New York Giants Defensive Coordinator Unconcerned By Secondary

New York Giants, Janoris Jenkins
Dec 2, 2018; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants cornerback Janoris Jenkins (20) reacts after the final play of the game against the Chicago Bears during overtime at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Giants haven’t had a good secondary through the first three games of the season. In fact, they’ve had one of the worst if not the worst secondary in the league, and without an incredible offensive performance from quarterback Daniel Jones on Sunday, the team would likely be 0-3, with the secondary playing a large part in that record. It’s seemed like other teams can pass on the Giants at will, and most analysts would say the secondary is the biggest cause for concern for the team.

However, defensive coordinator James Bettcher, the one calling the shots for this defense and by extension the secondary specifically, doesn’t see it as a big problem.

“Honestly, I don’t have concern, I don’t have concern about any of our players, as long as they are working the process. I think Jack is doing that, I think he is coming to practice, I saw it today, he’s diving to knock balls away, he’s competing, he’s working on fundamentals and techniques in individual, he’s all in on fixing what he needs to fix,” Bettcher said when asked about his level of concern for Janoris Jenkins, the number one cornerback right now – Jenkins, though, hasn’t played like a number one corner so far and would likely have been replaced already on a team with deeper talent at the position.

“The truth is, he’s not the only one. On some of those snaps, his technique might not have been as good as he would want it to be, but there’s maybe a rusher or two that their technique wasn’t as good, either. We’re coaching all of those guys, not just one,” added Bettcher.

It’s not necessarily the most comforting answer to hear major mistakes in the secondary excused by the fact that there’s been mistakes, but with the team sticking with Jenkins for now and not having much in the way of other options, it makes sense that the coaching staff is defending the player rather than throwing him under the bus.

How long Jenkins will last without a big improvement, however, is debatable. During week four, at least, the pressure will be immense for the secondary to at the very least, not blow the game for an offense which took major steps forward last Sunday and looks competitive.