The New York Giants’ defense has quietly been among the best in the NFL this season. Despite the team’s 2-4 start to the campaign, the defense has been keeping games close and performing at a higher level than expected. Through the first six weeks of the season, the Giants’ defense has been the most “disruptive” in the NFL according to a new advanced statistic by Pro Football Focus.
The Giants’ defense has been the most disruptive in the NFL this season per PFF
According to PFF, the Giants have disrupted 24.37% of passing plays this season, the highest rate in the NFL. “Disruption Rate” which provides insights into a team’s ability to effectively disrupt opposing passing offenses. The metric evaluates the number of designed pass plays (excluding spikes) that do not result in a targeted pass. On 238 dropbacks faced, the Giants’ defense has disrupted 58 of them.
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Big Blue’s high disruption rate is clearly correlated to the strength of their defensive line. They entered Week 7 leading the NFL with 26 total sacks as a defense. DT Dexter Lawrence leads the team with seven sacks, which is tied for the second-most in the NFL.
Alongside Lawrence is a stable of other capable pass-rushers. Star EDGE Brian Burns has three sacks this season, as does Azeez Ojulari, and Kayvon Thibodeaux had totaled 1.5 sacks prior to his wrist injury.
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Playing quarterback against Big Blue is not easy — the trademark of every great Giants defense in franchise history. The Giants have held opposing offenses to an average of 197.7 passing yards per game this season. Their defense has also held opposing offenses to just 20.2 points per game. They rank top-10 in both statistics.
When it comes to being disruptive, few players live up to that label more than Lawrence. The 340-pound nose tackle soaks up double and triple teams, clogs rushing lanes, and gets after the quarterback at a higher rate than any player at his position.
The G-Men are building something special on defense. Staying healthy will be crucial, but there is no debating the strong play of the Giants’ defense this season. Now hopefully their offense can catch up and help them win some games.
