The Giants are hoping they can bankroll two pass rushers that can stop them from slipping into can't-buy-wins territory.
Brian Barnes and Kayvon Thibodeau, who were held back overall in the Week 1 loss, will be favored in Sunday's matchup against the Commanders, who are rotating veteran right tackle Andrew Wylie with left tackle Cornelius Lucas and rookie Brandon Coleman.
It's not too early to expect Barnes to live up to his $141 million contract or for Thibodeau to play like a No. 5 draft pick.
Specifically, defensive coordinator Shane Bowen's scheme relies on his front four to win one-on-one matchups.
“I tell them that every day,” Bowen said. “Where resources are delegated, you have to be excellent. The best players have to be excellent. That's the nature of the league. If you want to play well, your best players have to be at their best every Sunday. And for that to happen, they have to go out there and perform. They're working hard every day to improve, to be on the same page and stay aligned.”
Neither Barnes (five quarterback pressures) nor Thibodeau (one quarterback hit) recorded a sack against the Vikings' high-end tackle duo of Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill.
Last season, Thibodeau led the Giants in sacks while Barnes led the Panthers in sacks, combining for 19.5 between them.
“I go into every game with the mindset that I have an advantage,” Barnes said. [Bowen] We want you to trust us and send us that message.”
The call evoked memories of the best game of Thibodeau's two-year career, perhaps the Giants' most dominant game in key moments in the last decade.
He recorded 12 tackles, a strip sack, a fumble recovery touchdown and a hustle play that prevented a touchdown in a win against Washington on Dec. 18, 2022, that boosted the team's chances of a playoff berth.
How will he approach the game with more aggression than he did against the Vikings?
“[Be] “The fundamentals are strong,” Thibodeau said, “Obviously, you have dips and things go wrong, but the last play isn't going to help or hurt you, so you just keep playing the fundamentals strong and just keep rushing. Last game, they were doing a lot of chipper stuff and different things to slow down the rush, but you just didn't get caught up in that and just kept sticking to the game plan.”
The Giants are 9-18-1 since starting 2022 6-1 under coach Brian Daboll.
An 0-2 start, just the sixth under four head coaches in the past eight years, will almost certainly be the death knell for the season, with a tough matchup against six straight playoff contenders ahead of a rematch with the Commanders.
“There's no panic,” safety Jason Pinnock said of the Giants' state of mind, “just a sense of urgency.”
General manager Joe Sean's blockbuster trade to acquire Barnes has revamped the roster to ensure that a pass rush that also includes Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence is a force to be reckoned with, much like the greatest teams in franchise history.
Before the season, Thibodeau had set a lofty goal of tying Michael Strahan's NFL record of 22.5 sacks in a season, but Lawrence recorded the Giants' only sack in the game against the Vikings.
“I'm very confident that the four of us can impact the quarterback,” Bowen said.
The problem Sunday is that any over-aggression could backfire against rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
He carried the ball 16 times for 88 yards and two touchdowns in his NFL debut and looked dangerous on tape.
“The first thing that comes to mind is his speed,” Barnes said, “and secondly, he looks confident. He just exudes confidence, the way he plays. He doesn't care if he messes up a couple of passes, as if it was nothing. That's the kind of confidence you want in a quarterback, and I think he has it early on.”
“You have to unsettle him as much as possible, put guys around him, get in his face, make him nervous. At the same time, you have to keep an eye on him and keep him in check, because he's got almost 90 scrambling yards and that's demoralizing for the defense, especially if the back end is doing its job.”
To get the pass rush going without bringing in blitzers, Bowen even experimented with putting Azeez Oulu-Ali opposite Thibodeau and using Barnes as the inside rusher.
“The more I can fine-tune it and the more detailed I can get, the more I feel like I can make a play in that area,” Barnes said. “There's definitely some room to play.”
Sunday would be just the right time for the Giants.
