Throughout the summer, the New York Giants held an open competition for their starting cornerback job opposite Deonte Banks. Concern grew over the team’s defensive lineup as their secondary clearly had some holes to fill. Following their Week 1 letdown, the concern has been maximized, and confusion now surrounds the team’s coaching staff after they made an inexplicable personnel decision in the secondary.
The Giants made a strange decision in the secondary against the Vikings
Third-year cornerback Cor’Dale Flott was the leading man for the starting outside cornerback job this summer and spent the majority of training camp competing for the position. Flott spent the majority of his first two seasons as a nickel cornerback, but made the transition to the boundary this summer. Or so we thought.
In Week 1, Flott primarily played in the slot, despite practicing on the outside all summer. This cut into rookie nickel cornerback Dru Phillips’ playing time and also phased versatile linebacker/nickel cornerback Isaiah Simmons out of the lineup.
Phillips played well in the team’s Week 1 matchup — when he was on the field. He forced a fumble and totaled four tackles, including one tackle for loss in the contest. However, he played only 16 snaps on Sunday, good for just 29% of the defense’s total plays. Dan Duggan of The Athletic pointed out that Phillips “was relegated to only playing in the dime package on third downs.” He only played as much as he did because of an injury in the secondary.
Meanwhile, Flott played 67% of the defense’s snaps (37 total) and racked up three tackles. He was mostly a non-factor on Sunday despite being thrust into the starting nickel cornerback position for the majority of the game.
Flott spent all summer practicing outside. The Giants’ decision to start him in the slot in Week 1 was inexplicable. Head coach Brian Daboll told reporters on Monday that Flott “probably” will play more outside cornerback going forward.
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Where was Isaiah Simmons in Week 1?
Flott’s usage in the nickel came at the expense of not only Phillips, but also Simmons, who the Giants re-signed this offseason and transitioned into the slot. Simmons primarily played linebacker and safety for the G-Men last season, but he is as versatile as they come, and this summer, the Giants moved him inside to play nickel cornerback.
Last season, Simmons played 33% of the Giants’ defensive snaps, appearing in all 17 games and making four starts. He totaled 50 combined tackles, two tackles for loss, three pass defenses, and one interception (a pick-six). He was an effective player and was expected to play a bigger role this season. However, he was nowhere to be found in Week 1.
In Week 1, Simmons did not log a single defensive snap. He was on the field for 75% of the Giants’ special teams snaps, but was removed from the defensive unit for an unknown reason. Simmons is an impactful player when he sees the field, and his lack of usage in Week 1 is yet another inexplicable personnel decision that the Giants’ coaching staff made.
