The New York Giants haven’t performed particularly well three weeks into the 2020 season, especially their offense, who have only scored 35 points compared to the Rams, who have posted 89 points. Their week four matchup will be problematic on several fronts, but the Giants can continue to rely on some of their players, who have undoubtedly showed up this year and have performed well.
The Giants’ star through three weeks has been James Bradberry, former Carolina cornerback who signed a three-year deal with the team this past off-season. Bradberry, who had an impressive week two performance against Chicago Bears, where he recorded one interception and forced another, has been the star on defense.
“He’s been very productive on the ball, he’s been very steady, very reliable,” defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson said. “There are areas where he has to get better as well. But he’s been very productive on the ball. He’s done a good job there.”
It is no surprise that the second-best player for the Giants so far is another free agent signing in Blake Martinez. With Green Bay, Martinez was known for his ability to rack up tackles and stop the run, and he has done just after the Giants so far this season. He has 30 combine tackles with four tackles for a loss and two sacks. He has only missed one tackle, after posting a 10.4% missed tackle rate in 2019.
In addition, Martinez has been mainly taken out of coverage, allowing five completions over nine targets for a 55.6% completion rate. The Giants are utilizing him exactly how he should be, close to the line of scrimmage and playing dominant football against the run.
According to PFF, Blake currently has a 76.4 overall grade, ranking fifth in solo tackles with 22. Compared to 2019, he had a 58.9 grade, indicating an impressive step forward in his effectiveness.
Thankfully, Leonard Williams has been playing well so far for the Giants. He signed the franchise tag, worth $16.1 million this off-season. Of course, we can battle in the debate of Williams, who general manager Dave Gettleman traded a third and fifth-round pick for from the New York Jets. However, he has played up to expectations so far, but he hasn’t been a Pro Bowl level player.
Through three weeks, Williams has 13 combined tackles, four tackles for a loss, four quarterback hits, and two sacks. While those numbers don’t suggest he has been above average, he has consistently gotten into opposing offenses back-fields and put six total pressures on quarterbacks.
He has already quadrupled his sack production from 2019, which is a good sign in his development as a pass rusher. He’s also been solid against the run, but offenses have utilized outside zone blocking schemes and sweep plays to get away from the Giants’ strong interior defensive line.
This post was published on 2020-10-03 10:45
