The Giants were projected to be a top-10 defense heading into this season, but through the first six games of the season, the group looked nothing like its promising predecessor from last year.
The defense seemingly hit bottom after an ugly 38-11 loss at home to the Rams last weekend, just a week after getting lit up for 44 points against the Cowboys. But Sunday was a day for redemption for Logan Ryan and Big Blue’s defense, which returned to last year’s form by holding the shorthanded Panthers to just three points in a much-needed victory.
“It was honestly needed,” Ryan told Moose and Maggie on Tuesday. “We needed an identity game. We needed to find a way. I’ve been talking to you guys all year about keep pushing and all that stuff and frustration. It was good, it was one game, it doesn’t mean it was the end all be all, but it showed some fight and people saw some pride, saw some urgency, and that’s what they needed to see regardless of the score.”
New York took full advantage of Carolina being without its star running back Christian McCaffrey, holding the Panthers to just 173 total yards, and just 52 in the second half. It was a dominant showing, one that led to Carolina quarterback Sam Darnold being benched in the fourth quarter.
“For it to end that way, it showed us a little bit of what we can be,” Ryan said. “It showed us a way to win. We just have to build off that…that urgency when you’re playing. It showed up on tape and I think it overwhelmed the Panthers a little bit.”
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New York came in ranked 29th against the run, but held the Panthers to just 56 rushing yards while providing suffocating defense on third down, finally showing a performance that many expected would be a regular occurrence this year.
For Ryan and the Giants, it was about simplifying their approach.
“Last year, we were very schematic, outsmart them, out-disguise-them defense, and were waiting for the right play, and the perfect this or the perfect that, and maybe we have to fix this,” Ryan said. “I said it myself, I was so worried about fixing all our problems…and my whole mindset this whole week was to mow my own lawn. Go be Logan Ryan.”
The Giants didn’t try anything new on Sunday, rather attempted to simply come out with more confidence and stop obsessing over reasons why the defense looked so much worse than it did last season. It worked wonders on Sunday, and could be the formula for future success moving forward.
“We didn’t draw a new defense,” Ryan said. “All the defenses we ran were stuff we’ve been running. I think when you execute something with more aggression, and you go and take it, you take the game from them, that’s how the results can go. It’s not always going to go that way, but we didn’t wait for the right adjustment. We went out and made it happen and made them adjust.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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