The news came out on Tuesday that New York Giants strong safety Jabrill Peppers tore his ACL in Week 7 against the Carolina Panthers. Unfortunately for the 26-year-old Michigan alumnus, this injury may be the nail in the coffin to Jabrill Peppers Giants tenure.
This is the second time in three seasons that Peppers has ended his season on an injury with the Giants. To be fair, Peppers only had one true good season in a Big Blue uniform since being acquired from Cleveland. His contract expires after the season, which could hint at the Giants being reluctant to retain him.
Latest Jabrill Peppers Injury Might Seal His Fate
Traded to New York
2019
The Giants acquired Jabrill Peppers along with a 2019 first-round pick and a 2019 third-round pick in exchange for star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Peppers played strong safety for the Giants in 2019, replacing former second-round pick Landon Collins.
The Giants defense ranked 25th in the league in 2019. The unit lacked the ability to make plays and create turnovers. James Bettcher used Peppers as a box safety and in coverage on multiple outings. In Weeks 4 and 5, Peppers caused two key turnovers. He intercepted then Washington Football Team rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins for a pick-six and forced a Dalvin Cook fumble in the red zone against the Minnesota Vikings.
He also forced a Randall Cobb fumble in Week 9 against the Dallas Cowboys. To many, his playmaking ability earlier in the year overshadowed his inconsistent play. After Week 12 against the Chicago Bears, the Giants put Peppers on season-ending injured reserve with a transverse process fracture.
Peppers finished the year with 11 games started, 76 tackles, five tackles for a loss, five passes defended, one interception, three forced fumbles, two quarterback hits, and six quarterback pressures.
2020
After an average season for Jabrill Peppers, in which he was injured, he rebounded in 2020. Patrick Graham’s defense played above expectations and ranked 10th in the league. Compared to past years with other defensive coordinators, Peppers’ talent and versatility were put on full display.
On 912 defensive snaps, Peppers spent 383 in the box, 264 as the slot cornerback, 143 as the free safety, and 44 as the boundary cornerback. Along with Blake Martinez, Dalvin Tomlinson, Leonard Williams, and many other defensive chess pieces, Peppers played a big factor in stopping the opposing rushing attack. The Giants defense ranked 10th in the NFL in 2020 in that category.
Peppers finished 2020 playing in 15 games, accumulating 91 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, one interception, one forced fumble, eleven pass deflections, 2.5 sacks, four quarterback hits, and seven pressures. He did not play horrifically in coverage either, giving up 45 completions on 69 targets, and allowing two scores and a passer rating of 88.9. The Giants predominantly played in a zone defense, which limited explosive plays and yards after catch.
2021
Many expected the Giants to capitalize off what the defensive unit did in 2020. But through Week 7, it has not worked out as planned. The Giants defense ranks 20th in the league overall and 14th in pass defense and 24th in run defense.
Prior to his injury, Peppers was experiencing a down year. During the first few weeks of the season, Patrick Graham placed Peppers in coverage against linebackers and running backs. Unfortunately, he struggled, despite having speed.
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The Giants defense suffered another loss in Week 3 when linebacker Blake Martinez tore his ACL. Being built like an undersized tackling and big-hitting linebacker, it took multiple weeks for Graham to properly place Peppers in the box. Not to mention, Peppers’ snap count started fluctuating, foreshadowing the Giants potentially phasing him out of the defense.
In the defense’s best performance of the year against the Panthers in Week 7, Peppers worked a lot from the box. He accumulated five tackles, one sack, one tackle for a loss, and a quarterback hit.
Prior to his injury this season, Peppers played in six games, racking up 30 tackles, two tackles for a loss, one pass deflection, a sack, four quarterback hits, and five pressures. When utilized in coverage, Peppers allowed 20 completions on 23 targets, and 266 yards, one touchdown, and a passer rating of 122.1.
Overview
Jabrill Peppers’ tenure as a New York Giant has been a mixed bag, to say the least. And two of his seasons have now ended in injuries, in addition to him missing some games in 2020 due to injuries.
If Peppers did not tear his ACL, the Giants likely would have moved on from him anyway. His snap count and misusage on defense showed his time with Big Blue were coming to an end. Now it seems even closer to being a certainty.
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