Xavier McKinney, who? Jevón Holland has apparently decided that Year 2 with the New York Giants is going to look absolutely nothing like Year 1, and through three games, the sixth-year safety is making his disappointing debut season in East Rutherford feel like a distant memory.
The 26-year-old has already intercepted three passes, forced two fumbles, recovered another, and basically transformed into a walking turnover machine. His latest interception couldn’t have come at a better time, either, picking off Titans quarterback Cam Ward in the end zone with 17 seconds left in the game to save Big Blue’s 12-7 Week 3 win over the Tennessee Titans. Not all heroes wear capes. Apparently, some wear No. 8 for the Giants.
And with Brian Burns now expected to miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL, Holland’s electric start just became more important than anyone could have imagined.
Jevón Holland suddenly looks like Giants’ most important defender without Brian Burns
It’s hard to overstate how dramatic Holland’s turnaround has been.
He finished his first season with the Giants looking like a $45 million regret, earning an uninspiring 58.4 Pro Football Focus grade and failing to resemble the difference-maker New York thought it was getting.
Three games into Year 2, there's an argument to be made that he's the best safety in football. Holland’s 91.9 overall PFF grade ranks first among 89 qualified safeties, as does his absurd 94.8 run-defense grade. His 85.8 coverage grade ranks fourth, and quarterbacks have a 22.9 passer rating when targeting him.
And then there are the takeaways.
Holland has an interception in all three games, becoming the first Giant to do so since linebacker Michael Boley back in 2012. His Week 2 outing against the Los Angeles Rams was especially ridiculous, finishing with an interception, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and eight tackles in an otherwise forgettable 28-6 loss.
He’s already produced more turnovers in three weeks than he did all of last season. If the G-Men want to remain in the playoff conversation, they need this version of Holland to be the only version they get from here on out.
Burns’ season-ending injury leaves a massive hole in a defense that has generated just one sack through three games. Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter will have to figure it out and find another gear up front, but Holland suddenly looks like the one proven playmaker New York can count on to consistently wreck things elsewhere.
Big Blue is somehow 2-1 despite losing their starting quarterback and best pass rusher in consecutive weeks. Staying competitive without either was already going to require some unexpected players to step up. Holland already has. Now they need him to keep doing it while a few others join the party.
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