No matter how loaded with talent they appear along the front seven, no matter who’s calling plays, the New York Giants still can’t stop the run, and Brian Burns has had enough.
The edge-rusher who is leading the NFL in sacks told reporters he’s relishing the challenge posed by Week 10’s opponents the Chicago Bears. They’ve rushed for 1,155 yards, are averaging 4.9 yards per carry and have scored nine touchdowns on the ground.
Burns put it bluntly, “I look at it as an opportunity. I’m done with all that running the ball [EXPLETIVE]… At the end of the day you’re either going to nut up or shut up, per SNY.tv’s Giants Videos.
That’s big talk, but Burns and Big Blue’s defense have been a collective soft touch against even barely competent running games this season. The Giants are surrendering a league-high 5.5 yards per rush, while only the Tennessee Titans (15) have allowed more than the 12 running scores given up by New York.
Those aren’t the kind of numbers the Giants need to be taking into a game against a Bears’ offense underpinned by a formidable backfield duo. Both veteran D’Andre Swift and rookie Kyle Monangai will fancy their chances of exploiting a Giants’ front being let down by underperformance in key areas among star names.
Brian Burns’ Rallying Call Necessary for Underachieving Defense
The problems the Giants are experiencing repelling the run showed up in ugly fashion during Week 9’s 34-24 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers. It wasn’t just that All-Pro Christian McCaffrey amassed 106 yards on 28 carries, or that former Washington Commanders starter Brian Robinson Jr. added 53 on just five rushing attempts.
A greater concern was how easily the Niners were able to attack the edges. As Dan Duggan of The Athletic put it, “Teams are able to play Pop Warner offense against the Giants: Sweep left, sweep right for chunks of yards.”
Things shouldn’t be so easy when the Giants have a pair of first-round draft picks, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter, joining two-time Pro Bowler Burns on the edges. Yet, this is the story of the season for the Giants on defense, a unit undermined by star nameds not living up to the billing.
Giants’ Defensive Stars Not Making the Grade
Perhaps the most notable culprit is All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II. He was content to dismiss criticism from franchise great Carl Banks before the game, but Lawrence hardly justified his defiance against the 49ers.
Instead, Duggan detailed “a disappointing showing from Dexter Lawrence against another vulnerable interior O-line, especially with all of the attention on him last week. He turns 28 next week. Big decisions could be looming.”
Perhaps more concerning was how “the Giants played a ton of base in response to San Fran’s heavy offensive personnel. That meant more Rakeem Nunez-Roches and Roy Robertson-Harris. Nacho had a big sack yesterday that *should* have knocked the 49ers out of field goal range late in the first half.”
When you load up with heavy personnel and still can’t prevent running backs from powering into the secondary, you’ve got a major problem. It’s one under-fire coordinator Shane Bowen hasn’t been able to solve, but this issue predates the man with the head-set.
The Giants still couldn’t stop the run when Bowen’s predecessor Don ‘Wink’ Martindale was on the sidelines. Martindale called a more aggressive, blitz-crazed scheme than the vanilla system Bowen favors, but it’s made no difference.
Things aren’t changing because the Giants lack the personnel and discipline to stuff the run. Lawrence has always been more interested in getting to the quarterback, while too many edge defenders also only play the run on their way to opposing passers.
Losing middle linebacker Micah McFadden to a season-ending injury took away one of the few players willing to attack running lanes with the required intensity. There aren’t enough space-eaters up front, nor downhill thumpers behind them for the Giants to shut down a rushing attack.
It’s why Burns will need more than tough talk to make good on his words when the Giants arrive at Soldier Field.
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