Ralph Vacchiano
NFC East Reporter
When Kayvon Thibodeaux stepped to the podium after a practice last month, he made a bold proclamation. At first, it sounded like he was kidding.
But on second thought, maybe not.
“I’m going for the record — so don’t ask,” he said with a smile. “Every year I’m here, I’m going for Michael Strahan’s record.”
That NFL record — 22 ½ sacks from Strahan back in 2001 (and tied by Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt in 2021) — would certainly be a lofty goal and quite an achievement. Thibodeaux had 11 ½ sacks last year in his second NFL season. No New York Giants pass rusher has had more than that since Jason Pierre-Paul had 12 ½ back in 2014.
But goals — and perhaps production — like that may be exactly what the Giants need this season, as they switch from the creative, blitz-happy defense of former coordinator Wink Martindale to the more traditional approach of his replacement, Shane Bowen. Martindale brought pressure from everywhere, hoping to keep opposing quarterbacks and offenses confused.
Under Bowen, there will be no mystery about it. The Giants bolstered their pass rush with the addition of Brian Burns to a front wall that includes Thibodeaux and All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. That’s a formidable start to a pass rush. And it’s why Bowen wants — in fact, he needs — the pressure to come from the Giants’ front four.
“I hope it’s a big strength for us,” Bowen said recently. “We’ve got guys up there. We’ve got resources up there. And those guys, I’m expecting big things from them. And we are going to demand big things from them. Hopefully, they can play off each other. I think they complement each other in terms of what they do well. I’m going to have high standards for that group.”
There’s no choice, because the front four is everything to the pass rush in Bowen’s scheme. “I mean, you guys know the stats,” he said, “just in terms of blitz rate, what it was here compared to…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/front-loaded-giants-happily-putting-heavy-pressure-four-man-line
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Publish date : 2024-06-03 17:11:42
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