Focus: Top 10 Most Productive Teams
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TOTAL DEFENSE
The Giants boast the #3 total defense this year… and they’ve looked every bit the part. The pass rush isn’t even the biggest story for this defense either, although at times it has been downright devastating for the opponent. No, the detail most intriguing about defensive production for the Giants is the job they’ve done in pass coverage. They are now ranked the #2 most productive secondary between the Chargers (1) and Chiefs (3). Does everyone realize why that’s so significant?
THEY HAD THE ONE OF THE WORST PASS COVERAGE TEAMS IN THE LEAGUE LAST YEAR!!
They went from #27 to #2 in one year. I guess that’s what coaching changes, significant personnel changes, minimal injuries to the secondary, and a brilliant new scheme designed to get the most out of the best players will do for you. I mean, that’s just an incredible job done by the entirety of the Giants defense to get back on track and play dominating, physical, and smart football. The increased pass rush has no doubt helped, it’s interconnected, but no shift was more dramatic than the coverage metric on defense.
Give credit to the D-line, linebackers, and safeties coming up to stop the run. Having the #8 best run defense is a huge improvement over last year. But Believe it or not, the pass rush is only ranked #15 in the league. Top half, but not as dominating as you’d think when you compare the numbers. San Francisco and Miami top the charts this year.