{"id":78645,"date":"2019-12-30T12:39:10","date_gmt":"2019-12-30T17:39:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=78645"},"modified":"2019-12-30T12:39:10","modified_gmt":"2019-12-30T17:39:10","slug":"giants-must-return-to-the-4-3-defense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2019\/12\/30\/giants-must-return-to-the-4-3-defense\/","title":{"rendered":"New York Giants Defense Must Return to a 4-3"},"content":{"rendered":"

The New York Giants <\/a>closed out a second consecutive season with more than 11 losses with their loss against the Philadelphia Eagles<\/a> on Sunday afternoon. By head coach Pat Shurmur<\/strong> was fired<\/a>, while general manager Dave Gettleman<\/strong> retained his job. Giants ownership must once again evaluate their roster and decide which players are talented enough to be part of the future. But, if John Mara<\/strong> and Steve Tisch<\/strong> are serious about restoring Big Blue’s glory days, they must make one important move. The defense must be fixed. The New York Giants defense must switch back to the 4-3 scheme next season.<\/p>\n

New York Giants Defense Must Return to a 4-3<\/h2>\n

Gettleman and defensive coordinator James Bettcher<\/strong> vowed to improve the Giants defense. But, in his first year (2018) as Giants coordinator, Bettcher’s 3-4 scheme ranked near the bottom of the league. The Giants decided to bring in players from the Arizona Cardinals<\/a> who were familiar with the coordinator’s playbook since Bettcher’s defense ranked in the top 10 for three consecutive seasons while he was with the Cardinals (2015-2017).<\/p>\n

That defensive unit was led by All-Pros Chandler Jones<\/a>, Tyrann Mathieu<\/a>,\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Patrick Peterson<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong>This Giants roster does not compare. The acquisitions of former Cardinals Markus Golden<\/a><\/strong>, Antoine Bethea<\/a><\/strong>, Olsen Pierre<\/a><\/strong>, and Deone Bucannon<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>have not paid off. Plus, the team’s reliance on Cardinals veterans has stunted the development of the team’s younger defenders.<\/p>\n

Ronde Barber<\/a><\/strong>, now an analyst for FOX, who played in a 3-4 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/strong><\/a>, told the New York Post<\/a> in November, \u201cThe structure of the defense was the same there [Cardinals] as it is right now.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s year two and you expect a lot of the players to take [a step]. To a degree they have, but they don\u2019t have the players they had there. The simplest answer is it\u2019s personnel driven.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Giants Defense Doesn’t Measure Up<\/h3>\n

Markus Golden<\/a> <\/strong>will finish this season with double-digit sacks, but he will be the only Giants defensive player with six or more sacks for the year. That’s a far cry from the rotation of defensive ends from the Coughlin era. Michael Strahan<\/a><\/strong>, Osi Umenyiora<\/a><\/strong>, Justin Tuck<\/a><\/strong>, Mathias Kiwanuka<\/a><\/strong>, and Jason Pierre-Paul <\/a><\/strong>contributed to the Giants 4-3 “NASCAR” pass rush during the last decade. For instance, Tuck and Umenyiora had double-digit sack totals during the 2007-08 Super Bowl year. Strahan, during his last season before retirement, added nine. The Giants were a terror to quarterbacks all season while running the 4-3.<\/p>\n

True, Big Blue has successfully run a 3-4 defense in its history. Bill Belichick<\/strong> ran his 3-4 scheme as Giants defensive coordinator in the ’80s and early ’90s. But those Giants defenses featured Lawrence Taylor<\/a><\/strong>, Harry Carson<\/a><\/strong>, Carl Banks<\/a><\/strong>, and Pepper Johnson<\/a><\/strong>, among others. The current Big Blue linebackers are not Pro-Bowl caliber and the organization has failed to develop their next “LT.” But the good news is there’s enough talent for the core of a solid defense, with upgrades. Dexter Lawrence<\/a><\/strong>, Dalvin Tomlinson<\/a><\/strong>, Oshane Ximines<\/a><\/strong>, and Lorenzo Carter<\/a> <\/strong>would benefit from playing in a 4-3 scheme.<\/p>\n

The Best Formation<\/h3>\n

When the Giants traded Olivier Vernon<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>to the Browns in the off-season, they pinned their pass rush hopes on second-year defensive lineman Lorenzo Carter<\/a><\/strong>. In Bettcher’s 3-4, Carter plays weak-side linebacker as an edge rusher. But in 2019 he had only 4.5 sacks.<\/p>\n

SI.com<\/a> wrote in October, “at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Carter sure looks the part of an edge rusher, but he\u2019s missing three crucial outside linebacker skills: He has no bull rush, he cannot bend the corner, and he\u2019s not physical.” Bart Scott<\/a><\/strong>, the former Baltimore Ravens<\/a> linebacker and current broadcaster on WFAN, compared Carter to Minnesota Vikings<\/a> linebacker Anthony Barr<\/a><\/strong>. In a revamped 4-3 scheme, Carter could be a more effective “WILL” linebacker and won’t be a liability in coverage. The remaining starting linebackers should be Ryan Connelly<\/a><\/strong> at middle linebacker, and Golden as the “SAM” linebacker.<\/p>\n

Upfront Dexter Lawrence<\/a><\/strong> and Dalvin Tomlinson<\/a> <\/strong>have the potential to make a dynamic defensive tackle duo. Between them, they had six sacks and can shut down the running game. Oshane Ximines<\/a><\/strong> should be allowed to compete for a starting defensive end spot during next year’s training camp. Ximines played the position at Old Dominion and had 11.5 sacks as a senior. This season, he had 4.5 sacks as a Giants situational pass rusher. Dave Gettleman may have acquired former Jets defensive lineman Leonard Williams<\/a><\/strong> to be a foundation piece of the defense, but he’s not a game changer. The Giants should allow Williams to become a free agent.<\/p>\n

Big Ticket Item<\/h3>\n

With their win over the Washington Redskins<\/a> in Week 16, the Giants most likely lost the chance to draft Ohio State defensive end Chase Young.<\/strong> As a result, Big Blue should use a portion of its estimated $63 million in cap space to acquire a dominant edge rusher. The free agents to watch in the off-season are Jadeveon Clowney<\/a><\/strong>, Shaquil Barrett<\/a><\/strong>, and Yannick Ngakoue<\/a><\/b>.<\/p>\n

A revamped front seven would take pressure off of the Giants young secondary. But between Jabrill Peppers<\/a><\/strong>, Julian Love<\/a><\/strong>, Corey Ballentine<\/a><\/strong>, Deandre Baker<\/a><\/strong>, and Sam Beal<\/a><\/strong>, there’s the start of the next Legion of Boom. The New York Giants returning to a 4-3 scheme next season could help that unit improve.<\/p>\n

Main Photo<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>