 9 backups, 1 is out of the league. Patriots: 28 picks, 4 starters, 8 backups, 7 out of league.

by blue gonz on Apr 19, 2010 6:29 AM EDT reply actions

Wow

Impressive. Most consider the Pats the standard (for turning picks into valuable players) & JR is beating them at their own game.

by potroast on Apr 19, 2010 8:28 AM EDT up reply actions

I knew he was good, pot,

but not that good. Standing alone, those stats are remarkable. The comparison with the Pats wasn’t necessary. He has to have the best record in the league.

by blue gonz on Apr 19, 2010 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions

I'd love to see how JR stacks up vs

Pitt and Indy over the years. They’ve done excellent jobs drafting too. Pitt replaces all pro’s with younger all pro’s

JR’s 1st rounders seem to be impact guys right away. KP and AR have had injury issues but they are good players none the less. Hopefully he’ll find someone like that on D this week that does not get hurt.

by Landeta on Apr 19, 2010 12:43 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

He will

have a hard job to get our defence to play any worse than it did last season so just by itself the defence should play better than last year.

However, we are all hoping for a big improvement of at least an average of ten points a game.

by G Fan in England on Apr 19, 2010 7:24 AM EDT reply actions

If you compare the talent Fewell has to work with on the Giants with what he had in Buffalo. There is reason to be excited.

Bleeding Blue since 1962

by sunlion333 on Apr 19, 2010 9:25 AM EDT reply actions

Exactlyyyy

Assuming all are healthy…
Phillips – Rolle
Webster – Thomas – Ross
Either I’m a homer or thats a damn near elite secondary, hopefully both. All of those guys have something to prove and hopefully Fewell will turn this unit into ball-hawk central.

Just gimme some playmakers

by I_Formation27 on Apr 19, 2010 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions

yeah a lot of talent and size in that group

If they all stay healthy for the entire year I think they are definitely top 3-5 as a secondary

by mclaren_is_the_best on Apr 19, 2010 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Having a ball-hawk secondary as a whole is something we haven't had in ages.

by Jonathan. on Apr 19, 2010 8:10 PM EDT up reply actions

a no brainer

Percy being on top of the list is a no brainer…I see a top 7 defense if things fall right ! JR is building his rep 1 draft at a time…he just need some of his FA moves to pan out a lil more consitantly…then Boom everybody , not just giants fans, will be screaming his name !

Regroup refocus..retool...

by Mr.Williams on Apr 19, 2010 9:46 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

I won't give Fewell the keys to the city just yet...

as he hasn’t had his first game as Giants DC, but he inspires more confidence than Sheridan (which isn’t saying much), has a decent track record, and more importantly, the early reviews from the players who he has to motivate have been positive. One never got the sense that they were “excited” about Sheridan, and their play showed they weren’t.

by Cranky50 on Apr 19, 2010 10:29 AM EDT reply actions

Oh, and glad you got a sponsor...

Have no problem with coins falling into Ed’s pocket for his work on this site.

by Cranky50 on Apr 19, 2010 10:30 AM EDT reply actions

I love coins

I feel even better about dollar bills!

by Ed Valentine on Apr 19, 2010 11:04 AM EDT up reply actions

Then put on a garter and start dancing, Ed. LOL Just kidding, It's good to see the site doing well.

Bleeding Blue since 1962

by sunlion333 on Apr 19, 2010 11:25 AM EDT up reply actions

Think gold Ed....

Those $20 gold pieces count up, and with the current price of gold, and the I.O.U.‘s behind the paper money, they’re not a bad thing to have. I wonder if Sprint’s new commercial will let us hear the gold coins dropping into your pocket instead of that stupid pin dropping.

by Cranky50 on Apr 19, 2010 12:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Fewell,Sheridan, Spagnola

I take some issue with the statement that Sheridan took a great defense and turned it into crap. May memory is long. The Giants D for the last six games of 2008 was mediocre to crappy at best. Spagnola’s D. That’s the D, along with a delusionally puffed head and new injuries, that Sheridan inherited. Not to excuse him. He had to go. The man didn’t appear able to inspire a hungry dog to eat. But the D he was handed was NOWHERE near the D everyone assumed it was. He didn’t ruin it. It was fading months before he ever put on the DC hat. That’s a simple fact. Another fact: we have no idea how what Fewell was handed is going to perform. He does seem to have more fire. A big plus. But is the talent level what it needs to be at? Time will tell. As a Giant fan I no longer expect the team to field great D, just because it did so in the past. The game is changing and, going against my own advice, I do see the Giants remaining a decent to mediocre defensive team, albeit with an explosive offense. A play off team, but far, far from complete.

by ZILLAG on Apr 19, 2010 12:08 PM EDT reply actions

That is a very negative view of the defense in 2008

they gave up 10, 29, 7, 20, 20, 28, 20, 23 points in the last few games. Obviously its not elite but considering that the offense couldn’t move the ball at all it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as 2009.

by mclaren_is_the_best on Apr 19, 2010 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree with you..

They did trail off towards the end of ‘08, but Sheridan did nothing to fix it in ’09..He stood there all season like a statue..Also, anyone who claims this game is changing is nuts and should change their name to the number on their drivers license..Teams are not passing anymore than they ever did since the games inception..Name one great QB that played this game who will say that the passing game is any different than it ever was. Also, I expect the Giants to field a dominant defense every year. Defense and Special teams are critical to making a march to the Super Bowl and obviously the Offense needs to be able to score points not just work the ball down to the 20 yard line and fold-up. The key is keeping an opposing Offense on the bench, not giving up field position and creating turnovers…If for some reason you don’t have a drivers licesne, then attend a group of Senior citizen women playing Bingo and change your name to the winning Bingo number.

"When I was a boy and had no sense I got my pecker stuck in an electric fence..Well it curled my hair and tickled my balls, and made me shit in my overalls"

by Bobbiblue on Apr 19, 2010 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions

TMQ had an article last season

about how the rate of passing hadn’t changed, but the means of passing have. For example, Dan Marino threw 49 tds in the early 80’s.

YA threw 36 in 14 games, instead of the 16 today. Yardage is still up there.

Found it here: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/091013&sportCat=nfl

While I don’t agree with everything he says, he has many interesting points.

Never assume skill at bouncing a ball makes you smarter than the guy who built the court.

When there's a WILL there's a WAY

by Willgfass on Apr 19, 2010 5:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Good stuff here

In their first two games of this season, using a four-receiver shotgun spread, the Saints scored an amazing 93 points. Doesn’t this mean scoring is up? The record for most points in the first two weeks was set in 1968, when the Oakland Raiders put up 95. That Raiders team used the old “pro set” of two wide receivers, a tight end and two backs in a divide. There were no funky shifts or trips right.

Never assume skill at bouncing a ball makes you smarter than the guy who built the court.

When there's a WILL there's a WAY

by Willgfass on Apr 19, 2010 5:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Well this information doesn't surprise me..I rest my case..

Teams are going to throw in things to hopefully confuse defenses so they can strike..Absolutely nothing new here..In fact, the ‘wildcat’ formation is as old as can be..just a re-incarnated scheme dating back before the G-men ran it with Gifford..The only innovative play devised in modern-day ball aside from the shotgun (which was really also old) was the one Bernie Kosar came up with for Miami “The Play”..that what he called it and only Marino could have pulled it off..ask Mark Ingram..He was..and said when asked how he knew, simply answered the question with a question: “Did you ever look into Marinos scary eyes?”..Fake spike, scary glare, touchdown Miami..Beautiful..aside from a one-time something like that I can’t think of anything that is new in football..the field is 50X100 yards..They can ressurect old shit that has long since gathered dustand surprise defenses with it, but there isn’t really anything new from an offensive side of the ball that we haven’t seen before..Teams, successful teams look and strive for balance it is no different now than it ever was..If you have a crappy secondary they are going to throw, a lousy run defense is going to face a running attack..From that base, teams will try to devise little tweaks and illusions here and there that create mental mistakes and allow them to exploit them..that’s football..the team that succeeds in doing that will win the game, but it is all based on the base set of schemes..and they try to devise ways to make a defense think too much..We hear alot about the flaws with a “Read and React” defense..and those arguments are valid because you can’t read and react..You need to REACT period..That means follow the ball and the belt-buckle..The ball and the belt-buckle don’t lie..They can feint, dance, do the jig, enroll in dancing with the stars, whatever..If your focussed on the ball and the belt..they are going down for a loss..

"When I was a boy and had no sense I got my pecker stuck in an electric fence..Well it curled my hair and tickled my balls, and made me shit in my overalls"

by Bobbiblue on Apr 19, 2010 6:59 PM EDT up reply actions

Ed, glad to see you get some sponsorship!!

I hope your charging Superbowl rates for them advertising on this vast archive of expert football analysis and commentary..As Ochocinco would say: “Viva la BBV !!” (Oh, shit that’s French..sorry)..

"When I was a boy and had no sense I got my pecker stuck in an electric fence..Well it curled my hair and tickled my balls, and made me shit in my overalls"

by Bobbiblue on Apr 19, 2010 2:30 PM EDT reply actions

I agree with a lot of what you say re the passing game, Bobbi, but there've been some

changes:
The West Coast Offense. (emphasis on short yardagwe passes not long ones downfield.)
No more head slaps by DLs (Making it harder to get to QB.)
OLs can use their hands . (Making it harder to get to the QB.)
No more bumping the receiver all the way downfield. (Making it easier to get open.)
QB no longer fair game (No spearing, helmet hits, head shots, etc.)
Go back far enough (but during my life time, I think) changing the shape of the football. I think it changed in the thirties. The ball Benny Friedman threw was a lot rounder than the one guys like Arnie Herber threw.

by blue gonz on Apr 20, 2010 8:06 AM EDT reply actions

Yes George these are all very valid points..

The league unfortunately decided they would make certain changes for the sake of ‘parity’..The game is no longer plain football anymore..the NFL we know is gone..If they feel the defense has an advantage they come up with new rules they feel will even things up..but this has evolved over several years, not recently..they have been manipulating the game for years..So this nonsense about the game changing all of a sudden is not new..The days where a guy like Lester Hayes looking like he crawled out of a Maple tree-trunk with all that sap all over him are over..they don’t allow hitting and banging a receiver outside of 5 yards, and then changed the rule of coverage by saying a defender can block a pass with his back and arms..I could go on and on as you could but they have turned a basically smash-mouth sport into a joke…If they feel that there are not enough points being scored, they’ll insert changes to rules..If on the other hand they feel too many points are being scored then they will make changes to help the defense out..Alot of these young fellows out here don’t see the difference..but it hasn’t happened overnight..The game has become ‘commercial’..You can’t sell budweiser or tampax with a venue that doesn’t cater to the folks interested in drinking beer or figuring out what size tampax the gals need to handle their monthly…anyway, that brings me to the point I made..The game as you pointed out has changed..but not overnight..and the plays they ressurect and tweak..we have seen them before..and your right the biggest change they made was a good one..they were throwing cantalopes prior to making the football more aerodynamic..haha

"When I was a boy and had no sense I got my pecker stuck in an electric fence..Well it curled my hair and tickled my balls, and made me shit in my overalls"

by Bobbiblue on Apr 20, 2010 8:58 PM EDT reply actions