As we’ve been doing for several years now, we’ll break down the Pittsburgh Steelers’ opponent each week, telling you what to expect from a scheme and individual standpoint. This year, Jonathan Heitritter and I will cover the opposing team’s defense. I will focus on the scheme, Jonathan on the players.
Today, scouting the New York Giants’ defense.
ALEX’S SCHEME REPORT
Giants’ Run Defense
On paper, the Giants’ run defense is having a tough season. They’re allowing more than 138 rushing yards per game (25th). New York has also given up a whopping 31 runs of 10-plus yards this year, tied with the Indianapolis Colts for the NFL’s most heading into Week 8.
It’s a 4-3 front with talent up front. Starts with big NT Dexter Lawrence, whom Tomlin reflected on crowding a love seat during a Pro Day meeting, and talented DE Brian Burns on the edge. He’s played a majority of the time on the offense’s right side, about 190 snaps, but has a good split with around 130 on the offense’s left, too. Lawrence doesn’t often leave the field, logging 76 percent of the team’s snaps this year. That’s the second-highest rate of his career. Burns sits at 82 percent, so these aren’t situational players.
Rookie safety Tyler Nubin leads the team with 48 tackles. LB Micah McFadden is second with 42 while Bobby Okereke, who has logged 98 percent of the defense’s snaps, is right behind with 41. Lawrence leads the way with seven total tackles for a loss. Rookie slot CB Andru Phillips has six of them, second-most of any DB this year behind the Saints’ Alontae Taylor’s seven. The Giants’ DBs are solid in run support overall with 14 tackles for a loss. By comparison, the Steelers have eight.
As you’d expect, a lot of two-gapping up front with a guy like Lawrence, and their d-tackles are on the hefty side. Just Lawrence’s run stance alone is daunting. He’ll sometimes get into a track/staggered stance in pass-rushing moments, but he’ll usually align like this, basically taking up two spaces just on his alignment.
It allows them to two-gap and play the run even out of two-high shells on run downs, something they could do plenty of tonight given their secondary injuries.
Giants will run blitz and have a quick trigger on gap schemes. But they can be weak on the edges where running away from Lawrence is wise. The Eagles ran these plays back-to-back for good gainers last week.
Some other stats. Situationally, the Giants are very good getting off the field on third down. Offenses are converting just 30.1 percent of their chances to give the Giants the third-best third-down unit. In the red zone, they’re closer to average, 13th at 53.3 percent. Still, respectable numbers.
On the year, the defense is keeping the Giants afloat. They’re the 12th-best scoring defense at 21.3 points per game, holding their opponent to or under 21 points in five of seven games this year. They’ve forced six turnovers this year, five of them being fumbles.
Giants’ Pass Defense
The group has been okay, but the secondary is hurting with multiple injuries, similar to what the New York Jets dealt with last week. They’re allowing just 179.4 passing yards per game, sixth-best in football, though that’s partially because teams have been running on them. Relative metrics are worse, the Giants allowing a 30th 71-percent completion rate and 7.3 YPA (22nd).
Where they excel are with sacks. You might not have guessed it, I wouldn’t have, but New York enters Week 8 with a league-leading 31 takedowns. Dexter Lawrence leads the team and league with nine of them, the first player in NFL history listed at 340 pounds or heavier with nine sacks in a season. And he’s not even halfway through the year. But they get their sacks from a lot of people. Twelve different Giants have at least one sack this year while eight have 1.5 or more.
DE Brian Burns has four and has a sack in three-straight games. CB Jason Pinnock has three of them this year, though none since Week 3.
However, their pressure numbers don’t match up. Despite being No. 1 in sacks, they’re just 14th in pressure rate at 24.3 percent. Their blitz rate at least falls in line at 26.3 percent.
Their pressure also isn’t taking the football away. They have just one interception this year, from a backup linebacker no less. Their line is swatting passes at the line with Brian Burns recording six deflections this year. Something to watch with a short QB like Russell Wilson.
Schematically, their primary coverage is Cover 1 Lurk on third down. They man up a ton in these passing situations though their injuries may have them re-thinking that plan against the Steelers. Still, watch for that Robber defender down low, and picks and rubs that were successful last week could work again.
They play more zone and pattern matching on early downs but overall, it’s been a high rate of man coverage.
Overall, they contain the QB well and will use some softer mush rushes to keep him in the pocket. However, when they’re in man, there can be escape lanes, especially in 3×1 formations with more Giants to one side. Watch Joe Burrow run here to the weak side of this 4×1 formation.
They defend RPOs and the screen game effectively.
Jonathan’s Individual Report
The Pittsburgh Steelers racked up yet another win last Sunday night against the Jets and will face the other New York franchise in the Giants on Monday Night Football. The Giants are 2-5 and have struggled mightily on offense while their defense ranks top 12 in the league in yards allowed and points allowed. The Giants rank sixth in the NFL against the pass while faring less well against the run, ranking 25th in the NFL.
Defensive Line
Along the defensive front for New York, everything starts with No. 97 Dexter Lawrence, who has been on a tear this season, leading the league with nine sacks. The 6-4, 340-pound Lawrence is known for being a formidable run stuffer thanks to his size and strength. He moves extremely well for his size as well, making him a handful for opposing interior offensive linemen in pass protection.
Beside Lawrence on the defensive line is No. 93 Rakeem Nuñez-Roches, who was a longtime contributor in Tampa Bay before coming over to New York last season. He’s more of an undersized yet stocky run stuffer who clogs up running lanes but doesn’t offer much as a pass rusher. Behind the starters are No. 98 D.J. Davidson, No. 94 Elijah Chatman, and No. 95 Jordan Riley with Davidson bringing the most to the table as a rotational interior rusher.
EDGE
The Giants made a splash this offseason, trading for No. 0 Brian Burns from the Carolina Panthers. The two-time Pro Bowler is a long, athletic pass rusher who has made a name for himself getting after the quarterback and already has four sacks on the season. Burns also does a great job getting his hands up in passing lanes and will look to give Pittsburgh’s offensive tackles fits on Monday night.
Opposite of Burns on the edge is No. 51 Azeez Ojulari, who was an athletic pass rusher coming out of Georgia back in 2021. The 6-3, 240-pound pass rusher does a fine job setting the edge against the run while utilizing a plethora of moves like the cross chop and dip/rip move, posting four sacks this season while stepping in for the injured Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Backing up Burns and Ojulari on the edge are No. 55 Boogie Basham, No. 57 Patrick Johnson, and No. 45 Tomon Fox, who posted a sack last week in garbage time for New York, taking down former Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett.
Linebackers
Headlining the linebacker corps for New York is No. 59 Bobby Okereke, who is in his second season with the Giants after playing his first four years with the Colts. Okereke is a tackling machine, posting over 132 total stops each of the past three seasons and has 41 total tackles so far in 2024. He does a good job coming downhill and running sideline to sideline. Okereke also has the speed and awareness to drop into coverage, posting 10 pass deflections and two interceptions just last season.
Starting beside Okereke is No. 41 Micah McFadden, who became a full-time starter for the Giants last season. McFadden is at his best when allowed to come downhill and make tackles in gaps or flow to the football unimpeded. He tends to struggle in coverage more than Okereke and could be the target of Pittsburgh’s passing game Monday night. Backing up Okereke and McFadden are No. 49 Matthew Adams, No. 53 Darius Muasau, and No. 47 Ty Summers.
Cornerbacks
The main man in the cornerback room for the Giants on the outside is No. 3 Deonte Banks, New York’s first-round pick a year ago. Banks jumped right into the starting lineup and performed admirably, posting 11 pass deflections and two interceptions while allowing just a 55.2-percent completion rate. That completion rate has jumped to 73.2 percent in 2024 with four touchdowns allowed through seven starts, making Banks a bit of feast-or-famine in what will make to be a fun matchup to watch against George Pickens.
Also starting in the secondary for New York is No. 28 Cor’Dale Flott, who injured his groin last week and is questionable for the Monday night matchup against Pittsburgh. Flott is a long corner who has the height and athletic ability to match up with bigger receivers on the outside and has shown to be a willing tackler in run support. No. 22 Andru Philips starts in the slot, and the rookie third-round pick out of Kentucky does a good job coming downhill in run support, posting six tackles for loss and a sack so far this season.
Providing depth in the secondary for New York are No. 37 Tre Hawkins, No. 44 Nick McCloud, and No. 21 Adoree’ Jackson, who was re-signed by New York at the end of the preseason but has seen only 87 snaps this season in more of a backup/rotational role after being a three-year starter with the team.
Safeties
At safety for New York, keep an eye on starters No. 31 Tyler Nubin and No. 27 Jason Pinnock. Nubin is a rookie second-round pick after being a ball hawk with the Minnesota Golden Gophers but has played closer to the box and been more of a run support presence to start his career. Pinnock plays more free safety and has good range to move around the back end of the defense, taking one of two picks last season 102 yards to the house. Still, Pinnock isn’t afraid to coming downhill, having the demeanor of a thumper with three tackles for loss and three sacks this season.
Behind Pinnock and Nubin at safety are No. 24 Dane Belton, who will see time in New York’s dime packages as a third safety, as well as No. 19 Isaiah Simmons. Simmons is a former top-10 pick but has only logged 71 defensive snaps this season and none last week. No. 23 Anthony Johnson Jr. also provides depth for New York at safety.
