The New York Giants kept a Lamborghini in the garage for three weeks, at least metaphorically. In their Week 4 win over the Arizona Cardinals, defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson took it out for a spin.
After seeing his pass rush fail to produce much pressure early in the season, Wilson let the unit loose with a heavy dose of blitzes. The small tweak made a dramatic difference, helping to swing the game in Big Blue's favor.
According to Pat Leonard of New York Daily News, Wilson blitzed Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett on 53.8% of his dropbacks, up from the 32.8% rate the Giants carried into the game. The result was a 38.5% pressure rate, easily New York's best mark of the season.
Dennard Wilson showed the Giants why they hired him in Week 4 win
Depleted by injuries, the Giants needed a bit of creativity from Wilson to keep Arizona's offense under control. Brian Burns was sidelined with his ankle injury, leaving the pass rush limited.
Even when Burns was healthy earlier in the season, the G-Men had been unable to consistently generate pressure. Through the first three weeks of the year, the Giants were one of only two teams with fewer than two sacks. At 24.8%, their pressure rate was the lowest in the league, according to SumerSports.
If the players weren't going to generate pressure on their own, Wilson had to manufacture a pass rush the hard way. His creative blitzes had Brissett under fire throughout the Week 4 win, making a major difference in the result.
Brissett was sacked twice on the day and was pressured on over a third of his attempts.
Arvell Reese was used more often as a pass rusher, logging a season-high 13 pass-rush snaps, per PFF. He produced one pressure on those snaps, adding to his standout performance.
Giants could use a bit more Brian Flores in their defense
Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has long been known for his exotic blitzes and relentless pressure. He's been the most potent version of himself so far this year, blitzing far more often than any other DC. Entering Week 4, his Vikings were blitzing on 64.2% of dropbacks. The next-highest rate was 45.7%. As a result, Minnesota led the NFL in sacks with 14.
Opposing quarterbacks never know what to expect against Flores. That consistent chaos makes him one of the best defensive minds in football.
While Flores and Wilson have never been on the same coaching staff, it seems like the Giants coordinator may have been watching some Vikings film this week.
Wilson and the Giants don't need to go full-Flores to win games, but a bit more chaos could help ease the pressure on their banged-up secondary. In the coming weeks, look for more blitz packages from New York's DC, with Reese at the center of the plan.
Add us as a preferred source on Google