The New York Giants’ defense is nothing spectacular, but their ability to force turnovers gives them a dramatic advantage in their pursuit of another Super Bowl championship.
While usually a prerequisite to championship aspirations, dominant defenses are few and far between among the NFL’s best teams. The last three Super Bowl champions (the 2009 New Orleans Saints, the 2010 Green Bay Packers and the 2011 Giants) featured mediocre defenses at best. Those teams’ ability to force turnovers, however, separated them from the pack and was a key factor in their victories.
This season, the Giants fit that mold once again. Though their defense is the sixth-worst pass defense in the league and has proven to be largely susceptible to the big play, the Giants are second in turnover ratio with plus-16 and tied for second with 34 takeaways.
New York’s success in this phase of the game was evident in the 2011 postseason when they posted a plus-six turnover ratio during their four-game journey to the Lombardi Trophy. A key interception by linebacker Chase Blackburn in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLVI shut down a marching New England Patriots’ offense and helped ensure Big Blue’s second Super Bowl win in five seasons.
If the Giants are to construct a blueprint for a third trip (since the 2007 NFL season) to the Super Bowl, takeaways will clearly be a major ingredient. Creating a surplus of takeaway opportunities while limiting costly giveaways (the Giants currently have the eighth-most in the NFC) should help pave a favorable road for the defending world champions.
Of course, they — and their fans — would love to see a better overall performance on the defensive side of the ball. The sack totals have not racked up quite like they did last season and the big yardage totals are an eyesore. But for the most part, the Giants’ defense is operating the way it’s supposed to.
Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell often calls a version of the Tampa 2 scheme with his own tweaks to cater to a talented group of players. While that coverage fosters a bend-don’t-break-mentality (surrendering chunks of yardage), opposing offenses are generally kept out of the end zone and turnovers can be generated.
This defensive strategy can limit the pass rush — it is dependent solely on the pressure created by the front four — but it can be a substantially successful gimmick when operated to perfection. On its own, the Tampa 2 is not a plausible every-down option in today’s pass-happy NFL. But Fewell has found a way to use it to the Giants’ advantage while also featuring an assortment of defensive fronts and coverage packages.
The defensive coordinator has found a way to get his squad to play at a level that gains little notoriety among the NFL’s best. But it places the Giants in perfect position to defend their Super Bowl title.
Defense still wins championships… just not always in a dominating fashion. Turnovers are now the name of the game and, in the 2012 NFL, the New York Giants are the cream of the crop.
Louis Musto is a contributor to the Sports Journey Broadcast Network covering the NFL and NBA. You can follow him on Twitter @LouisMusto.