PRESSURE COOKED
Giants need pass rush as much as QB after trade
The arrival of old friend Jason Pierre-Paul for Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium should shake to the core the entire Giants organization and serve as a reminder of what used to be and what unquestionably no longer is.
Just as much as Eli Manning’s postseason heroics, just as much as the yeoman’s work of the offensive line, it was a ferocious pass rush that fueled the two most recent Super Bowl runs. Winning it all after the 2007 and 2011 seasons was in many ways as much a byproduct of relentless pressure from Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Pierre-Paul than it was anything the Giants accomplished with Manning throwing it to Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer, Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks or handing it to Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw.
Pierre-Paul, traded to the Buccaneers in March, was the last link in the oncemighty defensive end chain that is not merely broken, but also shattered. Among all the failings of the 2018 Giants — there are many — the lack of a credible pass rush is as high on the list as any of the scoring woes.
This is why, for all those ea- ger to fast-forward thorough the final seven games of this season and delve into the 2019 draft, the names Nick Bosa (Ohio State), Clelin Ferrell (Clemson), Josh Allen (Kentucky) and Jachai Polite (Florida) should resonate as loudly as any of the quarterback prospects coming out.
The Giants did not have any sacks of Nick Mullens in their 27-23 victory over the 49ers and remain stuck on 10 for the season. Two rookies, B.J Hill and Lorenzo Carter, lead the team with two each. Olivier Vernon missed the first five games with a high ankle sprain, but upon his return has registered just one sack in his four games. Connor Barwin, the veteran outside linebacker signed to add some pass-rush savvy, has only one sack and his playing time is shrinking — he was in for just 11 percent of the defensive snaps Monday.
“At this point here I think we’re getting some pressure on the quarterback,’’ coach Pat Shurmur said. “We certainly don’t have the sack numbers yet that you people that crunch the numbers would like to see. The key is to be able to be disruptive to the quarterback, and sometimes the sacks don’t tell the whole story.’’
Pierre-Paul last season led
the Giants with 8.5 sacks, operating within a defense that managed just 27. After only one year, they wanted out of the four-year, $62 million contract extension given to JPP and on March 22, new general manager Dave Gettleman found a trade partner, sending Pierre-Paul to the Buccaneers for a thirdround draft pick and a swap of fourth-round picks in the 2019 draft.
The Giants did not come close to replacing Pierre-Paul’s pass-rushing prowess, and only the hapless Raiders have dropped opposing quarterbacks less frequently. PierrePaul nearly has as many sacks by himself as the team that sent him packing.
“Numbers speak for themselves,’’ he said. “I can’t really say much. I’m not really worried about the sacks there and how much the Giants have on their team. I’m just playing some great football and I’m just blessed to be getting the opportunity to play the game that I love.
“I don’t have a chip on my shoulder. Obviously New York felt like I couldn’t get the job done. I don’t know who makes those decisions but that’s the decision they made. No matter where I go, no matter where I would have ended up at I would still be the same player.’’
Vernon is far and away the Giants’ top pass rusher, and he generates more pressure than anyone on the roster. He is not a home-run hitter, though, often penetrating into the backfield and one step away from the sack.
“I try to look at what I can do better when it comes to rushing,’’ Vernon told The Post recently. “If I’m coming in too high or going too low or looking at what other guys are doing so we can all play off each other. Trying to learn how to play off each other ... that kind of helps.’’
It does not help Vernon that there is no legitimate threat on the other side of the field to redirect the blocking away from him. The most natural passrusher on the roster after Vernon is Carter, and the rookie will likely be featured more prominently in the coming weeks. The Giants will put anyone on the field they believe can get in the vicinity of the quarterback.