‘Major focus’ on stopping the run

A lot has been made about the Giants’ pass rush this season, but as defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence said on Wednesday, you can’t win on third down unless you win on first and second down. Last season, the Giants struggled to win on those early downs. The defense finished the season ranked 27th in rushing yards allowed, which led to several additions being made in the offseason, such as Roy Robertson-Harris, Chauncey Golston, and Jeremiah Ledbetter, among others. While the team is pleased with the players added up front, McFadden told reporters it will take the entire unit playing together in order for the run defense to improve.

“The run game is holistic,” the inside linebacker said. “It takes everybody. I will say we’re glad about all the additions, but I think first and foremost, that comes down to communication and guys talking on the backfield behind us and letting us know the rotation and where’s everybody’s gap and all that and then playing aggressive and playing true up front…

“That’s where it starts. If you can’t stop the run, you can’t stop anything. It’ll be a major focus for us.”

Prior to practice, Daboll reiterated the same message, emphasizing how important it is for the entire team to play better, including the offense, in order for the run defense to improve.

“We weren’t where we needed it to be (last year) but the run defense is a collective team thing,” Daboll told the media. “When you get behind in games quite a bit, and they keep handing the ball off, handing the ball off, it’s just like the ability to affect the quarterback – it’s not just a defensive stat. If we’re not scoring enough points or playing good enough team football, that affects the other side. Everybody has to be better in regards to that. There were a lot of good plays when you go back and watch them, but there were too many explosive plays down the field. Whether that’s a run fit, getting off a block, making a tackle, but we have to play better team football to help out team run defense.”

Theo: ‘Learning curve’ getting used to new QBs

A major storyline surrounding the Giants this year has been the different feel around the offense due to the transformation of the quarterback room. Bringing in Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in free agency, along with drafting Jaxson Dart, certainly improves the talent in the room. But when a new starting quarterback is added to the mix, it also takes some time for the pass-catchers to get used to how the signal-caller likes to do things, as Theo Johnson noted on Friday.

“There’s definitely been a learning curve, for sure,” Theo Johnson told the media. “Russ does things differently from anyone I’ve had for sure. He’s got a ton of knowledge, so in the spring and even the summer we’ve had throwing sessions and stuff, just kind of getting on the same page, speaking the same language, seeing things the way he sees them. I think we’re continuing to build that and I think we’re in a good spot right now…

“He has an idea of what he wants things to look and how he thinks a concept should look. Our system has ideas as well, so it’s just kind of merging together and coming together and finding a middle ground.”

Wilson’s NFL resume has been discussed over the last few months. But in addition to what he brings to the team on the field, the veteran quarterback’s demeanor off the field has been just as important.

“The energy he brings to the building every day is just infectious,” said the second-year tight end. “The way he carries himself, just a true pro, the same guy every day. That doesn’t just impact the other quarterbacks in the room. That impacts the entire offense, and I think having him on, not only our offense but on our team has been huge for everybody.”