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Giants Suddenly Have a Juggernaut Defense That Could Power Deep Playoff Run
- Updated: December 19, 2016
When the 2016 NFL free-agency period opened, the refrain surrounding the New York Giants had become familiar: They could be a playoff team with even an average defense.
We said that repeatedly while watching the Giants field the sixth-ranked scoring offense in 2015 (26.2 points per game). Then we all said it again during the draft and once more in the preseason after moves were made and a revamped unit took shape.
Now, the Giants are 10-4 and two games away from reaching the playoffs, and the chatter about their defense is still constant. But this time, the words are positive. No, they’re glowing.
The Giants have turned those murmurs of concern into mounting weekly buzz about a season that could extend deep into January. And their latest win—a 17-6 victory over the Detroit Lions—was perhaps the most convincing display of newfound defensive muscle.
The Lions had their chances to do more than score single-digit points for the first time in 2016. Those opportunities included three red-zone trips. The results of their deep drives? Two turnovers and a field goal.
That’s what propelled the Giants to a 10th win, pushing them further toward a wild-card berth. Defense has defined a team once thought to be rooted in offense. Now, the focus and narrative during conversations about the Giants has shifted abruptly, which will happen during a stretch of winning eight out of nine games while allowing an average of only 15.8 points.
The Giants’ stiffness when backed up in their own territory was highlighted Sunday by a leaping, fingertip interception in the end zone from cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie with …
