PROOF POSITIVE
Giants see signs of improved D in loss
There wasn’t dejection in the home locker room or in the press conference room. Even in a disappointing season-opening defeat, the Giants stayed positive, talking up the reasons to feel good after a 20-15 loss to the Jaguars at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
Atop the list was the play of the new-look defense.
“We played tough on defense,” safety Landon Collins said after the unit allowed just one touchdown despite the absence of star Olivier Vernon. “We were playing a good offense, their run game is very hard to [stop], and we were playing good against it.”
As the game wore on, the defense got better, tightening up as needed and giving the Giants a chance to rally. The unit allowed only 121 yards of offense after halftime, just 39 in the fourth quarter, taking advantage of the absence of Jacksonville running back Leonard Fournette — lost to a hamstring injury midway through the second quarter. New linebackers Alec Ogletree and Kareem Martin had a presence, combining for 10 tackles, and cornerback Eli Apple looked nothing like the albatross he was a year ago. The thirdyear pro had two passes defended and three solo tackles.
“We’re making strides, as a defense,” said cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who had a first-half intercep- tion for the lone turnover the Giants produced. “We played solid defense. Everybody played together.”
The defense just didn’t get enough help from the offense, which was unable to get over the hump against the stingy Jaguars. Three times in the fourth quarter, the defense gave the offense a chance to score and take the lead.
The first time, Eli Manning threw a pick-six on a deflected pass that pushed the deficit to two scores. The second time, Big Blue went three-and-out and the third time they moved the ball into Jacksonville territory before turning it over on the downs. The offense never got one last chance because Kaelin Clay muffed a punt with 45 seconds left.
“We [know] they’re going to get it together. It’s our job to get them the ball as [much as we can],” Collins said. “They got too many weapons over there to keep getting stopped. Once they figure out what plays work and what keys work, they’re going to move the ball down the field.”
That’s not to say it was a perfect afternoon for the defense, either. There were communication issues, Collins admitted, and the Jaguars did rush for 137 yards. But considering the Giants’ best defensive player, Vernon, wasn’t out there and it was the first game in a new defensive system with five new starters, this was a start in the right direction.