4 reasons NY Giants fans can start Super Bowl dreaming
By James Nolan
2. The Giants defense is cooking
Wink Martindale has this Giants defense playing at a very high level right now, and they are starting to see things click. Dexter Lawrence has been flat out dominant, and he will be looking to bring the pressure on Hurts this weekend. The defensive line has been getting reinforcments as of late, and a healthy Leonard Williams and Azeez Ojulari will for sure bring the pressure as well.
Another huge factor for the Giants this postseason is the return of Xavier McKinney. How important is McKinney? Well, in the games Mckinney has missed, New York went 2-5-1 this season. When their leader is on the field, their record is 7-2. He missed both regular season games against Philadelphia.
It’s clear as daylight this defense is 10 times better when the 23-year-old defensive back is playing. The Giants are going to need more than just him to show up though. They need the pass-rushers to show up big time. This includes Kayvon Thibodeaux, who has looked outstanding during the second half of the season.
Kayvon Thibodeaux believes that his football knowledge is underrated:
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) January 18, 2023
"My personality is so big and because I'm gregarious, it makes people uncertain about my intellect. That next level of what it takes to be great...that's what keeps me going." pic.twitter.com/DqXFVGmPuc
The defense needs to show up. They haven’t been healthy all together at any point in the regular season, but they’re at full strength now. Martindale has done a great job with this unit, and they’re elite in one very important area of the game.
In the regular season, New York was the fifth-ranked defense on third down, which is obviously the most important down in football. If the Giants can do what they’ve done all year on defense and the stars make impacts, then they should be able to continue their path to a Super Bowl. They have a great chance of making it happen.