The New York Giants couldn’t make a play defensively to preserve a two-point lead and beat the Denver Broncos on the road, but two studs of the unit, NFL sack co-leader Brian Burns and All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II, aren’t convinced they were put into the best positions to succeed with the game on the line.
Both Burns and Lawrence appeared to vent frustration in the direction of defensive coordinator Shane Bowen’s play-calling. Some frustration was inevitable after the Giants surrendered 33 fourth-quarter points to lose 33-32 at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday, October 19.
The Giants had a two-point lead with seconds remaining, but Burns, Lawrence and Co. couldn’t prevent the Broncos, with no timeouts, from completing two big pass plays. Those completions positioned Wil Lutz to kick the game-winner from 39 yards, but neither Burns nor Lawrence were happy about the personnel and schemes Bowen had used.
Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence Not Happy With Giants’ Schemes
Burns got to Broncos’ quarterback Bo Nix twice for sacks, taking his season tally to nine, the joint-most in football, but the Giants edge-rusher wasn’t sufficiently supported when it mattered most. Notably, when Nix connected with wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. for 29 yards to start the game-winning drive.
As Bleacher Report’s James Palmer highlighted, and ESPN’s Jordan Raanan explained, Burns couldn’t hide his frustration at the decision to “drop eight” into coverage and only rush three.
The passive brand of defense afforded Nix and his receivers time to manufacture the chunk gain they needed, but the bigger issue may not have been the play call. Playing prevent and trying to force an underneath throw in the dying seconds is hardly shocking, but the Giants leaving Lawrence on the sideline for this play, rated as more than a mild surprise.
He’s the most physically dominant interior pass-rusher on the team, and “Lawrence said it wasn’t his call not to be on the field for that play,” per Dan Duggan of The Athletic. Those words assign blame firmly in one spot.
Shane Bowen Feeling the Heat
Choosing not having your best players on the field in a game’s most important moments is an unnecessary risk for any coach to take. Bowen gambled without Lawrence and it backfired, but the beleaguered DC could be forgiven for thinking the Giants still had enough game-wreckers to disrupt Nix at a key time, even though 2025 NFL draft third-overall pick Abdul Carter was also watching the play from the sideline.
Burns has been sacking signal-callers for fun, while fellow edge-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux had been putting together a breakout campaign. Bowen put his faith in these bookends to rush while the Giants played what Daboll called “man with two safeties as robbers,” according to Duggan, who also noted how second-year cornerback Dru Phillips “was in coverage on Marvin Mims, but just didn’t react as the ball approached and none of the safeties were in position to make a play.”
Phillips has struggled since the start of the season, but he wasn’t the only faltering corner who undermined Bowen’s schemes. Bowen does call a vanilla brand of defense, but the Giants still need more consistency from highly-touted personnel.
Phillips is a top-75 draft pick not living up to that status, while Deonte Banks is a first-rounder struggling to cover or tackle. Meanwhile, Burns had no problem with Bowen’s play-calling when the Giants thumped the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6.
The Giants are in a vicious circle of ineptitude on defense, where underperforming players and unimaginative coaches are equally to blame.
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