The New York Giants entered the 2024 NFL season with high hopes for their revamped pass rush. With the offseason acquisition of Brian Burns, the continued development of Kayvon Thibodeaux, and the dominant presence of Dexter Lawrence in the middle, expectations were sky-high.
On paper, the Giants’ defensive line promised a relentless assault on opposing quarterbacks. However, their Week 1 debut against the Minnesota Vikings was a sobering reminder that talent alone does not guarantee success.
Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns fell well short of expectations
On Sunday, the Giants’ defense struggled to deliver the kind of performance that had been anticipated.
They managed only one sack on Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, which came from Lawrence on the Vikings’ second offensive play. The rest of the game saw little pressure, with the defense recording just two quarterback hits overall.
Big Blue’s pass-rush duo of Burns and Thibodeaux, touted as potentially one of the best in the league, was handled with surprising ease by Minnesota’s offensive line. The Vikings’ front five kept both pass rushers at bay, allowing Darnold to operate comfortably.
Thibodeaux, who had displayed significant potential in his first two seasons, was notably absent on the field. The former No. 5 overall pick failed to record any tackles and managed just one quarterback hit. His performance was so underwhelming that he was temporarily benched in the third quarter in favor of Azeez Ojulari.
Thibodeaux was overpowered so much in one-on-one situations that the referees mistakenly believed he was being held. To make matters worse, his performance was further compromised by a brutal third-down face-mask penalty that kept a Vikings drive alive and eventually led to a score.
Burns was expected to be a game-changer for the Giants. However, his debut was far from stellar. Against the Vikings’ offensive line, Burns was largely neutralized. While Burns seemed a little more effective than Thibodeaux with four total tackles, he only managed a single pressure on Darnold.
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The Giants’ defensive line falters without Dexter Lawrence in the lineup
Compounding the Giants’ woes was their performance against the run when Lawrence was off the field. Vikings’ running back Aaron Jones took full advantage of Lawrence’s absence, exploiting the Giants’ defensive line with ease. Jones finished the contest with 94 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries, averaging 6.7 yards per carry.
While no single player can replicate Lawrence’s dominance, Burns and Thibodeaux were expected to make plays even when their star defensive tackle is off the field. However, the duo failed to step up, leaving the Giants’ defense vulnerable.
This Week 1 performance highlighted a significant issue: the Giants’ pass rush appears to be heavily over-reliant on Lawrence. Without him, the defense struggled to make an impact, and the supposed game-changing potential of Burns and Thibodeaux was not realized. This is a concerning development for a team that invested heavily in its defensive front.
