It’s better to act now than later.
This is the mindset of the Giants’ coaching staff, an almost entirely new group assembling a unit with only a few starting spots and rotational roles up for grabs. Let the struggles start now. Let the potential weaknesses and issues show now.
Make mistakes in practice and during games that do not matter. The Giants have a healthy defense, which is a big difference from the depleted offense. This allows for broader assessment of what players can do and cannot do.
Do not be afraid to get defensively sloppy so that you can make the corrective steps before the real thing happens.
“I’d rather have them have chances in the preseason to feel that stress and how they finish that play than the first time it happens is the regular season,’’ defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson told The Post.
There is so much focus on what the Giants are not doing on offense — Daniel Jones’ up-and-down training camp learning a new system, Kenny Golladay’s sluggishness, Kadarius Toney’s physical ailments — that at times, the state of the defense feels like a back-burner priority. It is not.
A spate of injuries at the center and guard positions has the Giants looking at a facsimile offensive line for Sunday night’s preseason game against the Bengals at MetLife Stadium. Brian Daboll, head coach, acknowledged that this could change his original plans to play Jones and other starters in Sunday’s preseason opener against the Patriots. Daboll may decide to have Jones, Saquon barkley and other offensive players sit out this game.
Zac Taylor, Bengals coach said that he doesn’t expect to use his starters in this match. Any work the Giants first-teams do will be against Bengals backers. No Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase challenging the Giants’ secondary.
This is a vital time for several Giants defensive players, as many of them are holdovers from the previous coaching regime and are acclimating to new coordinator Wink Martindale’s far more aggressive scheme. The starting defense is set at safety with Xavier McKinney and Julian Love, and at one cornerback spot with Adoree’ Jackson. Darnay Sherlock, who has been a turnover-producing player this summer, appears to have secured the slot corner job. It is at the second beginning perimeter cornerback spot that things get dicey.
Aaron Robinson is trying fill the void left by James Bradberry’s salary cap-induced decision. A third-round pick in 2021 — the Giants actually traded up five slots to get him — Robinson’s development as a rookie was stalled by a core muscle injury. Robinson was expected to begin his NFL career as a nickel corner, but the new coaching staff has him working on the outside. Robinson has had some bad days and good days in practice. He gave up a touchdown, committed a penalty in end zone, and was flagged for taunting after he broke apart a pass play.
“First of all, he’s had a tremendous camp,’’ Martindale said. “You know, there were some 50/50 balls. The penalty, I mean you can’t have a penalty down there in the red zone. You can’t have a lack of communication, because that’s just kryptonite to your red-zone defense or your two-minute defense in any of those situations.
“Because if you go out there, especially out there when you’re out there on the island, you lose your technique and fundamentals, this league will find them. And that was a great experience for him in that situation being on the outside.’’
Leonard Williams will not be available for the start defense, but the remainder of the unit should be. This group has sometimes fought with its offensive counterparts in training camp. Martindale has not yet unleashed the pass rush pressure he is sure to save for the Titans in their Sept. 11 regular season opener. The first priority is to figure out if Robinson is able to handle a starting job. The second and third cornerbacks and safety are also important.
At corner, rookie third-round draft pick Cor’Dale Flott’s progress has been slowed by injuries — the same with second-year Rodarius Williams — and rookies Darren Evans and Zyon Gilbert are in the mix. At safety, fourth-round pick Dane Belton’s progress has been slowed by injury, and veteran Andrew Adams and rookies Trent Thompson and Yusuf Corker are in the mix.
“A lot of young unproven guys,’’ Love said. “That doesn’t mean that we have any lack of talent, I think we’re a talented group.’’
Read the full article here
