Domonique Foxworth on the Giants’ defense

Ed and I do our best to break down the on-field play of the New York Giants and present you with our analysis.

And personally, I like to think that we do a pretty darn good job of it within our limitations.

But there’s just a bit of a difference between the kind of analysis we can bring and the insight of a former pro who has been in the meeting rooms, who has spent countless hours studying film and practicing with and against the best in the world.

So when former Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons, and Baltimore Ravens’ cornerback Domonique Foxworth broke down the All-22 tape of Giants’ defense against the New Orleans Saints, I was all eyes.

(I mean that immediately read and re-read his breakdown, not that it turned me into some sort of eldritch horror.)

You can read his full breakdown on HERE The Undefeated, but I’ll pass along his impressions.

Overall, Foxworth was very impressed by the Giants’ defense. Not just how the performance on the field, but also the audacity of the scheme and game plan.

On the Giants’ coverage:

The Giants played a lot of man coverage and played it very well. Brees tried each of the defensive backs on go routes when in man coverage. Not one was caught. And there were no defensive holding or pass interference penalties.

Regarding the blitz disguises:

When trying to get a pre-snap read on the defense, quarterbacks look at the safeties for clues. When there is a blitz, the safety has to cover the blitzing defenders coverage responsibility, so before the snap he will try to creep into good position. Veteran quarterbacks are pretty good at predicting where the blitz is coming from based on the safeties’ alignment. Many times quarterbacks know the exact defenses before the play. When watching film, I can almost always tell the coverage before the snap. But not this time.

Of course, it wasn’t all love from Foxworth. He found one glaring flaw in the Giants’ play, and called it out.

Though they balled, it is incumbent upon all defensive backs to pay homage to the godfather of modern NFL swag, Deion Sanders, and dance at every opportunity. Janoris Jenkins scooped up a blocked field goal and scored a touchdown. Sadly, he didn’t dance.

I encourage everyone to read the full article.