Back in August, coming off a 6-10 year where the playoffs were a possibility until the end of Game 256, no one in the Giants locker room thought 2021 would end with a 4-13 record, six straight losses, and another early-January exit day.
“Definitely not the expectation, but for a lot of reasons, it didn’t go our way,” defensive back Logan Ryan said shortly after Sunday’s final whistle.
Ryan isn’t used to losing, as he won four AFC East titles and two Super Bowls with the Patriots from 2013-16, then went to Tennessee and went 9-7 all three seasons he was there, making two playoff appearances and reaching the AFC Championship Game in 2019.
Suffice to say, a 10-23 record in New York isn’t what he expected, but it is a learning experience.
“I haven’t been in this position before, but that’s a good thing, because I’m learning the other side of the spectrum and trying to get some meaning in between,” he said. “I've been in Super Bowls years ago, who cares? Now, playing a game out of playoff contention, it's different. I think at least it gives me perspective on both sides of it and I think a lot to learn from this season.”
The Giants’ offense has been less than stellar the last two seasons but especially in 2021, and when thinking about how the defense has carried Big Blue at times, Ryan pointed to the 2017 Jacksonville Jaguars, who lost twice to Ryan’s Titans but still won the AFC South and went all the way to the AFC Championship Game on the strength of Leonard Fournette and a dominant defense.
“There have been teams that won that way, we just weren’t dominant enough to do it this year. Obviously, with all the injuries on offense – quarterback, a lot of skill players, half the line – you’re not going to have the production you predicted, and weren’t going to be the highest-scoring team. But I’ve seen it happen with Jacksonville; you’ve just got to find a good way to win; with everything going on this year, we just didn't get our rhythm and didn't find our way to win soon enough this year.”
That Jacksonville team had a strong secondary led by corners Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye – who combined for 10 picks and 35 passes defensed – but they also had a great edge rush, as defensive ends Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue combined for 26.5 sacks, 53 QB hits, and nine forced fumbles.
That D also had a strong linebacking corps – Myles Jack, Telvin Smith, and Paul Posluszny had 253 tackles between them – as well, so it was solid at all three levels. The Giants’ secondary has been strong and their interior line was too, but the pass rush just wasn’t there at times.
Ryan, though, thinks it can get much better just with the team as is.
“Azeez Ojulari has been a good addition to our team, and we’ll need Blake Martinez to be a huge piece of what we do,” Ryan said. “When you lose players like Blake and Pep (Jabrill Peppers), our defense changes. We have to run it differently and that's just adjusting throughout.”
Related
Ryan thinks, though, that those forced to step in stepped up, notably a few later additions who came in and quickly got up to speed to try to keep the defense rolling.
“Tae Crowder had to step up this year, but we kind of got a lot of other guys in that other linebacker position through addition,” Ryan said. “Jaylon Smith has been here a month, B-Mac (Bernardrick McKinney) has been here two months, Reggie Ragland has been in the first year of our scheme. In order to be that type of defense, you need your key players on the field.
Unfortunately, when we had some of those injuries, it just changed what we had to do. We've got to figure out a way faster to get on the same page so we could be a dominant defense. I do think we have personnel to be that, and we're going to have a high pick in the draft or so, some high picks in the draft, obviously.”
So, if the skill players return, Saquon Barkley can be a franchise back again, and the offense can be functional, can Big Blue get back to their hallmark of being a top-notch defense and become a contender?
“I do think that you can try to win that way,” he said. “All I can control is when I'm on the field and that's predominantly on defense, so that's what I care about.”
Related
And that caring never stops, even as the Giants head into the offseason, because the work never stops. Maybe it takes a detour here and there, but at this point, Ryan wants to lead by example.
“That’s just understood – guys don’t work as hard as we do for performances like we had,” Ryan said. “At this point, this is my livelihood, and I try to stay in shape all year; yeah, you’ll see me at Disney World with my family off my diet, but for the most part I’m in it and I stay in it. I’ll be training next week with a chip on my shoulder, and hopefully be in a position to lead again.”
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch