EAST RUTHERFORD – The ball was five yards from the goal line in the middle of the first quarter and the crowd was on its feet imploring the Giants to make a stop and hold them to a field goal at worst.
Panthers quarterback Matt Moore gave the ball to DeAngelo Williams, who cut to his right and looked to have clear lane to end zone.
Instead, safety Kenny Phillips charged in and with a shoestring tackle was able to trip Williams up three yards short, forcing a field goal attempt.
“(That was a) gigantic play,” Giants general manager Jerry Reese said.
While the Panthers got three points, the play symbolized something more. It was a huge victory for the Giants defense on a day where for the first time in a year, they rediscovered their defense that went all but AWOL in 2009 after the first five
games.
“I think last year we kind of got in a funk,” said Justin Tuck. “But this year, we started off right.”
“I told our group we started off last year 5-0. We just have to keep pressing, it doesn’t matter what we do.”
This was the Giants defense we missed. The group that makes key plays, comes up with big stops, pressures the quarterback and takes the ball away.
All of that was on display, especially in the second half of the Giants opening 31-18victory.
Due to two balls intercepted by the Panthers that went off the hands of receivers to go along with poor coverage on special teams. The defense early was put in very tenuous situations with the Panthers starting in great field position to score and jump out on top early as crashers to the New Meadowlands Stadium party.
If you go back one year, there is no doubt Williams gets in for a touchdown.
Phillips was gone after Week 2 last season and there was no way either CC Brown or Michael Johnson was going to make that play.
The team knew it and the fans knew it.
This time, Phillips and the defense made the stop.
On the Panthers previous drive, newly acquired Deon Grant made a great athletic play, leaping into the air to intercept a Matt Moore pass as in the end zone to leave them scoreless.
“We don’t like a team to go down there and get any points,” said Grant. “Today we were able to shut them down with some huge turnovers.”
Outside of a 29-yard run from Williams early in the game, the run defense limited Carolina’s ground attack. More and more it became apparent that Moore was going to win the game with his right arm and by the end of the first half, he led them on a touchdown drive to give the Panthers a 16-14 lead.
There was little pressure on Moore in that half outside of a near sack by Osi Umenyiora on the Panthers first offensive possession. Conscious of the Giants pressure, Carolina would max-protect, keeping a running back into block along with a tight end to chip a defender whenever a blitz came.
However, as the Giants began to take control of the game in the third quarter, taking the lead and then extending the margin to eight points when Eli Manning threw his third touchdown pass of the afternoon to Hakeem Nicks, it was time for the defense to have its fun.
“The fact that we were able to hold them to field goals enabled us to turn our athletes loose,” said Barry Cofield. “With the pressure we got, it worked hand in hand. That is when we are at our best.”
The Panthers were running short on time and could no longer keep players in to block. Devoid of offensive weapons outside of Steve Smith, Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell began to dial up numerous pressure schemes, systematically break down and dismantle their offense.
Every quarterback has an internal clock they have in order to get rid of the ball. Now, the clock on Moore began to shrink. The defensive ends began to pressure him, sacking him four times.
In the fourth quarter, the Panthers tried to claw back to within one possession, but Terrell Thomas’ interception in the end zone once again ended another drive.
After another Giants turnover placed the ball their 12, Phillips came up with the third end zone interception of the afternoon.
"We created havoc on the quarterback which enabled us to get some picks,” said Corey Webster.
Last year, this defense does not make those plays. Those open lanes runners and receivers found at will were no longer available. The poor starting field position would have ended in some type of points.
Instead, the Giants held them to zero points. Three times this would happen amidst the rain in the teams’ new home.
“We’ve had some good goes in the green and the red zone during the preseason and it carried over,” said Coughlin. “Today we turned them away.”
“I think that the interceptions in the end zone when they were pressing so hard to get back in the game were huge.”
They would hold Carolina’s offense scoreless in the second half, limiting them to only 72 yards and holding Smith to just one catch, eliminating him from the game.
It was a great return to the field for a player who the defense desperately missed a year ago.
“I knew I could do it,” Phillips said about returning after missing most of last season. “The doctors and trainers were confident I could make a 100% recovery.
“I felt like myself out there. No pain or anything. I don’t feel limited in any way.”
What you could see is the defense growing stronger as the game went along. Justin Tuck was nearly unblockable on several plays. Osi Umenyiora looks rejuvenated, determined that last year was an aberration, and Mathias Kiwanuka played one of the best games of his career, getting constant pressure, picking up two sacks and forcing a fumble.
“Everybody came in with the same mentality, which was that this year is going to be a different story,” said Kiwanuka.
This was a group showing more energy and inspiration. They had the look of a defense that was having fun. There was a sense of confidence in what they were doing and went out and executed their plan.
It was a great opening act.
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