Watching a Giant? Defense

by nygmen123 on Nov 14, 2011 8:09 PM EST

I too learned a few things from our loss to a good 49ers team, Ed. I learned the following. Eli Manning is a stellar quarterback. Period. This team, with a very spotty running game at best, has relied on Manning to pull the rabbit out of the hat, and them out of boiling water, all season long. He nearly did it again on Sunday. What is also obvious, to ANYONE who is bothering to look, is that this Giant? defense is exactly what the numbers show. A bottom half of the league defense. Numbers can be ignored, but they don't lie. Going into this game, 17th against the pass, nearly dead last against the run. Certainly lower now. Clearly, a competent (NOT stellar) middle linebacker and a starting corner out for the season are enough reason to give this defense all kinds of excuses. For the apologists, it's also reason enough to give our D coordinator a pass for the season. Ed points out that Aaron Ross and Michael Boley were out for the second half. Ignored is the fact that this defense was gashed for yards (no, not necessarily for points) the entire first half. Zero punts forced in the first half. Zero. In case you missed that, let me say it again. ZERO. Is this a Giant defense? Doesn't seem that way to me. Kind of hard to get your O on the field when the opposing team is marching steadily downfield consistently. Kudos to them not giving up touchdowns to Alex Smith. Alex Smith, the new Peyton Manning. Alex Smith, WITHOUT the services of Frank Gore for much of the game. How is this D coordinator not pinning the ears back and rushing the passer when he realizes the opposition can't run the ball? How is that possible? No Gore, and we're going to play a soft zone. Yes, that makes sense. This bend and don't break is not working. Sorry, it's not. If it were, our rankings would not be in the bottom half of the league. And they are. There is no arguing that. Does anyone fear our defense? Not that I've seen. More likely licking their chops. This D line is supposed to be world beating. Rushing 3 as often as they do seems ludicrous. Do we really want the likes of any of our D line in coverage? Does giving a quarterback time to set up in the pocket and find someone sound like a good strategy? Forget sounding, you can use your eyes. It clearly isn't. We've turned has been/never been QB's into all-pros for a day with this ridiculous soft zone that accomplishes nothing but allowing the other team to control the ball. Yes, mix in the zone with the blitz. MIX!!!! Don't rely. This just isn't a Giants defense. Yes, we're injured. Yes, we are low on corners. All the more reason to put pressure on the QB consistently. We HAVE the personnel to do just that. It isn't happening. And before all of the apologists bemoan the loss of Terrell Thomas, Aaron Ross was a first round pick, has made some big plays, and has played mediocre to well. To think that he can't step up and fill in adequately is ludicrous. The bottom line is the numbers. They don't lie. And this is NOT a Giants defense. Running backwards into coverage away from the QB. Made me want to puke. So apologists, please bring it on. Tell me about Goff and Thomas. Just keep repeating the hollow ring of "Injuries, Injuries!" Then again, if your eyes are open, maybe you'll see that this defense isn't so Giant. Bottom half of the league. Nothing more needs to be said.

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123 well said

Our big weapon is our pass rush. We have more D line studs them teams have playersand on 3rd and long we let them watch from the bench. this drives me crazy. I’m tired of excuses too. I’ve never counted but i’d be willing to bet we rush 3 for often then we send more then 4.

The Giants D has never waited for teams to make mistakes. They make teams make mistakes. But this D is waiting

by hit_hard on Nov 14, 2011 9:49 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Very frustrating

watching this defense play in these soft zone schemes as much as they do.

I don’t get it….They played mostly man against the Patriots, who – like the Niners – have no credible deep threat that you have to worry about, so there’s less risk involved playing them in man. The Niners – like the Pats – want to small-ball you to death. They want Alex Smith to make the safe, short throws. These players have even shown in plenty of past games that a predominantly zone-based gameplan doesn’t work for them. Yet Fewell seems hellbent on forcing this defense to adapt to his soft schemes. That kind of gameplan plays right into the Niners’ hands. They were more than happy to take what Fewell was giving them on Sunday. Again, man coverage worked last week (and in weeks past)…so why go away from it?

You can say the injuries in the back seven have a lot to do with it, but it seems like every time they have to play more zone due to a lack of healthy players on the back end, QBs are just picking them apart for much of the game, and the guys are left looking at each other and pointing where someone else was supposed to be after every 15-yard pass play by the other team. When guys go down back there, wouldn’t the communication issues in the zone schemes be exacerbated because new guys are coming into the lineup?

Though I guess we shouldn’t be so mad at Fewell….All week we heard how the Giants wanted to take Gore out of the game and make Alex Smith beat them. Mission accomplished….SMH.

"The good teams don't come in and say 'could have.' They get it done."

by BigBlue21 on Nov 14, 2011 11:29 PM EST reply actions

It's like Fewell has no faith in these guys

to execute a more aggressive style of defense on a consistent basis. And when one player leaves the game with an injury…forget it. Let the guys play ball! Sure, you may get beat for a play or two, but it’s not like the Niners are going to be able to do that with Smith, and you’re gonna get them off the field, more often than not. SF isn’t built to sustain drives by having to go deep.

Fewell has to come back with a great gameplan this week against Philly, regardless of who the QB is.

"The good teams don't come in and say 'could have.' They get it done."

by BigBlue21 on Nov 14, 2011 11:36 PM EST reply actions

I learnt how much I value paragraphs when reading....

other than that nice write up :)

Like Eli, I did it...

by AussieGiant on Nov 15, 2011 9:36 AM EST reply actions

I don't think I've ever heard the Giants....

or many people here, or elsewhere, say that we have a great defense that is going to shut teams down. I don’t think anyone would argue with you, nygmen123. I think that mostly everyone, at this point, knows what our defense is. There really is no denying it.

But what is your point? Are you saying that we’re disillusioned as fans? That the team is? You just seem to be building up an argument where you’ll get no disagreement from 90% of informed Giants fans. This defense isn’t great.

But this is what we have this year. No changes are coming down the pipe in the form of coaches. Little to no changes in personnel (barring injury). This is what we have to work with.

And the fact is, that we’ve been in every game we’ve played this year. We’re right there until the end. And 6 out of 9 times, it has been sufficient. And while I wish things were different, I have confidence that this defense will continue keeping us close enough in every game to where we have an opportunity to win.

I love this team this year. I love how they’re growing and getting better every week. Thats not to say you or anyone else doesn’t. I’m just speaking for me.

by BKiddo on Nov 15, 2011 10:03 AM EST reply actions