Big Blue View
The common assumption with regards to the New York Giants and their looming Week 1 game against the Washington Commanders is that they’ll have to be led by their defense.
The Giants’ offense is expected to be better than it was in 2024, but the general consensus is that they’ll need their defense to keep games close against the talented offenses they’ll face this year. That puts the onus on defensive coordinator Shane Bowen to get the most out of his defense and put them in position to play up to their (considerable) upside.
That stats week one with Jayden Daniels and confronting the challenges presented by his ability as both a passer and a runner.
There are few quarterbacks in the NFL with a skillset similar to Jayden Daniels. Not only is he an electric athlete, but he’s a precision passer. He might not quite have the raw athleticism or arm strength of Lamar Jackson, but he’s able to operate at that level.
Daniels’ ability to be a true dual threat puts a tremendous amount of stress on a defense. Opposing teams have to account for the quarterback as an offensive threat on every play.
“I mean, it’s a really good offense,” Bowen said. “I think the playmakers they have, the scheme causes issues, it’s 11-on-11 football every single play. It’s a fine line.”
The Giants should have one of the most dangerous pass rushes in the NFL this year, perhaps even the league’s best pass rush. Daniels’ athleticism, however can make reckless rushing dangerous. The Giants can certainly still pressure him, but they’ll need to be disciplined in their rushes. They can’t give him easy escape routes while generating their pressure.
“We’ve got to be able to rush the guy, but we’ve got to make sure we’re coordinated, we’re all on the same page, we’re executing and not leaving big creases, easy edges for him where he can just take off and get vertical on us,” he added. “That’s the biggest thing. When he has the lane and can get vertical, he’s a tough tackle in space, tough to bring down with just one guy. So I think it just goes back to our rush coordination, making sure we’re coordinated, understanding how the guy next to me is rushing, how it all ties together where we can hopefully minimize and shrink some of those windows. Like, you rush four. There’s six gaps, right? Just by a number count, there’s going to be a couple of places where he can escape if he needs to. We just have to make sure we do a good job of constricting those spaces where it’s not inviting for him.”
The Giants are certainly cognizant of Daniels’ ability, as well as the threat posed by Terry McLaurin. Limiting Washington’s ability to generate yards on the ground, however, will be key to the Giants’ success. And while the Giants won’t have to deal with former starting RB Brian...
