The New York Giants' Week 7 historic collapse against the Broncos saw Shane Bowen's defense implode in clutch time once again. The unit allowed 33 points in the final quarter, and had no answer for Bo Nix in perhaps Big Blue's most demoralizing defeat in years.
Fans have been quick to call for Bowen's job after the dismal performance, as New York's defense has disappointed despite having lofty expectations entering the season. Even the players on the defense know the unit has to step up, as Rakeem Nunez-Roches provided a concerning admission of the unit's progress — or lack thereof — through seven weeks.
"I would say currently that’s our nature. And we have to get that out of our DNA right now,” defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches said. “We’ve done it multiple times. We’ve been in situations where we could have teams suffocated and in some way, we gave them momentum, we gave them life and we never recover from that."
It's clear even the players are now growing restless of Bowen's ineptitude.
Rakeem Nunez-Roches just said what all frustrated Giants fans were thinking
The 2-5 Giants were expected to sport one of the NFL's best defenses in 2025, but that has yet to come to fruition. The G-Men are surrendering 29.3 points per game and are ranked 29th in the NFL in total yards per game allowed, and only the Ravens, Cowboys, and Bengals have more vulnerable defenses.
The pass-rush has been as advertised, but there are some red flags flying after Brian Burns left the game and was spotted wearing a walking boot in the locker room. Meanwhile, Abdul Carter remains the Defensive Rookie of the Year Favorite, and Kayvon Thibodeaux has shined to kick off Year 4.
Nunez-Roches' words are even more perplexing because the root of the issue is obvious: it's the secondary. Big Blue signed both Jevon Holland and Paulson Adebo to big contracts this offseason, but neither has helped elevate the Giants' secondary. What's making things even worse is that fourth-year corner Cor'Dale Flott has surprisingly been the team's most productive DB.
Andru Phillips has been inconsistent, Tyler Nubin has regressed from his rookie season, and Deonte Banks has emerged as a popular trade candidate before the deadline. Bowen has never been a savant in working with the secondary, but this back-end is complete Swiss cheese.
The Giants could be 4-3 right now, but the defense managed to lose them games against both Dallas and Denver. For a unit that has no shortage of talent, it is highly concerning that the group that was expected to keep them in games has been the cause of additional heartbreak.