The New York Giants were always known for a brutal, punishing defensive that knew how to finish. Simply put…they sacked the Quarterback. They made Quarterbacks across the league pay for coming to the East Rutherford on Sundays. Their was a cast of characters that struck fear into Quarterbacks over the years.
Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks, Leonard Marshall, George Martin, Keith Hamilton, Michael Strahan, Jessie Armstead, Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre Paul, Mathias Kiwanuka, Osi Umenyiora.
Now the game has changed and the QB’s are protected at all costs by the NFL. The physicality has all but been removed from the game. However, teams throw the ball more than ever, defensives bring pressure from everywhere. There are more opportunities in 2024 to cause havoc if you have the right players and the right scheme. But that does not change the fact that for the last 10 years the Giants can not sack the QB when the team needs a stop. The “sack” still changes the game.
The Giants need to upgrade the pass rush in 2024. As you can see it doesn’t have to be done with one big splash in FA or in the draft, but this team can not rely upon Kayvon Thibodeaux only. Hopefully a new Defensive Coordinator will let KT loose and push him to reach his potential, but the bigger picture remains: This team needs 3 or 4 guys who can be situational, play the run and get after it. The Giants have ranked at the bottom half of the NFL for a decade.
Key Free Agents: Danielle Hunter(Vikings), Andrew Van Ginkel(Dolphins), Mike Danna(KC), DJ Wonnum(Vikings)
Sacks per game rank
- 2023 – Rank 28th
- 2021 – Rank 21st
- 2022 – Rank 22nd
- 2020 – Rank 12th (Leo, Martinez, Dex, DT, Fackrell = 27 sacks)
- 2019 – Rank 21st
- 2018 – Rank 31st
- 2017 – Rank 30st
- 2016 – Rank 11th (JPP, Collins, Hankins, OV = 24 sacks)
- 2015 – Rank 30th
- 2014 – Rank 4th (JPP, Hankins, Moore, Kennard, Ayers = 35 sacks)