The New York Giants are coming off a season in which their defense was among the league’s weakest. They were 24th in yards per game allowed (371.4), permitted opponents 25.8 points per contest and finished next to last in sacks.
In defensive coordinator James Bettcher’s first season, the Giants’ defense lacked the right players to execute his plan and also the depth to finish games. They allowed the most fourth quarter points (167) in the NFL last year.
With general manager Dave Gettleman working diligently to augment and upgrade the defense through trades, free agency and the draft, the Giants feel they will be much stingier on the defensive side of the football this year.
Inside linebacker Alec Ogletree, one of the Giants’ defensive captains last season (Landon Collins was the other), is confident the Giants can become a top defense, just like the Arizona Cardinals were under Bettcher several years back.
The Giants have always been keen on coining rallying cries (such as “all-in” and “talk is cheap, play the game”) and this year, they’ve wasted no time whipping out their new mantra for the season.
That’s safety Michael Thomas sporting the t-shirt, above. He’s a special teams captain and in the final year of his contract, but he’s a leader and one of the players the Giants are relying on to help turn this defense around.
