The New York Giants are installing a new defensive scheme this season with new DC Shane Bowen taking over. Bowen was hired earlier this offseason following the resignation of Wink Martindale and has since made quite an impression on his players.
Giants LB Bobby Okereke sings new DC Shane Bowen’s praises
Linebacker Bobby Okereke spoke highly of Bowen while meeting with the media on Thursday following the Giants’ seventh training camp practice of the summer:
“He’s very detailed,” Okereke said per the official transcript on Giants.com. “He’s dogmatic. He’ll coach anybody, from (outside linebacker) (Brian) Burns to (defensive lineman) Dex (Dexter Lawrence II) to me. He’ll hold anybody accountable, and I think that’ll be a strength of our defense.”
The Giants are still getting the hang of the new defensive system as Bowen installs the schematics at camp. The process hasn’t been easy, but Okereke says that he and his teammates are acclimating:
“Yeah, getting a little more comfortable, starting to figure out where we can play with a little more instincts, a little more freedom. So, I think (Defensive Coordinator) Shane’s (Bowen) doing a great job. We’re all acclimating pretty well.”
Finding comfort in the system seemed to be an issue for some of Big Blue’s defenders last season. The Giants’ defense finished the 2023-24 campaign strong, but got off to a weak start which ultimately dug the team in a hole. Martindale’s defense is notoriously complex, so Bowen’s more simplified and conservative defensive approach seems to be a welcomed change.
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The Giants expect big things from Okereke and Bowen in 2024-25
Okereke was a Pro Bowl (and maybe even an All-Pro) snub last season. In his first season with Big Blue, Okereke totaled 149 combined tackles, career-highs with 11 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and two interceptions, and was on the field for 100% of the Giants’ defensive snaps last season (1,128).
Entering his second season in New York, Okereke is viewed as one of the Giants’ top defensive players. His contributions in both run and pass defense make him a valuable player as he captains the defense.
As for Bowen, the new defensive coordinator is aiming to get his unit off to a hot start this season:
“New is over,” Bowen told reporters during mandatory minicamp (h/t Giants.com). “I don’t want to hear new no more. It’s not new anymore. We are still figuring it out and we’re learning every single day and it’s been great work this spring seeing things, but the Giants’ defense is going to continue to evolve based on our personnel and what our guys do best.”
Bowen was the Tennessee Titans’ defensive coordinator from 2021 to 2023. He’s 37 years old and has been coaching at the NFL level since 2016. His defense in Tennessee ranked tied for 17th in the NFL in 2023. From 2021 through 2022, opponents averaged a league-low 80.7 rushing yards per game (2,745 total) against the Titans.
Bowen’s prominent run defense was one of the leading reasons why Giants head coach Brian Daboll chose to hire him this offseason. Combining his strong run-defending scheme with Okereke’s prominence in the middle of the field should create a stingy Giants defense for the opposition this season.
