This one Giants position group is already dominating and it could spark a turnaround in New York
The New York Giants have an elite pass rush trio of Abdul Carter, Brian Burns, and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
It’s hard to find positive takeaways from a 0-2 start to a season. While the New York Giants have been frustrating to watch, there is one clear strength that this team has.
Through the first two games, the highly regarded pass rush unit featuring Abdul Carter, Brian Burns, and Kayvon Thibodeaux has been highly disruptive. Both games against the Washington Commanders and Dallas Cowboys are filled with highlight plays and statistics to indicate their dominance.
While it will take a lot for this team to produce a winning record in 2025, there is a clear path for these three pass rushers to be a formidable unit to face every season.
Giants’ pass rush trio is wreaking havoc
Despite the Giants’ defense having a plethora of issues, their pass rush trio is keeping this team in games. Whether it’s the porous run defense against the Commanders or the sloppy penalties against the Cowboys, the rest of the defense hasn’t made it easy for the Giants to stay tight with their opponents.
The driving force has been Carter, Burns, and Thibodeaux’s creative deployment. While all three players are rarely on the field at the same time, they’ve individually and collectively found success.
Per Pro Football Focus, Carter leads the group with six quarterback hurries, Thibodeaux has five, and Burns has four. Carter also leads the trio in pass-rush win rate at 14.1%, with Burns at 11.4% and Thibodeaux at 10.6%. Additionally, Carter is tied for 17th in the NFL in hurries, while Burns is tied for fourth in sacks with three.
Also, per NFL Pro, all three players have been comically efficient at generating pressures. Carter, Burns, and Thibodeaux all have average times under three seconds for their average time to pressure. They also all average a pass rush get-off under one second.
It was expected that this unit would be one of the best in the NFL by the end of the season. The most promising aspect of this production is that it has achieved results in just two weeks. We’re witnessing many instances in which they’re freeing each other up to make plays because offensive lines do not know where to direct their attention.
When we add the context of the Giants having faced back-to-back offenses with quality offensive lines that their teams have invested heavily in bolstering, it makes their success more stark. It’s even crazier when we recognize they faced two of the better quarterbacks in the NFL at evading pressure and making throws under duress.
As we’ve seen through the first two weeks, the pass rushers can’t win games for this team alone. They need more from their teammates if the Giants want to reach their true potential. But if the Giants can build around this three-headed monster, then they can have a sturdy foundation for success after 2025.
New York Giants News
Giants HC Brian Daboll refuses to address controversial decision from Week 2 loss to the Dallas Cowboys
New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll avoided addressing the questionable play calling on a final play that cost them the game.
