New York Giants DC Steve Spagnuolo Plans To Bring Back The NASCAR Package
New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo plans to bring back the NASCAR package that focuses on speed to rush the quarterback.
In 2011, en route to their second Super Bowl victory in five seasons, the New York Giants were blessed with four high-quality defensive ends. Mathias Kiwanuka, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, and Jason Pierre-Paul all had the ability and the speed to get to the quarterback and the challenge for defensive coordinator Perry Fewell was getting them all on the field.
On certain passing situations, Fewell would line up all four defensive ends on the line and let them race to the quarterback in what would be referred to as the NASCAR package. Why NASCAR?
“I thought of race horses at the Kentucky Derby and then — I’m from North Carolina — I said, ‘Hey, NASCAR.’” Fewell said.
The NASCAR package wasn’t responsible for all 48 regular season sacks, but it was definitely a change of pace for opposing quarterbacks and contributed to their success in the playoffs. It has since been emulated on a few teams across the NFL including the 2013 Seattle Seahawks.
Steve Spagnuolo said this week in an interview with NFL Draft Bible that the plan for 2016 is to bring back the famous NASCAR package.
The Giants haven’t had the talent to run a four-defensive end line in previous season, but the addition of Olivier Vernon and the return of a healthy JPP and Owa Odighizuwa makes NASCAR possible. This group of four, with one to be decided later, is not quite what the Giants had during their Super Bowl run, but still has the speed and talent to disrupt the QB.
Spagnuolo and the Giants are still trying to figure out who will make the roster as their fourth defensive end. Kerry Wynn is the veteran of the group vying for that slot and while he excels at defending the run, he struggles rushing the passer. If Ishaq Williams or Romeo Okwara can show their pass rushing ability, Wynn’s roster spot may be in jeopardy. Since Spagnuolo is intent on reinstalling the NASCAR package, he may prefer more of a pure pass rusher to plug into that system.