Pride of Detroit
Through 11 weeks of the season, the Detroit Lions find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to the NFC playoffs. It’s not a spot they could have anticipated finding themselves in, but there’s still time for them to figure out what it will take to get back into the playoff picture and chase their goal of winning a Super Bowl.
This week, we had the pleasure of connecting with Edward Valentine of Big Blue View to give us some insight into a New York Giants football team that’s going through changes. We got some insight into the makeup of this football team now that an interim head coach is running the show, who’s left to make a difference on offense now that their rookie quarterback is set to return, and much more in the lead up to this Week 12 matchup.
The Giants decided to relieve Brian Daboll of his duties as head coach after a 2-8 start this season. What’s your read on the team in wake of that decision, and how do you feel they responded to interim head coach Mike Kafka last week against the Packers? After losing four games where the team held a fourth quarter lead, is it fair to characterize them as a group that just hasn’t learned how to close out games?
Players have all been complimentary of the work Kafka has done so far. They say he has brought energy and a good message. They played hard on Sunday against the Packers, they just weren’t good enough to win.
Yes, it is fair to characterize them as a team that doesn’t know how to win. That is particularly true on the defensive side. The offense fights, scraps, and claws and on a week-to-week basis over performs what you would expect it to be capable of without Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo. The defense has vastly under-performed expectations all season.
The defensive front for the Giants is an impressive group of talent. Brian Burns (37 pressures), Abdul Carter (35), and Kayvon Thibodeaux (32) are among the top-31 edge defenders in pressures according to PFF. Dexter Lawrence is t-10th in pass-rush win rate (14.2%) among interior defenders.
Interestingly enough, the Giants rank just 23rd in pressure rate (33.2%) according to NFL Pro, and their pass defense ranks 20th in DVOA. While the individual numbers of the Giants best pass rushers are impressive, why do these other metrics suggest they’re below average in stopping the pass as a unit? Should they be blitzing more than they do? They’re pretty middle of the road when it comes to blitz rate (25.9%) according to NFL Pro.
*Pressures are all well and good, but aside from Brian Burns, no one in the front is actually MAKING PLAYS. Carter and Lawrence each have a half-sack. Thibodeaux has 2.5. The secondary is terrible. No one seems capable of making a play on the ball. Even when guys are covered, they find ways to catch the ball. The...
