Leonard Williams

New York Giants: Giants should “Enter the Wu” and draft Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

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Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, New York Giants

Drafting Notre Dame’s Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah would take the New York Giants defense from being a very good defense to being an elite defense.

I know what you are probably saying to yourself, “Why are we already talking about who the New York Giants should draft in the 2021 NFL Draft when there are four weeks remaining in the season, and the team is in first place in their division?”. I totally understand the confusion. In recent years, writers were forced to look ahead to NFL Draft prospects for the Giants by this time of year because the season was already over for Big Blue, and there was nothing else to look forward to.

Obviously, this year is different. If the season were to end today, the New York Giants would qualify for the playoffs, despite currently having a losing record of 5-8. The Giants are coming off a four-game win streak that has propelled them to the top of a weak NFC East. Despite their record, the team has looked exponentially better this season and looks like they could represent a difficult matchup should their current trajectory hold up and they make the playoffs.

Much of their success has been a direct result of a massive improvement on the defensive side of the ball. New defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham, has the Giants’ defense playing at a level that we have not seen in recent years. Currently, New York is ranked eighth overall in the NFL after stifling a very potent Seattle Seahawks offense that came into last week as the third-highest scoring offense in the league.

The Giants’ defense has a very solid young core that should allow them to wreak havoc on the National Football League for years to come. Their defensive line is lead by Leonard Williams (26), Dalvin Tomlinson (26), Dexter Lawrence (23), and B.J. Hill (25). The linebacking corps consists of Blake Martinez (26), Oshane Ximines (24), Lorenzo Carter (25), Devante Downs (25), Carter Coughlin (23), Cam Brown (22), David Mayo (27), and Tae Crowder (23). The secondary is made up of James Bradberry (27), Jabrill Peppers (25), Julian Love (22), Logan Ryan (29), Darnay Holmes (22), Xavier McKinney (22), and Isaac Yiadom (24). To say that this talented defense is young would be a massive understatement, with no major contributor over the age of 30 and most aged 26-years-old or younger.

The Giants will need to address the expiring contracts of Leonard Williams, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Logan Ryan, who have all played a major part in the success of this defense. According to spotrac.com, they currently are slated to have just over $18 million in remaining cap space heading into 2021, which doesn’t bode well for keeping the trio. However, moving on from Nate Solder, Kevin Zeitler, and Golden Tate would free up another $21.5 million in cap space, which may allow them to keep all three.

However, if this scenario does play out and the Giants are able to keep all three free agent defenders, they will have limited cap space remaining and will unlikely to be able to sign any additional big named free agent players. That means that the defense will have to add any additional significant improvements to the defensive unit via the NFL Draft.

While a case could be made to draft a big-play wide receiver for Daniel Jones or another young piece along the offensive line in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, a case could be made to take an impact defensive player who can take an already excellent defense to elite status for years to come. After all, we all know that great defenses win championships.

If the Giants continue to have success to close out the 2020 season and do, in fact, make the playoffs, elite defensive talents such as Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons, edge rushers Gregory Rousseau of Miami and Carlos Basham of Wake Forest, and TCU safety Ar’Darius Washington will likely be gone when New York makes their pick. However, the best fit for the GMEN on defense will likely still be on the board when they step up to the podium. That player is Notre Dame outside linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.

The 6’1″ and 215-pound Owusu-Koramoah, or “JOK” or “Wu,” as Irish fans affectionately know him as is a bit undersized at the linebacker position. However, Owusu-Koramoah makes up for his lack of size with incredible athletic ability. JOK has thrived as the leader of a stout Notre Dame defense the past two seasons. He has been exceptional as the rover linebacker for the Irish, recording 127 total tackles, 10 sacks, five forced fumbles, one interception, seven pass deflections, and a fumble return for a touchdown over that span.

Anyone who watches Notre Dame football is likely to notice #6 flying all over the field, seemingly making big plays at will. While Owusu-Koramoah wasn’t a big-time prospect coming out of college, rating only as a 3-star recruit out of Hampton, Virginia, his ability to make plays has catapulted him to become one of the elite defensive players in college football.

Owusu-Koramoah was recently named as a semi-finalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, awarded to the player who was the best defensive player with the best character in college football. Additionally, he was named as a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (national defensive player of the year), Butkus Award (best linebacker), and Bednarik Award (best defensive player). A strong showing against Clemson in the ACC Championship game next weekend would go a long way in helping to secure those awards.

Owusu-Koramoah appears to be the perfect fit for the New York Giants in the upcoming draft. One of the few weaknesses remaining on the Giants defense is at outside linebacker. While the GMEN have arguably one of the best middle linebackers in the game in Blake Martinez, they are lacking production at the outside linebacker position. Some of this is due to losing both Oshane Ximines and Lorenzo Carter to season-ending injuries. Both Carter and Ximines have shown flashes of becoming solid pass-rushing options at the outside linebacker position, but neither is a sure thing, especially coming off of major injuries.

Adding a playmaker of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s caliber to play alongside Martinez would represent a major improvement on an already impressive Giants defense. “Wu” would give Patrick Graham’s defense a player who is excellent as a pass rusher, who can provide solid coverage in the passing game, and who has a propensity to come up with huge plays at critical times. If either or both of the tandem of Carter and Ximines return and reach their potential, the linebacking group of Martinez, Owusu-Koramoah, Ximines, Carter, and the young late-round picks from last year’s draft give the Giants a very young, talented, and deep linebacking corps to go along with their young, talented, and deep defensive line and secondary.

If the New York Giants are able to secure this best-case scenario and resign the trio of Williams, Ryan, and Tomlinson and then are able to add a player of Owusu-Koramoah’s ability in the draft, this defense looks poised to be among the best in the National Football League for years to come. Having a strong defense takes a lot of pressure off of Daniel Jones and the offense. If they can pull off these moves in the offseason AND add a few offensive weapons for Jones, this team will be a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

New York Giants: Leonard Williams earns NFC Defensive Player of the Week

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New York Giants, Leonard Williams

The New York Giants just earned a clutch, statement victory on the road against the Seattle Seahawks. New York’s dominant defense held the high-flying Seahawks offense to only ten points. Two of Seattle’s twelve points came from a safety on special teams.

The Giants’ defense played out if its mind in Week 13. New York forced Seattle to turn the ball over twice. Seattle also went only 4-13 on third downs and 0-2 on fourth downs.

The Giants benefited from many great individual defensive performances, but none greater than that of defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and defensive lineman Leonard Williams. These two had insane performances that propelled the Giants to a crucial victory this week. Leonard Williams’ performance was so special that he earned the NFC Defensive Player of the Week honor.

Leonard Williams Week 13 Dominance

Defensive lineman Leonard Williams was dominant for the Giants in Week 13. Williams had a 2.5 sack performance, including a clutch sack on the final drive of the game to force the Seahawks into hail mary mode.

Williams pressured Russell Wilson seven total times in this matchup. He was constantly in the backfield, wreaking havoc on the Seattle offense. Big Cat’s 2.5 sacks tied a single-game career-high. Leonard’s 2.5 sacks all came in the second half of the game, but he was getting plenty of pressure in the first half. These 2.5 sacks also caused Seattle to lose a total of 25.5 yards.

Heading into this game, Williams had 6 sacks on the season. Now, after this stellar performance, Leonard has a new career-high in sacks with 8.5 on the season (tied-sixth in the NFL). Leo is having a breakout, career-year in his second season with the New York Giants. He has been one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL this year and should see himself make the Pro Bowl for the second time in his career.

Should the New York Giants extend Leonard Williams on a long-term deal?

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New York Giants, Leonard Williams

The New York Giants’ defense has been stellar this season, especially the last four weeks, holding all of their opponents to 20 points or less. Against the Seattle Seahawks in week 13, an offense averaging 30 points per game, they limited them to just 12, minus the safety that tacked on two points at the close of the first half.

One of the major difference-makers in the contest was interior defender Leonard Williams, who had an incredible performance — possibly the best of his entire career.

Entering the game with 6.0 sacks on the year, he was just one away from tying his personal best. Nonetheless, he shattered his personal record by 1.5 sacks against Seattle, recording 2.5 sacks on the day and five quarterback hits. He now has 39 total tackles and 11 tackles for a loss on the season to go with 24 QB hits.

It’s time to give credit where it’s due, general manager Dave Gettleman traded a third and fifth-round pick for Williams last season when the Giants were in a bad position. In hindsight, the deal looks valuable, as Big Blue has one of the best interior defenders on their defense, and he’s overproducing when compared to the franchise tag he is currently on ($16.1 million).

The New York Giants’ defense needs Leonard Williams:

Overall, Williams has been a major piece to their puzzle, especially with new couches and faces scattered across the roster. Utilizing a bevy of undrafted free agents and youngsters, the Giants didn’t expect to have such a stellar defense the season.

In fact, most believe it would be at the bottom of the league but somehow rank in the top 10 in most categories. After the win against Seattle, the Giants’ defense is comfortably in the top 10 in points allowed per game and within the top five in rushing yards allowed per game. Their secondary is still working out some kinks, but they have seen a drastic improvement in the past four weeks.

The ongoing debate is, should the giants extend Leonard Williams on a long-term deal?

Based on the way defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has brought the best out of Williams, it seems fair that they reward him with a long-term contract. If the Giants don’t do it, another team will — he has been such a key cog on defense, and letting him walk would be a significant loss.

Replicating his production is nearly impossible, despite having Dalvin Tomlinson and Dexter Lawrence on the roster. With the cap space expected to drop by at most $20 million next season, keeping their defensive pieces in place will be problematic. However, they have to find a way to retain Williams and Tomlinson on the interior, two players who have become dominant in this new scheme.

Based on his production, Leonard could command upwards of $16 million per season, but the Giants could always hit him with another franchise tag on a one-year deal. However, he could easily hold out and refuse to play based on the lack of reward, but I imagine the Giants are noticing how impactful he is on defense.

New York Giants: Record aside, Giants pose a difficult playoff matchup

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

Despite a lackluster 4-7 record, the New York Giants are in first place in the NFC East and have the makings of a difficult matchup in the playoffs.

In a typical year, if the New York Giants were sitting with a record of 4-7 in December, they would likely be looking forward to the next season, with their playoff hopes seemingly dashed. However, this is 2020, and the 4-7 Giants sit atop the putrid NFC East and would make the playoffs if the season ended today.

The disappointing 4-7 record is a bit misleading, as the Giants have not been nearly as bad as their record would indicate. In their seven losses, the Giants have lost by an average of 7.86 points per game. When you take away the 36-9 drubbing at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers, the average drops to only 4.67 points per loss.
Of the seven losses that the Giants have suffered, six have been against teams with defenses currently ranked in the top 15 in the league, including the Steelers (#1), Rams (#4), Bears (#8), 49ers (#11), Eagles (#14), and Buccaneers (#15). Additionally, they have defeated the Redskins (#6) twice and the aforementioned Eagles. To say that the GMEN have faced a gauntlet of difficult defenses this season would be an understatement.

The Giants have some difficult defensive matchups remaining on the schedule with the Ravens (#3) and Cardinals (#13) still to come. The Giants’ offense has shown the ability to hang with the best defenses in the National Football League, which is something they will undoubtedly be tasked with again, should they make the playoffs.
Speaking of excellent defenses, the Giants boast a stout defense of their own.

Currently, Big Blue has the tenth-ranked defense in the National Football League. They have allowed the fifth-fewest rushing yards in the league and are currently 19th in the league in passing yards allowed. They are tied for 11th in sacks with 27, tied for 14th in interceptions with nine, and tied for third in forced fumbles with 9. This season, the Giants defense has shown the ability to come up with big plays, something that has been severely lacking in recent seasons.

The defensive line has been excellent against the run and has also shown the ability to get after the quarterback.  Dalvin Tomlinson, Dexter Lawrence, Jabaal Sheard, and B.J. Hill have outperformed expectations along the defensive line. Meanwhile, Leonard Williams has been extremely productive, recording a career-high six sacks already this season for the Giants.

The linebacker play has been better than expected as well. Offseason free-agent addition Blake Martinez is currently in consideration for the Defensive Player of the Year Award with 101 total tackles, two sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. The outside linebackers have done admirable after losing two of their top pash rushers, Lorenzo Carter (ruptured Achilles) and Oshane Ximinez (torn rotator cuff) to a season-ending injury and trading another in Markus Golden to the Arizona Cardinals. A combination of David Mayo, Kyler Fackrell, Tae Crowder, Carter Coughlin, Cam Brown, and Devante Downs have stepped up to fill the void of losing the top trio of outside linebackers.

The secondary for the Giants has been excellent as well. James Bradberry, Logan Ryan, Jabrill Peppers, and Julian Love have become one of the more formidable secondaries in the league. The four of them have combined for six interceptions, four forced fumbles, and 33 pass deflections. Isaac Yiadom and Darnay Holmes have provided serviceable play as well in the secondary. The Giants received another boost to their defensive backfield last week, when their uber-talented second-round draft pick, Xavier McKinney, made his debut. As McKinney receives more reps and gets a more prominent role in the Giants secondary, this defensive backfield looks to be a major strength as the team heads into the final part of the regular season.

While the defense has been excellent for New York this season, the offense has struggled. Currently, they are ranked 30th overall in points scored, 28th in passing yards, and 29th in rushing yards. On the season, Big Blue has averaged a paltry 19.5 points per game. However, over the past seven weeks, the team has averaged a much more respectable 27.14 points per game.

A lot of the offensive struggles for the GMEN can be attributed to the fact that nine of the eleven teams that they have faced have featured defenses ranked in the top 15 in the league. Some of the offensive ineptitude is a direct result of injuries. Superstar running back Saquon Barkley was lost early in the second game of the season, and Sterling Shepard missed four weeks of action after being injured against the Bears in Week 2.

Perhaps the biggest hindrance to offensive production early on for the Giants was due to poor play from the offensive line. The lack of preseason games negatively impacted the early performance along Big Blue’s offensive line. Nick Gates had not received any game action at the center position after moving from the tackle spot. Draft picks Andrew Thomas, Matt Peart, and Shane Lemieux did not benefit from NFL game action prior to being inserted into the lineup. Cameron Fleming didn’t receive any reps with his new linemates after coming over via free agency from Dallas.

The initial results were indicative of an offensive line with a lot of new personnel, a new coach, and little to no experience playing next to one another. However, Big Blue’s offensive line has shown improvement over the past few weeks. The improvement in the offensive line has been apparent in the reduction of turnovers from Daniel Jones, as well as the ability of the offense to have a productive running game in recent weeks. Through the first nine games of the season, Daniel Jones had 14 turnovers (nine interceptions and five fumbles). In the past two weeks, Jones has not turned the ball over.

During the first five games of the season, the Giants averaged a pathetic 79 rushing yards per game and had only one game with over 100 yards (136 against the Rams). Over the past six games, the Giants have rushed for over 100 yards in every game and are averaging 142 rushing yards per game. If they can continue to rush at the clip they have over the past six games, their rushing attack would rank in the top five in the NFL. The GMEN seem to have found something in Wayne Gallman, who has rushed for 293 yards and six touchdowns over the past five games.

The passing attack for the GMEN has not been as good as it was in 2019 when they averaged 233.2 passing yards per game. Currently, they are averaging 200.5 yards per game on the season. However, they have averaged 216.16 passing yards per game over the past six contests, further evidence of improvement from the offensive line. The recent emergence of Evan Engram and the return of Sterling Shepard should help further the advancement of the Giants’ passing attack moving forward.

Another major asset for New York this season has been the addition of Graham Gano. After the team cut Aldrick Rosas following his arrest for a DUI, the kicking game for the Giants was thrown into disarray. The team would ultimately sign free agent Graham Gano who was released in July by the Carolina Panthers after he missed the final four games of the 2018 season and all of the 2019 season due to a leg injury. Gano has been nothing short of spectacular this season for the Giants, going 25-26 in field goal attempts and 17-17 in extra-point attempts.

Last week, Gano set a Giants record by making 22 straight field goal attempts. Currently, he is 4th in the NFL in field goal percentage at 96.2% and is 9th in points with 92. Big Blue wisely signed Gano to a three-year $14 million extension. Gano gives the Giants arguably their most clutch kicker since Lawrence Tynes.

Certainly, losing Daniel Jones to a hamstring injury during this playoff run is not ideal. Jones was able to practice in a limited capacity this week, suggesting that his absence may not be prolonged. The dual-threat that he poses at the quarterback position presents a challenge for opposing defenses to gameplan against. The Giants will need backup Colt McCoy to basically be a game manager this week against the Seattle Seahawks if they hope to win. Luckily, Seattle comes in with the worst pass defense in the league, which should help his cause.

While the Cowboys and Redskins both arguably have easier remaining schedules, the Giants seem to have a better team than both of their division rivals. If they can get past Seattle, the Giants have the Cardinals, Browns, Ravens, and Cowboys remaining. They will need to continue to show improvement if they hope to capture their first division title since 2011.

Should the New York Giants make the playoffs, there are a lot of reasons to believe that they will be a difficult matchup. From their defense, which has performed well thus far and continues to improve, to their young athletic offensive line that seems to be improving each week, to their newly found rushing attack, to their quarterback who is always a threat to tuck it and run or to find an open receiver for a big play, to their clutch weapon in the kicking game, or the bravado that this team brings with new head coach Joe Judge at the helm, this team has shown the ability to hang with some of the best teams in the National Football league and likely is a team that contenders are hoping to avoid a matchup against in the playoffs.

New York Giants: Leonard Williams on his way to a career year

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New York Giants, Leonard Williams

New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has had mixed reviews in his first three years with the Giants. Gettleman has made a handful of great decisions, mixed in with a fair amount of poor decisions. By far his most controversial decision, however, was trading for defensive lineman Leonard Williams in the middle of the 2019 season.

The Giants’ season was pretty much over when Gettleman made the trade. New York had no real chance of making the playoffs and was not one interior defender away from turning things around. Regardless, Gettleman made the trade, giving up two draft picks to acquire Leonard “Big Cat” Williams.

Since then, Leonard Williams has been a star for the Giants. Of course, some fans will still criticize the trade since Williams was set to be a free agent at the end of the 2019 season. Gettleman could have tried to sign him in the offseason without giving up draft picks. But there is no time machine to change the way Leonard Williams got here, but now that he is here, he is playing like one of the best defensive linemen in football.

Leonard Williams Stats and Highlights

Over the final eight weeks of the 2019 season, Williams was solid for the Giants, but he was not very productive. He made an impact, opening things up for his teammates and totaling a solid amount of quarterback pressures. But he finished the eight-week stint with only 0.5 sack.

The Giants placed the franchise tag on Williams in the offseason after the two sides were unable to come to an agreement on a long-term contract. Leo needed to put together a top-tier season to earn that lucrative extension. So far, he has done just that, putting together what could be a career-year for the sixth-year pro out of USC.

Through eleven games, Leonard Williams has already totaled six sacks this season. His career-high sack total is seven, so he seems to be on pace to surpass that by season’s end. Williams made the Pro Bowl just once with the Jets in 2016. There is a good chance he earns his second Pro Bowl nod this season, though, as Williams is performing as one of the NFL’s best interior defensive linemen.

Leonard Williams has totaled 36 combined tackles this season with 8 tackles for loss. He has been excellent defending the run, but his productivity as a pass-rusher has been the difference-maker this year. Leonard has already racked up 19 quarterback hits and 22 pressures to go along with his six sacks.

Playing out this year on the franchise tag, Leonard Williams will once again be a free agent this offseason. The Giants will have to sign Williams to a huge contract this offseason if they want to keep him around long-term. But based on his performance this season, Leonard Williams seems in line for a big contract, whether it be with the Giants or another team in free agency.

New York Giants’ players were shocked about the Marc Colombo firing

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New York Giants, Marc Colombo

In the middle of the week, during the New York Giants’ bye week, Joe Judge’s team decided it was time to move on from offensive line coach Marc Colombo. When the news broke, it was a bit of a shock to the players in the locker room and players around the NFL.

The offensive line has been improving week after week during this season. Many players and coaches view Colombo as one of the league’s best offensive line coaches. It was not long until everyone found out what led up to the firing of Colombo.

Joe Judge spoke to the media

Judge finally spoke to the media about the Colombo firing. He decided to part ways with Colombo; it was the best for the Giants organization short term and long term.

“I spoke to the entire team last week. I spoke with the offensive line, I spoke with the captains, I spoke with people both individually and collectively based on the units,” Judge told reporters on Monday. “Again, we’re pretty transparent as an organization. If something happens with the team, we keep it in-house, but I speak very openly with the team about it.”

The Giants’ players have all bought into Judge as a head coach. The players were shocked, but at the end of the day, the player believes in what Judge has to do to keep the Giants’ culture.

What New York Giants’ players said to the media about the Colombo firing:

Evan Engram

“That entire situation is definitely above my pay grade,” tight end Evan Engram said. “As a player and as a team, we know that with Coach Judge, every decision he makes is in the best interest of the team. I know me personally and a lot of guys loved working with Coach Colombo and obviously wish him the best. But like I said, that’s the thing with Coach Judge. His best interest is always with the team.”

Leonard Williams

“Judge’s style of coaching is good for players who want to win and want to play hard, practice hard, and understand that your practice is reflective of how you play. Guys that are willing to buy into a program are going to do great under a system like that,” defensive end Leonard Williams stated.

“There’s obviously some guys who are a little bit harder to coach and a little bit harder to get to buy into systems. They might be a little bit harder to fall into line. At the same time, when you’re a part of this team, you kind of feel the atmosphere of everyone buying in. Even those guys that are a little bit harder to coach, once they see the rest of their teammates buying in, they will come along eventually, too. I think it’s a great way, the way we practice. I think it shows we have a tough team. I feel like after losses or wins we go right back to work. I think it’s a hard-hat type of team that wants to work and grind,” Williams added.

An outsider looking in, Colombo did not buy into Judge. He was an outlier. Judge wants players, coaches, trainers, everyone to be on the same wavelength. Judge wants everyone to buy into the Giants’ culture, and from what it sounds like, it’s either Judge’s way or the highway!

New York Giants: Leonard Williams playing at Pro Bowl level in 2020

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New York Giants, Leonard Williams

The New York Giants are trending upward after a shaky start to the 2020 NFL season. New York has won three of its last five games, led by its stout defense that ranks tied-eleventh in the NFL in total sacks (25). Patrick Graham and the Giants’ defense has been a consistent strong point for the team this season.

One of the reasons for the Giants’ defensive success has been their defensive line. New York possesses one of the best young defensive lines in the NFL. Dalvin Tomlinson, Dexter Lawrence, and Leonard Williams make up a beastly front trio for the Giants’ defense.

This year, though, the Giants have had one of their defensive linemen emerge and establish himself as one of the best in the game. Leonard Williams has had a breakout season in his second year with the New York Giants and is playing at a Pro Bowl level.

Leonard Williams Stats and Highlights

Former New York Jets defensive lineman Leonard Williams could be playing his way to his second career Pro Bowl appearance. Of course, the Pro Bowl is happening in some virtual format this year, but players will still be honored for their special seasons by being selected to Pro Bowl teams.

In 2016, Leonard Williams made the Pro Bowl as a member of the New York Jets. This was Williams’s second season in the NFL. That season, Williams recorded 7 total sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and 19 quarterback hits. Williams is on pace to beat each one of those marks this season.

Through 10 games in 2020, Williams already has 5 sacks, 7 tackles for loss, and 16 quarterback hits on the season. Williams is on pace to crush his career-high statistics this year. He has had an absolute breakout season in Patrick Graham’s defensive scheme after a highly-disappointing 2019 season.

Last year, Williams was only able to manage 0.5 sack on the season. He failed to get home and bring down opposing quarterbacks, despite generating a high number of pressures. This year, though, Williams has turned those pressures into sacks at a higher rate and the Giants’ defense has benefited from this.

This will be a career year for Leonard Williams if he continues to play at this level. Playing on a franchise tag this season, Williams is in line for a lucrative contract extension this upcoming offseason. He seems to have earned one so far this season.

New York Giants: 3 players on defense who have surprised in 2020

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New York Giants, Blake Martinez, James Bradberry

The New York Giants are entering their bye week with back to back wins against division opponents. The Giants are sitting at a 3-7 record, that might not sound the best, but the Giants are just a half-game back from first place in the division. In the last few weeks, the Giants have made some drastic improvements.

There is a lot to like about the Giants this season. The coaching for the G-MEN has been impressive, to say the least. We can give all the credit to the coaches, the players are going on the field and playing every week.

Three New York Giants players who have played above their weight-class:

James Bradberry

James Bradberry has been a solid cornerback throughout his career but would not consider him elite until his first season with the New York Giants.

With his first season with the Giants, Bradberry just isn’t one of the best cornerbacks in the NFC East, he is one of the best cornerbacks in the entire NFL. Through 10 weeks, Bradberry leads the NFL with 14 passes defended and three interceptions.

Dave Gettleman was the former general manager of the Carolina Panthers. Gettleman drafted Bradberry back in 2016 in the second round. Once Bradberry hit free agency this past offseason, Gettleman jumped all over him. Bradberry received a three-year deal, worth $43.5 million. What a massive signing by Gettleman this past offseason.

Blake Martinez

Blake Martinez was a tackling machine in Green Bay for years but never brought much else to the table. The Packers couldn’t have been more wrong.

Martinez is tied for the most tackles in the NFL through 10 weeks, but he has done much more for the Giants than that. Martinez has provided a rock in the middle of the defense and being the vocal leader of this Giants’ defense. This is what the Giants needed on the defensive side of the ball.

Dave Gettleman again made another great signing this past offseason. Gettleman signed Martinez to a three-year deal, just like he did to Bradberry. Martinez’s deal is worth $30 million over three-years. This Giants defense has found their leader for years to come.

Leonard Williams

Leonard Williams was a Pro Bowler his rookie season in the NFL but after that season never played up to his expectations. Why would Dave Gettleman give up a third-round and fifth-round pick for an average defensive lineman?

Williams was the final piece to the puzzle for this Giants defensive line. The Giants now have Williams, Dexter Lawerance, and Dalvin Tomlinson are the starters, with B.J. Hill getting solid playing time coming off the bench.

The Giants were not able to sign Williams to a long-term extension and were forced to give him the franchise tag. Williams’ franchise tag is worth $16.1 million.

Whatever your feelings about the trade for Williams, you can not deny that he has been one of the best players on this entire Giants team. Williams is playing as he did back in his rookie season. He is finally becoming that all-around playmaker Gettleman traded for in 2019. Williams currently is leading the Giants in sacks with five, tackles for loss with eight, and quarterback hits with 17.

Three reasons the New York Giants can get win number three on Sunday

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New York Giants, Wayne Gallman

The New York Giants take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, and they have a chance to win back to back games for the first time this season. The team followed up their first win of the season with close back to back losses to Philadelphia and Tampa – now, they’ll have a chance to change that track record and get revenge for their bad loss in Philly.

But why should we be confident the Giants will pull this one out?

Daniel Jones cutting down on turnovers

The most recent game for the Giants was the first one this season where Daniel Jones had one or more touchdowns and no interceptions. He also didn’t lose a fumble, getting him out of the game with no turnovers. Turnovers have been a big problem for Jones this season and have earned him plenty of criticism from fans.

During the team’s back to back losses picked up following their first win of the season, Jones threw three interceptions and lost one fumble. Taking more care of the ball is a different trend from the rest of the season, as Jones already has nine interceptions right now. If he can keep up the safer decision making, the Giants have a better chance of winning this one.

The Giants came close last time

The Giants should have won their first meeting with the Eagles. That’s not a biased statement, but the truth. The Giants only had to run the clock out and they would have walked away with a victory. However, the now infamous drop from Evan Engram cost the team a first down and the game ended as an unexpected loss.

These types of weird situations usually don’t happen twice. No one in the NFC East is a very good team this year and the Eagles should still be a beatable team. The Giants did alright the first time around when they played the Eagles. They made plays on offense just at the right time, and would have produced just enough to come away with a win if it wasn’t for the late drop that gave the Eagles another possession.

This time, the Giants might know better than sending the ball Evan Engram’s way if the team is in trouble late in the game.

High performance defense

Several defensive players for the Giants have stepped it up this season. One of them, linebacker Blake Martinez, is leading the league in tackles right now. Martinez has 92 tackles right now, an impressive accomplishment for a player that was considered a castoff from Green Bay and who faced skepticism after signing his deal with the Giants. Martinez had a big contribution to the Giants’ second win, with 10 tackles as well as an interception.

Another player stepping it up is Leonard Williams. He’s had sacks in back to back games and has had five so far this season. That’s a pretty big step up from his poor statistics last season after joining the Giants, and Williams has justified the team’s decision to keep him around for another year.

James Bradberry has taken up the top cornerback mantle from Janoris Jenkins and done good things in the role. He has 3 interceptions so far which ties him for 5th in the league and will likely be a factor in Giants wins going forward.

Can the Giants pull it off?

The Eagles barely managed a win in the first meeting between these two teams. That was with a home crowd at their backs and the advantage of facing a first time head coach with a new administration. This time, the Giants have a bit more familiarity with their opponent and experience crafting a game plan to face the Eagles. Daniel Jones also did better last time out avoiding turnovers and the top performers on defense haven’t let up in their performances.

There’s no guarantee that anyone will win any game in the NFC East this year, but it’s safe to say the Giants at least have a good chance to beat the Eagles and pick up their third win of the season on Sunday.

Two New York Giants defenders playing with elite numbers

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New York Giants, Blake Martinez

The New York Giants have had a rocky start this season but picked up their second win when they defeated Washington on the road on Sunday. It’s the second time the Giants have beaten Washington this year and while they were only able to pull out a narrow win of three points, there’s reasons to think the result signals good things for the future.

Daniel Jones had a game without an interception, after a week where he was heavily criticized for his turnovers, and the Giants were able to get the running game going better than in some of their previous outings. However, many of the real top performers for the Giants are on their defense this season.

Two elite players for the Giants defense

It’s been a while since the Giants have had a star linebacker but it’s safe to say they have one now in Blake Martinez, who leads the league in tackles. He also has six tackles for a loss, which is more than his direct competitors for the leading tackler spot.

Martinez registered 155 tackles during his last season with Green Bay and it looks likely that he’ll break that mark by the end of this season given his current pace. It’s also worth giving some credit to the coaching staff. After all, this is a step up from Martinez’s performance in Green Bay and some fans were skeptical at first over whether he deserved the money. The staff likely had some role to play in the raise in performance.

Leonard Williams is another player that has picked up his performance this season, with 5 sacks so far. It puts him in the top 20 for the NFL’s pass rushers this season. The number may improve further based on what we’ve seen from Williams so far.

If these two players hadn’t stepped it up this season, it would have certainly reflected badly on GM Dave Gettleman and would likely have a negative impact on Gettleman’s job status with the team. But with these two additions becoming key members of the team, the Giants front office is faced with more complex and less clear decisions once we approach the offseason.