Perry Fewell: Defensive coordinator talks about inability to force turnovers

In addition to the New York Giants' well-documented issues holding onto the football on offense, the team's defense has compounded the issue by failing to create any turnovers itself in the first two games. That certainly isn't for lack of emphasis.

"We haven't been able to do it in two ball games and not only is the (stopping) the run game one, two, and three, but the turnover emphasis is one, two, and three on our board this week, too. Four, five, on our board, too, because without those, we can't put our offense in position to score, and we can't score on defense," said defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. "We can't do a lot of things that we would like to do in order to dictate the game."

Fewell couldn't put his finger on a reason for the lack of takeaways. The Giants have missed a couple of opportunities for interceptions. They forced one fumble, but failed to recover the ball.

"I don't think there is a common thread. It is the luck of the draw. We had our hands on two balls last week and we didn't come up with it," Fewell said. "Stevie Brown had his hands on a deep ball and you expect him to come down with that one. Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie had his hands on a ball, you expect him to come down with it. We just haven't made our own breaks."

Here are some of the other topics Fewell addressed this week in his meeting with reporters.

On the conservative Houston offense ...

"I think they have a very smart approach. They have been playing ahead in each of the ball games that we have studied as far as their regular season games. They are smart with the ball, that they can run the football and they can take some shots when they want to take the shots. They can dictate how they want to play the game with some short quick passing and then air it out at times. The quarterback hasn't been sacked but once in two regular season games. Yeah, they want to control the ball running, but big 80 [Andre Johnson], you've got to get the ball to that guy and he hasn't lost anything."

On the fact that the Giants have given up first down on 15-of-28 third-down situations (53 percent), many of them third-and-long situations ...

"That is a tough pill to swallow for us. A lot of times we are putting ourselves in that situation to keep those drives alive. We are coaching from the practice film, we are coaching from the game film, we are trying to make them very aware. We have them in situations that we would like to have a football team in and we've got to make the plays to get off the field. Be it, not forcing the ball in the right way, not a lack of tackling, whatever the case maybe, whatever error may occur, that is an aspect we've definitely got to improve and it is frustrating for us."

On what happens if the Texans line up defensive end J.J. Watt at tight end, a spot he caught a touchdown pass from last week ...

"All eyes are on him. He draws a lot of attention. He didn't draw attention on the touchdown pass he caught and that was a classic goal line play that a lot of teams run. I know he was a former tight end. That is going to be a point of emphasis when we go into the meeting room and talk about our goal line situations and what he will bring to the table. He did a good job blocking also. He blocked the play before and then he caught the touchdown pass. It is going to be a point of emphasis that number one, let's not let them down there in order for him to have that opportunity, and then two, if he is in that position, know where he is and what to do."