The New York Giants pulled the plug on Shane Bowen’s tenure as defensive coordinator after last Sunday’s 34-27 loss to the Detroit Lions. It was the fifth time the Giants blew a double-digit lead this season, tying an NFL record. Multiple of those leads, including against Detroit, were blown in the fourth quarter alone.
Mike Kafka has not been shy to make changes since taking over as interim head coach, and he made the bold move to promote outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen to the interim role at defensive coordinator. With his track record, Bullen’s aggressive scheme should bring out the best in a talented front four, which should spread backwards to the entire defense.
A More Aggressive Philosophy At Every Level
Charlie Bullen was chosen to lead the defense over fellow position coaches in defensive backs coach Marquand Manuel and line coach Andre Patterson, both of whom have experience as defensive coordinators.
“I have a lot of faith in Charlie and the things that he’s brought from the pedigree that he brings coming into this defense,” Kafka said this week. “I think he’s a smart coach. I think he’s detailed. He’s aggressive and his room has had a lot of production, and I think he’s ready for the task. I know he’s ready for the task.”
However, Bullen was mentored by current Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, with the two working together in previous stints with the Cardinals and Dolphins.
The Broncos’ defense is among the best in the NFL this year, ranking first in yards per play, touchdowns per game, and opponent red-zone touchdown percentage, and in the top three in several other defensive categories.
Joseph (and Bullen) tend to emphasize pressure and blitzes, bringing a more aggressive scheme to the table after Bowen’s run-oriented defenses somehow ranked last in the league in yards per rush allowed and yards per game allowed while failing to threaten opposing quarterbacks.
Denver blitzes on 34% of defensive snaps, which ranks fifth in the NFL. They create simulated pressure by putting many players on the line of scrimmage and playing lots of man coverage behind them, compared to Bowen’s modest 27.5% blitz rate.
The Giants did not focus on disguising rushers and have just two unblocked sacks this season, second-fewest in the NFL. Outside of Brian Burns, the rest of the defensive front has hardly gotten to the quarterback this season, which is a detriment when considering their talent.
Bullen’s Scheme Matches Giants’ Talented Personnel
While having a more aggressive scheme sounds enticing to most football fans, with the personnel of the Giants, it seems like a no-brainer. While Brian Burns has 13 sacks and 17 tackles for loss, Kayvon Thibodeaux has 2.5 sacks, while prized draft pick Abdul Carter has just half a sack.
In addition, Dexter Lawrence has been dealing with a nagging injury, but has been out of the game plan when it mattered most, allowing Jahmyr Gibbs to burst through the middle for what ended up being the game-winning touchdown on the first play of overtime. He has also been nearly invisible this year, with just 24 tackles, two tackles for loss, and half a sack.
In the secondary, an aggressive scheme allows players to press receivers at the line of scrimmage, play one-on-one coverage, and make plays on the football, rather than sitting back and waiting for the plays to come to them. For players like Cor’Dale Flott, Dru Phillips, Paulson Adebo, and Jevon Holland, Bullen’s scheme could impact their style of play and result in more takeaways.
While firing Shane Bowen was long overdue, a return to a Wink Martindale-esque aggressive style of defense will be greatly beneficial for the Giants’ defense. It is time to see New York’s star-studded defensive lineup play up to its potential and allow the offense to thrive, and Bullen’s tendencies should do exactly that, while likely shoring up the porous run defense as well.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Charlie Bullen’s Scheme Perfectly Fits Giants’ Defensive Personnel appeared first on Heavy Sports.