For Giants to have any hope, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux-led pass rush must be better

The New York Giants’ first defensive series Sunday looked familiar in the best way possible: All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence was back, wreaking havoc in an opponent’s backfield.

On second down, Lawrence breezed past Minnesota Vikings right guard Ed Ingram, taking down quarterback Sam Darnold for a seven-yard sack. Cue the “Sexy Dexy” dance and cheers from a packed MetLife Stadium watching Sunday’s season opener.

Unfortunately for Giants fans, that was one of the last things they had to cheer about. Almost everything else that happened during the 28-6 loss to the Vikings was largely disheartening. And while the offense looking like a mess was somewhat predictable, there was plenty of reason to believe the Giants’ pass rush would be a strength this defense, and this team could count on.

But outside of Lawrence, who generated six pressures on 20 pass-rush snaps, the rest of the pass-rush group was unnervingly quiet.

Put simply: That cannot happen. GM Joe Schoen and the Giants have invested too much, in pick capital and salary, in their edge rushers for them to produce just two combined pressures in any one game. But that’s exactly what Brian Burns — acquired for a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick before he was given a five-year, $141 million contract — and Kayvon Thibodeaux, the No. 5 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, did Sunday against Minnesota. Meanwhile, Azeez Ojulari, a 2021 second-round pick who is playing for a new contract, was nearly held off the stat sheet entirely (one tackle).

The most notable play produced by any of them was a game-altering third-down face mask penalty on the first drive of the second half that set up a Vikings touchdown drive rather than Minnesota being forced to punt.

The revamped pass rush was supposed to give the Giants defense a reliable identity. It had to, actually. New defensive coordinator Shane Bowen’s scheme demands consistent pressure to be generated by its front without the help of much blitzing. So what happened Sunday is untenable for the future, especially with such a young and inexperienced secondary. That group cannot be expected to hold up in coverage for as long as it was asked to against Minnesota.

The Giants know that.

“It was just hard to get them off their game plan and get them off their track,” Burns said after the game. “They did a good job of executing what they wanted to do.”

There was perhaps no better example of that than the Vikings’ 99-yard march in the second quarter. The Giants special teams had done an outstanding job to down a punt at the 1-yard-line, but the long field hardly fazed the Vikings.

ICYMI: Catch up with @DDuggan21 and I’s live room from yesterday. AKA a very nice therapy session for #giants fans. https://t.co/S4Ku1u0ucM

— Charlotte Carroll (@charlottecrrll) September 10, 2024

It wasn’t until they had reached the Giants’ 9-yard line — 11 plays into the series — that the New York defense even forced a third down. Darnold went 7-for-7 for 97 yards on the drive, which culminated in Justin Jefferson’s 3-yard touchdown catch on fourth down.

Darnold didn’t throw his first incompletion until after the two-minute warning in the first half. On the day, he completed 19-of-24 passes for 208 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. With almost no pressure in his face save for what was generated by Lawrence, Darnold, an NFL journeyman at this point, had his way with the Giants defense all afternoon.

When asked about his lack of impact on Sunday, specifically tallying zero tackles, Thibodeaux said in the postgame locker room, “It is what it is. I think I might have missed one, but you gotta do what you can. You have to set edges, affect the quarterback and continue to make an impact on the game in the ways you can.”

When pressed further on the Giants’ overall lack of pass-rush success Sunday, a frustrated Thibodeaux declined to comment further. That rubbed some people, including Giants legend Carl Banks, the wrong way.

#LeadershipMatters @meirparnes 👇🏾 pic.twitter.com/mC6gZMxU2z

— Carl Banks (@CarlBanksGIII) September 9, 2024

“Kayvon Thibodeaux, this is what leaders do,” Banks told Bob Papa on the Bleav in Giants podcast. “If your team gave up a 99-yard effing drive, and someone says to you, ‘Hey, you didn’t get on the stat sheet. What’s up?’ The first thing you say is, ‘You’re absolutely right. I didn’t. I gotta figure out how I can be more impactful in the game.’

“They might not have run a play your way. They might not have given you a chance to make a play. But what you want to say as a leader, the message you send is ‘You’re right.’ You gotta eat that, bro.”

Banks, who was among many Giants legends at Sunday’s game as part of the franchise’s celebration of its 100th season, added that when he spoke to Lawrence Taylor, the Hall of Famer told him, “I could pick 22 of us right now and go out and play better than these guys.”

Between comments like these from franchise icons and the chorus of boos showering the stadium, the 2024 season has gotten off to an embarrassing start for the Giants.

If they want to flip the narrative, the pass rush has to be better. And it can be. Sunday was just one game. One bad game, but just because the rush didn’t show up Sunday doesn’t mean it won’t come together in the coming weeks.

“Now that this is behind us,” Burns said, “you learn from your mistakes and you move on.”

(Photo of Brian Burns: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)