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Originally posted by Thomas : 2:04 pm from Big Blue Interactive
http://corner.bigblueinteractive.com/index.php?mode=2&thread=338478
I'm talking 2000 Ravens, 2002 Bucs and now the '09 Giants. The former 2 have been the premier defenses of the decade. The Ravens need no reminders, and I can't help but admire how the Bucs completely dismantled a very explosive, high-octane Raiders offense (lead by a league MVP quarterback, made to look like dog-****). You don't get there "just" by having a fantasy roster of good defensive players. You get there by piecing together parts that fit well together, and tailoring a scheme around their strengths. Those 2 got it done in different ways: The Bucs, of course, were the pure cover 2 with a Hall of Famer, in his prime, at each level of the D. But the general theme was the same - pressure (and run stopping) with the front 4, allowing an extremely physical back 7 to beat the tar out of anything that leaked through.
The Giants finally seem to have the proper balance of scheme and personnel to put a D for the ages on the field every single week. In other words, they can accomplish what they want to accomplish. For years we've heard Tom's blue-print: Stop the run on 1st down and then send the QB home in a body bag in obvious passing situations. Giants fans saw it "all come together" in the Super Bowl, when Maroney couldn't find his *** from his elbow and Brady was turned into a human pinata. But imagine if they could sustain that type of "clench" on opponents for an extended period? I believe they can, now.
I do stop short at saying "full season" because I believe some integral parts to making NY absolutely dominating are going to take several games to become acclimated and/or implemented. Specifically, I am talking about Bill Sheridan getting a comfort level as the play-caller, and Clint Sintim settling down and being a bone-crushing edge-setter at SLB. It is his run stuffing ability, as much as his pass rush ability, that made him so attractive to the Giants, IMO.
When Sintim does get comfortable (and it really shouldn't take too long with what they are asking him to do, seeing that he's been playing over the TE his entire football life), the Giants have a great chance to become dominant at Phase 1 - stuffing the run on 1st down. No disrespect to Clark, who did a yeoman's job, he was playing out of position at SLB and isn't ideally big, stout or physical for the position. Give me the "human anchor" Sintim as the prototype. With Tuck and Osi (who is a very underrated run defender) holding the edges (along with Sintim), they can "control" the run game and funnel RBs between the tackles, and into a stone wall of Canty (DAL's best run stuffer for several years)/Cofield and Pierce, Boley, Phillips and Johnson. The addition of a jacked-up Phillips into the 1st down packages will be huge - a far better run defender than Butler, IMO. He can sniff out a play and shows a lot of urgency and pop in limiting yards. (As does Johnson - who just needs to take better angles.) The Giants will almost have 5 LBs on the field during run plays - and a terrific, physical and disciplined "front 5" controlling what the offense does up front. Lots of 2nd and 11's, 3rd and 10's. NY has been a good run D for several years now, but should be even better with the upgrades at DT, SLB and run-stuffing S.
The 2 "free" LBs - Pierce and Boley - should be licking their chops, as they will go unblocked most of the year with the beastly 50 fronts the Giants will be showing on 1st down. Not many DC's are going to take a man off Canty or Tuck to get Boley blocked. Takes a page out of BALs and TBs strategies in "the years" - letting Lewis and Boulware (and Derrick Brooks) do things that are illegal in general society.
So what exactly happens when you are faced with a gaggle of 3rd and longs against a team with an endless supply of pass rushing extraordinaires? Ask Tom Brady. I'll boringly refer to it as Phase 2 - rush the passer in obvious passing situations. That's what separates this Giants team from even the Ravens or Bucs: Those teams had parts that the Giants might not, but the Giants have an advantage with their ability to line up so many great pass rushers. NFL OC's are not stupid - they will not allow their franchise QB to get steam-rolled, even if he is completing the passes. You don't win the battle to lose the war. (See Carson Palmer vs. the Giants, last year.) OC's will be forced to largely go into "live to play another day mode" with their QB. Giants will see lots of max protection, which will make it easy for an excellent secondary to cover only 1 or 2 pass routes down the field. (With perhaps a delayed RB release.) Especially now that they've acquired an Armstead-like coverage LB in Michael Boley.
I mean, they still have Corey Webster, who I thought was the best player on the team last year - and had the finest complete season I've ever seen from a Giants CB. The consistency he showed from start to finish - at a position that is almost impossible to be consistent at - was one for the ages. Now he's going to be covering guys with a ton of help behind him because there are only 2 WRs in pass routes.
Any team that foolishly tries to spread the field with WRs - and I expect the Cowboys to try - better have the smelling salts handy on the sidelines. The spreading of the field seemed to be the 1 weakness of the Ravens D that year (the Jets did some good things vs. them in the playoffs that year).
'Tis a perfect storm. My ONE reservation is Sheridan - the Ravens and the Bucs both were lead by excellent DC's. (Although is Marvin Lewis THAT good?) Spagnuolo left a year too early but hey, it's his journey. Really, can Sheridan mess this up? Could Johnnie Lynn? Could anybody? Personnel-wise, the Giants have finally overcome what has been the best way to attack them (IMO) for a long time - a power running game b/w the tackles (stick with it!) to stay in manageable 3rd down situations. And they really have been on the fringe of having a great D for several years now (always among the league leaders in rush D and sacks). Now, they have added a Keith Hamilton-clone inside (to combat the ultra-physical, 800 pound Eagle and cowboy double teams) and an Armstead in coverage.
Checkmate? It sure looks like it.
With the outdoor stadium, you hate to be too crazy with this stuff, but some interesting All-Time records are in sight: The 2000 Ravens set an NFL record allowing only 165 points. (About 10 per game.) They also set an NFL record by allowing only 970 rushing yards (about 61 per game). They did not allow a 100 yard rusher. I believe the All-Time single season team sack record is 72 by the '84 Bears.
Hopefully Giants fans can keep a relevant eye on those numbers this year - I think something special is about to happen. And if it doesn't, I'm blaming Spagnuolo.
http://corner.bigblueinteractive.com/index.php?mode=2&thread=338478
I'm talking 2000 Ravens, 2002 Bucs and now the '09 Giants. The former 2 have been the premier defenses of the decade. The Ravens need no reminders, and I can't help but admire how the Bucs completely dismantled a very explosive, high-octane Raiders offense (lead by a league MVP quarterback, made to look like dog-****). You don't get there "just" by having a fantasy roster of good defensive players. You get there by piecing together parts that fit well together, and tailoring a scheme around their strengths. Those 2 got it done in different ways: The Bucs, of course, were the pure cover 2 with a Hall of Famer, in his prime, at each level of the D. But the general theme was the same - pressure (and run stopping) with the front 4, allowing an extremely physical back 7 to beat the tar out of anything that leaked through.
The Giants finally seem to have the proper balance of scheme and personnel to put a D for the ages on the field every single week. In other words, they can accomplish what they want to accomplish. For years we've heard Tom's blue-print: Stop the run on 1st down and then send the QB home in a body bag in obvious passing situations. Giants fans saw it "all come together" in the Super Bowl, when Maroney couldn't find his *** from his elbow and Brady was turned into a human pinata. But imagine if they could sustain that type of "clench" on opponents for an extended period? I believe they can, now.
I do stop short at saying "full season" because I believe some integral parts to making NY absolutely dominating are going to take several games to become acclimated and/or implemented. Specifically, I am talking about Bill Sheridan getting a comfort level as the play-caller, and Clint Sintim settling down and being a bone-crushing edge-setter at SLB. It is his run stuffing ability, as much as his pass rush ability, that made him so attractive to the Giants, IMO.
When Sintim does get comfortable (and it really shouldn't take too long with what they are asking him to do, seeing that he's been playing over the TE his entire football life), the Giants have a great chance to become dominant at Phase 1 - stuffing the run on 1st down. No disrespect to Clark, who did a yeoman's job, he was playing out of position at SLB and isn't ideally big, stout or physical for the position. Give me the "human anchor" Sintim as the prototype. With Tuck and Osi (who is a very underrated run defender) holding the edges (along with Sintim), they can "control" the run game and funnel RBs between the tackles, and into a stone wall of Canty (DAL's best run stuffer for several years)/Cofield and Pierce, Boley, Phillips and Johnson. The addition of a jacked-up Phillips into the 1st down packages will be huge - a far better run defender than Butler, IMO. He can sniff out a play and shows a lot of urgency and pop in limiting yards. (As does Johnson - who just needs to take better angles.) The Giants will almost have 5 LBs on the field during run plays - and a terrific, physical and disciplined "front 5" controlling what the offense does up front. Lots of 2nd and 11's, 3rd and 10's. NY has been a good run D for several years now, but should be even better with the upgrades at DT, SLB and run-stuffing S.
The 2 "free" LBs - Pierce and Boley - should be licking their chops, as they will go unblocked most of the year with the beastly 50 fronts the Giants will be showing on 1st down. Not many DC's are going to take a man off Canty or Tuck to get Boley blocked. Takes a page out of BALs and TBs strategies in "the years" - letting Lewis and Boulware (and Derrick Brooks) do things that are illegal in general society.
So what exactly happens when you are faced with a gaggle of 3rd and longs against a team with an endless supply of pass rushing extraordinaires? Ask Tom Brady. I'll boringly refer to it as Phase 2 - rush the passer in obvious passing situations. That's what separates this Giants team from even the Ravens or Bucs: Those teams had parts that the Giants might not, but the Giants have an advantage with their ability to line up so many great pass rushers. NFL OC's are not stupid - they will not allow their franchise QB to get steam-rolled, even if he is completing the passes. You don't win the battle to lose the war. (See Carson Palmer vs. the Giants, last year.) OC's will be forced to largely go into "live to play another day mode" with their QB. Giants will see lots of max protection, which will make it easy for an excellent secondary to cover only 1 or 2 pass routes down the field. (With perhaps a delayed RB release.) Especially now that they've acquired an Armstead-like coverage LB in Michael Boley.
I mean, they still have Corey Webster, who I thought was the best player on the team last year - and had the finest complete season I've ever seen from a Giants CB. The consistency he showed from start to finish - at a position that is almost impossible to be consistent at - was one for the ages. Now he's going to be covering guys with a ton of help behind him because there are only 2 WRs in pass routes.
Any team that foolishly tries to spread the field with WRs - and I expect the Cowboys to try - better have the smelling salts handy on the sidelines. The spreading of the field seemed to be the 1 weakness of the Ravens D that year (the Jets did some good things vs. them in the playoffs that year).
'Tis a perfect storm. My ONE reservation is Sheridan - the Ravens and the Bucs both were lead by excellent DC's. (Although is Marvin Lewis THAT good?) Spagnuolo left a year too early but hey, it's his journey. Really, can Sheridan mess this up? Could Johnnie Lynn? Could anybody? Personnel-wise, the Giants have finally overcome what has been the best way to attack them (IMO) for a long time - a power running game b/w the tackles (stick with it!) to stay in manageable 3rd down situations. And they really have been on the fringe of having a great D for several years now (always among the league leaders in rush D and sacks). Now, they have added a Keith Hamilton-clone inside (to combat the ultra-physical, 800 pound Eagle and cowboy double teams) and an Armstead in coverage.
Checkmate? It sure looks like it.
With the outdoor stadium, you hate to be too crazy with this stuff, but some interesting All-Time records are in sight: The 2000 Ravens set an NFL record allowing only 165 points. (About 10 per game.) They also set an NFL record by allowing only 970 rushing yards (about 61 per game). They did not allow a 100 yard rusher. I believe the All-Time single season team sack record is 72 by the '84 Bears.
Hopefully Giants fans can keep a relevant eye on those numbers this year - I think something special is about to happen. And if it doesn't, I'm blaming Spagnuolo.
