tr1
November-8th-2007, 05:07 AM
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2007/11/08/2007-11-08_giants_defense_much_improved_since_dalla-2-1.html
BY RALPH VACCHIANO
The Giants left Dallas two months ago with the worst defense in the NFL, and one that was just beginning its short, downward spiral. When the Cowboys study film of that opening-night game, they will recall how easy it was to beat them.
But when they see the Giants again this Sunday, they may be in for quite a surprise.
"I think so," Giants safety Gibril Wilson said yesterday. "I think they're definitely going to know that we have gotten better."
Added defensive end Justin Tuck: "We're going to throw those first games out because that wasn't the defense that we are now."
That same Giants defense that the Cowboys torched for 45 points and 438 yards in a 45-35 loss on Sept.9 is ranked seventh in the NFL and second in the NFC. After giving up 345 passing yards to Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, the Giants have allowed fewer than 200 yards to five of the last six quarterbacks they have faced.
And perhaps most importantly as the Giants (6-2) head into their huge NFC East showdown with the Cowboys (7-1) at Giants Stadium, the pass rush that sacked Romo once on opening night has produced 28 sacks in the last six games.
"I'm sure everybody in this locker room will tell you we're a better defense than how we played in those first two games," Tuck said, referring to the Dallas game and the Giants' Week 2 defeat in which they allowed Brett Favre to pass for 286 yards and three touchdowns. "But it means nothing if we don't go out there and do it this Sunday. It's a tremendous opportunity for this defense to see exactly where we're at."
It is a tremendous challenge, too, because the Cowboys' offense appears to be just as good as it was two months ago. It is ranked second in the NFL, just behind the powerful New England Patriots. Romo is also the NFC's top-rated passer and the Cowboys are averaging 33.1 points per game.
Back on opening night, the Giants saw firsthand how good the Cowboys are. They barely got near Romo with their pass rush (Tuck had the lone sack) which gave his receivers time to run free against a battered Giants' secondary. Romo ended up throwing for those 345 yards and four touchdowns on just 15-of-24 passing - an astounding average of 23 yards per completed pass.
Of course, things were much different for the Giants that night. Michael Strahan was still shaking the sand out of his shoes from the 39 days he spent in California during his training-camp holdout. Osi Umenyiora went down in the first quarter with an injured left knee. Sam Madison was nursing a hamstring injury, and rookie Aaron Ross had yet to emerge, meaning R.W. McQuarters and Corey Webster were the Giants' starting cornerbacks. And Mathias Kiwanuka, in his first game as a linebacker, looked absolutely lost.
"We've got everybody back now," Tuck said. "Guys have been playing this defense for eight weeks, and even more than that practicing it."
"We're a lot better," added linebacker Kawika Mitchell. "We've made a lot of improvements, and we're still making them. We're comfortable with our package a little bit more, and when you're more comfortable you're more aggressive. Hopefully we can attack a little more."
That, the Giants believe, will be the key to their success. "You definitely have to have some pressure on the quarterback," Tom Coughlin said. "That's where it starts."
Of course, that's easier said than done against an offensive line that has given up only 11 sacks all year. But the Giants are more confident they will be able to do that this time around. Not only have they averaged 4.7 sacks per game during their six-game winning streak, but they have also given up an average of only 253.8 total yards. And since opening night, no opposing quarterback has even approached Romo's numbers against the Giants. In fact, the best performance of the last six weeks was by the since-benched Chad Pennington, and he only completed 21 of 36 passes for 229 yards.
"It took us a little bit, as everyone has stated, but we got to the point where we gained a little bit of confidence, we kind of settled in and we're playing a little bit better (on defense)," Coughlin said. "But obviously this will be a test."
BY RALPH VACCHIANO
The Giants left Dallas two months ago with the worst defense in the NFL, and one that was just beginning its short, downward spiral. When the Cowboys study film of that opening-night game, they will recall how easy it was to beat them.
But when they see the Giants again this Sunday, they may be in for quite a surprise.
"I think so," Giants safety Gibril Wilson said yesterday. "I think they're definitely going to know that we have gotten better."
Added defensive end Justin Tuck: "We're going to throw those first games out because that wasn't the defense that we are now."
That same Giants defense that the Cowboys torched for 45 points and 438 yards in a 45-35 loss on Sept.9 is ranked seventh in the NFL and second in the NFC. After giving up 345 passing yards to Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, the Giants have allowed fewer than 200 yards to five of the last six quarterbacks they have faced.
And perhaps most importantly as the Giants (6-2) head into their huge NFC East showdown with the Cowboys (7-1) at Giants Stadium, the pass rush that sacked Romo once on opening night has produced 28 sacks in the last six games.
"I'm sure everybody in this locker room will tell you we're a better defense than how we played in those first two games," Tuck said, referring to the Dallas game and the Giants' Week 2 defeat in which they allowed Brett Favre to pass for 286 yards and three touchdowns. "But it means nothing if we don't go out there and do it this Sunday. It's a tremendous opportunity for this defense to see exactly where we're at."
It is a tremendous challenge, too, because the Cowboys' offense appears to be just as good as it was two months ago. It is ranked second in the NFL, just behind the powerful New England Patriots. Romo is also the NFC's top-rated passer and the Cowboys are averaging 33.1 points per game.
Back on opening night, the Giants saw firsthand how good the Cowboys are. They barely got near Romo with their pass rush (Tuck had the lone sack) which gave his receivers time to run free against a battered Giants' secondary. Romo ended up throwing for those 345 yards and four touchdowns on just 15-of-24 passing - an astounding average of 23 yards per completed pass.
Of course, things were much different for the Giants that night. Michael Strahan was still shaking the sand out of his shoes from the 39 days he spent in California during his training-camp holdout. Osi Umenyiora went down in the first quarter with an injured left knee. Sam Madison was nursing a hamstring injury, and rookie Aaron Ross had yet to emerge, meaning R.W. McQuarters and Corey Webster were the Giants' starting cornerbacks. And Mathias Kiwanuka, in his first game as a linebacker, looked absolutely lost.
"We've got everybody back now," Tuck said. "Guys have been playing this defense for eight weeks, and even more than that practicing it."
"We're a lot better," added linebacker Kawika Mitchell. "We've made a lot of improvements, and we're still making them. We're comfortable with our package a little bit more, and when you're more comfortable you're more aggressive. Hopefully we can attack a little more."
That, the Giants believe, will be the key to their success. "You definitely have to have some pressure on the quarterback," Tom Coughlin said. "That's where it starts."
Of course, that's easier said than done against an offensive line that has given up only 11 sacks all year. But the Giants are more confident they will be able to do that this time around. Not only have they averaged 4.7 sacks per game during their six-game winning streak, but they have also given up an average of only 253.8 total yards. And since opening night, no opposing quarterback has even approached Romo's numbers against the Giants. In fact, the best performance of the last six weeks was by the since-benched Chad Pennington, and he only completed 21 of 36 passes for 229 yards.
"It took us a little bit, as everyone has stated, but we got to the point where we gained a little bit of confidence, we kind of settled in and we're playing a little bit better (on defense)," Coughlin said. "But obviously this will be a test."