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Giants' attacking defense recalls '85 Bears
http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/giants/ny-spglaub1017,0,1389166.column
Bob Glauber
9:24 PM EDT, October 16, 2007
Osi Umenyiora was a 4-year-old living in London. Michael Strahan was 14 and growing up in Mannheim, Germany. Mathias Kiwanuka and Justin Tuck were still in diapers, Kiwanuka in Indianapolis and Tuck in Kellyton, Ala.
The year was 1985, long before any of these Giants defensive linemen were even thinking about an NFL career. The Bears were putting together the most dominant single-season defensive performance ever.
Mention the '85 Bears and you recall a relentless pass rush, with complicated, virtually unstoppable blitzes. Mike Singletary, Richard Dent, Otis Wilson, Wilber Marshall, Dan Hampton, Steve McMichael, Gary Fencik and Dave Duerson. They crushed all but one opponent -- a Dolphins team that kept the '72 Miami squad as the modern NFL's only unbeaten -- before steamrolling through the playoffs and Super Bowl XX. Bears 21, Giants 0. Bears 24, Rams 0. Bears 46, Patriots 10.
• Week 1: Cowboys 45, Giants 35 Photos Box
• Week 2: Packers 35, Giants 13 Photos Box
• Week 3: Giants 24, Commanders 17 Photos Box
• Week 4: Giants 16, Eagles 3 Photos Box
• Week 5: Giants 35, Jets 24 Photos Box
• Week 6: Giants 31, Falcons 10 Photos Box
• Week 7: Sun, 10/21 vs. SF, 1 p.m.
• Week 8: Sun, 10/28* at MIA, 1 p.m.
• Week 9: Bye week
• Week 10: Sun, 11/11 vs. DAL, 4:15 p.m.
• Week 11: Sun, 11/18 at DET, 4:15 p.m.
• Week 12: Sun, 11/25 vs. MIN, 1 p.m.
• Week 13: Sun, 12/2 at CHI, 4:15 p.m.
• Week 14: Sun, 12/9 at PHI, 1 p.m.
• Week 15: Sun, 12/16 vs. WAS, 8:15 pm
• Week 16: Sun, 12/23 at BUF, 1 p.m.
• Week 17: Sat, 12/29 vs. NE, 8:15 p.m.
*Game in London, England.
There will never be another team like it.
Yet the thought of those Bears came to mind, albeit briefly, during Monday night's Giants-Falcons game at the Georgia Dome. While the Giants' current sack machines were mere babes, I was a rookie NFL writer who didn't fully grasp what I was seeing. All I knew was that whenever the Bears put eight, nine, 10 men at the line of scrimmage, it was one of the most exciting moments in football. Just to watch them swarm and bury the quarterback with waves of blitzes was as breathtaking as seeing Joe Montana hit Jerry Rice on a 50-yard fly.
For a few fleeting moments Monday, the Giants' defense looked like a reasonable facsimile. Not that this group can be compared with the '85 Bears, because no defense this side of the Steel Curtain Steelers -- not even the 2000 Ravens -- was as formidable. But the scheme the Giants are running under new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo might be the closest we get to see of that attack. Finally, after the read-and-react conservatism of the Tim Lewis era, it is fun to watch the Giants' defense.
Fun to play in it, too.
"I've never loved playing in a defense as much as this one," said Tuck, who is enjoying a breakout season with 5 ½ sacks, including one Monday after his helmet flew off just before getting to Joey Harrington. "The positions puts us in are amazing. We just line up and get after it."
Spagnuolo's defense, based largely on the Eagles' blitzing schemes under Jim Johnson, has created havoc since a brutal display the first two weeks, when the Giants gave up 80 points in losses to the Cowboys and Packers. But you can bet the results would be different if the teams met today. The Giants have shown a mastery of the scheme since that rude awakening, and a four-game streak has them within a game of Dallas. It's a completely different group than we saw the first two weeks, and it has that air of unstoppability few teams possess.
"It's the little things we're doing and paying attention to that make the difference," linebacker Antonio Pierce said. "I think those first two losses actually help us now, because we realize we weren't paying attention to the little things. Now that we are and we're seeing the results, it's helped a lot."
The Giants didn't get to Harrington as often as they wanted, especially with the Falcons playing a rookie left tackle and a second-year right tackle. But they did end up with four sacks, several pressures and took Atlanta's best receiver, tight end Alge Crumpler, out of the game. He was forced to stay in and block much of the time to help the inexperienced tackles.
"We're basically dictating to the other teams," Tuck said. "We're lining up and they know we're going to come at them."
Spagnuolo is giving them freedom within the scheme to react to situations. Tuck said that on some plays, Spagnuolo will call the pass coverage but will let his linemen decide whether to attack straight ahead or stunt. "He trusts us that much," Tuck said. "It's a great feeling to know your coach believes in you."
The Giants' defense may not look this good against elite teams, but we expect the Cowboys will be awfully wary in the rematch Nov. 11 at Giants Stadium. Don't think Tony Romo will be hanging another 45 on this group.
more in /sports/football/giants
http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/giants/ny-spglaub1017,0,1389166.column
Bob Glauber
9:24 PM EDT, October 16, 2007
Osi Umenyiora was a 4-year-old living in London. Michael Strahan was 14 and growing up in Mannheim, Germany. Mathias Kiwanuka and Justin Tuck were still in diapers, Kiwanuka in Indianapolis and Tuck in Kellyton, Ala.
The year was 1985, long before any of these Giants defensive linemen were even thinking about an NFL career. The Bears were putting together the most dominant single-season defensive performance ever.
Mention the '85 Bears and you recall a relentless pass rush, with complicated, virtually unstoppable blitzes. Mike Singletary, Richard Dent, Otis Wilson, Wilber Marshall, Dan Hampton, Steve McMichael, Gary Fencik and Dave Duerson. They crushed all but one opponent -- a Dolphins team that kept the '72 Miami squad as the modern NFL's only unbeaten -- before steamrolling through the playoffs and Super Bowl XX. Bears 21, Giants 0. Bears 24, Rams 0. Bears 46, Patriots 10.
• Week 1: Cowboys 45, Giants 35 Photos Box
• Week 2: Packers 35, Giants 13 Photos Box
• Week 3: Giants 24, Commanders 17 Photos Box
• Week 4: Giants 16, Eagles 3 Photos Box
• Week 5: Giants 35, Jets 24 Photos Box
• Week 6: Giants 31, Falcons 10 Photos Box
• Week 7: Sun, 10/21 vs. SF, 1 p.m.
• Week 8: Sun, 10/28* at MIA, 1 p.m.
• Week 9: Bye week
• Week 10: Sun, 11/11 vs. DAL, 4:15 p.m.
• Week 11: Sun, 11/18 at DET, 4:15 p.m.
• Week 12: Sun, 11/25 vs. MIN, 1 p.m.
• Week 13: Sun, 12/2 at CHI, 4:15 p.m.
• Week 14: Sun, 12/9 at PHI, 1 p.m.
• Week 15: Sun, 12/16 vs. WAS, 8:15 pm
• Week 16: Sun, 12/23 at BUF, 1 p.m.
• Week 17: Sat, 12/29 vs. NE, 8:15 p.m.
*Game in London, England.
There will never be another team like it.
Yet the thought of those Bears came to mind, albeit briefly, during Monday night's Giants-Falcons game at the Georgia Dome. While the Giants' current sack machines were mere babes, I was a rookie NFL writer who didn't fully grasp what I was seeing. All I knew was that whenever the Bears put eight, nine, 10 men at the line of scrimmage, it was one of the most exciting moments in football. Just to watch them swarm and bury the quarterback with waves of blitzes was as breathtaking as seeing Joe Montana hit Jerry Rice on a 50-yard fly.
For a few fleeting moments Monday, the Giants' defense looked like a reasonable facsimile. Not that this group can be compared with the '85 Bears, because no defense this side of the Steel Curtain Steelers -- not even the 2000 Ravens -- was as formidable. But the scheme the Giants are running under new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo might be the closest we get to see of that attack. Finally, after the read-and-react conservatism of the Tim Lewis era, it is fun to watch the Giants' defense.
Fun to play in it, too.
"I've never loved playing in a defense as much as this one," said Tuck, who is enjoying a breakout season with 5 ½ sacks, including one Monday after his helmet flew off just before getting to Joey Harrington. "The positions puts us in are amazing. We just line up and get after it."
Spagnuolo's defense, based largely on the Eagles' blitzing schemes under Jim Johnson, has created havoc since a brutal display the first two weeks, when the Giants gave up 80 points in losses to the Cowboys and Packers. But you can bet the results would be different if the teams met today. The Giants have shown a mastery of the scheme since that rude awakening, and a four-game streak has them within a game of Dallas. It's a completely different group than we saw the first two weeks, and it has that air of unstoppability few teams possess.
"It's the little things we're doing and paying attention to that make the difference," linebacker Antonio Pierce said. "I think those first two losses actually help us now, because we realize we weren't paying attention to the little things. Now that we are and we're seeing the results, it's helped a lot."
The Giants didn't get to Harrington as often as they wanted, especially with the Falcons playing a rookie left tackle and a second-year right tackle. But they did end up with four sacks, several pressures and took Atlanta's best receiver, tight end Alge Crumpler, out of the game. He was forced to stay in and block much of the time to help the inexperienced tackles.
"We're basically dictating to the other teams," Tuck said. "We're lining up and they know we're going to come at them."
Spagnuolo is giving them freedom within the scheme to react to situations. Tuck said that on some plays, Spagnuolo will call the pass coverage but will let his linemen decide whether to attack straight ahead or stunt. "He trusts us that much," Tuck said. "It's a great feeling to know your coach believes in you."
The Giants' defense may not look this good against elite teams, but we expect the Cowboys will be awfully wary in the rematch Nov. 11 at Giants Stadium. Don't think Tony Romo will be hanging another 45 on this group.
more in /sports/football/giants
thats all
