For the first time since 1996, the New York Giants have started the regular season with an 0-3 record. It hasn’t been pretty, and much of the blame can be directed at an atrocious offensive line that has produced the NFL’s least efficient pass blocking unit, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Giants’ pass rushers are not blameless, however, as their inability to penetrate offensive lines and pressure opposing quarterbacks has helped contribute to a league-leading average of 38 points per game allowed.
Once boasting a talented, feared group of pass rushers, the G-Men do not pose any threat whatsoever to their opponent’s quarterbacks when they’re in the pocket. As a result, rival’s quarterbacks have racked up a 99.2 passer rating with seven touchdown passes and just two interceptions through three games.
In a league where pass-heavy offenses dominate, being able to generate a quality pass rush and keep the quarterback from getting comfortable in the pocket is pivotal. That was the key to the Giants’ championship seasons of 2007 and 2011, where they made a name for themselves by getting to the quarterback. This year, they have just three sacks.
After a dismal year in 2012 where the Giants surrendered the second-most total yardage to opposing offenses, it was assumed things couldn’t get worse. Apparently, they can — and have.
New York’s sack rate has fallen from 9.2 percent during its Super Bowl season in 2007, to 2.5 — a league low — and 4.3 percent worse than the league rate of 6.8, according to Pro Football Reference. That’s a substantial drop even from last year, when they ranked 23rd in the NFL at 5.8 percent.
Of course, the under-performance of defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul has certainly put a damper on things. The Giants need their All-Pro pass rusher to step up, but he could be suffering some lingering issues from offseason back surgery.
A week ago, JPP noted that his head was processing what he needed to be doing, but his body wasn’t responding (though he insisted he was feeling no pain like last season’s). Right now, it’s just a matter of him getting back his body back into football shape; he missed training camp and nearly all of the preseason practices prior to the season opener versus the Dallas Cowboys.
“The only thing now is for me to get back to that old JPP playing mode when I’m just getting after the passer relentlessly,” he said last week. “Right now nobody has seen it yet. I watch film of myself so I can critique myself and I know I’m not doing a bad job but I’m also not doing an excellent job.”
In a brief conversation via Twitter, sports medicine expert Will Carroll said that soreness and a lack of flexibility were lingering effects from JPP’s injury and surgery that could be affecting his play. Ultimately, only time and patience can get the defensive end back to where he needs to be.
Veteran Justin Tuck is on a steady decline himself. Despite optimism about a turnaround year, the defensive captain appears well on his way to another disappointing campaign at the wrong side of 30 years of age.
Tuck should’ve had an easier week against one of PFF’s worst-rated tackles in Byron Bell, but the Carolina Panthers’ lineman kept him in check. Tuck, who recorded 39.5 sacks between 2007 and 2010, has just 9.5 sacks in his last 30 games.
The Giants’ other pass rushers, namely defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka, have not offered much help either. In the last two games, the G-Men have 12 total pressures and one sack (from Kiwanuka vs. Carolina). Quarterback Eli Manning was sacked seven times and pressured 22 times by the Panthers in Week 3 alone.
Things do not appear to be improving any time soon in New York, which could signal a long, tumultuous season for the team. The Giants’ defensive success hinders on the success of its front four. Right now, they’re not having any — and neither is Big Blue as a result.
“[Our procedure] has always been ‘damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead,’” head coach Tom Coughlin said Monday. “Basically the way we’ve tried to do it is to be more focused ourselves and more driven and try to transfer those objectives directly toward our players. We’ve done nothing more than dive in and try to solve whatever issues we have and we’ll continue to do that.”
Louis Musto is a reporter and sports talk host for the Sports Journey Broadcast Network. He is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. All quotes were acquired first hand or via team press releases unless otherwise noted. You can follow him on Twitter @LouisMusto.