Brian Burns Challenges Giants Defense After Missed Plays vs. Bengals

Defense isn’t the reason the New York Giants lost to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6, but edge-rusher Brian Burns still challenged the unit to “live up to who we say we are” after some missed opportunities during the 17-7 defeat on Sunday Night Football.

Speaking to reporters after the game, per SNY.tv’s Giants Videos, Burns said, “It’s frustrating. There’s more plays to be made. More things that we can do, you know, to change the game. And if we want to be an elite defense, and live up to who we say we are we have to make those plays.”

Burns focused his ire on a specific play late in the game when inside linebacker Micah McFadden forced a fumble by running back Chase Brown. Safety Jason Pinnock failed to recover and the ball trickled out of bounds.

As Burns put it, “When that ball came out, that’s a ball we have to get. Simple as that. We had the opportunity. It was on the ground.”

Rather than calling Pinnock out for this nearly moment, Burns is speaking to the high standards the Giants must set and meet on defense. The unit has elite potential, but simply can’t let key plays get by them.

Especially when the offense is struggling for consistency.

Brian Burns’ Harsh Words Set a Standard

Burns earned the right to speak out after delivering a dominant display against a high-powered Bengals offense. The two-time Pro Bowler was a force, both against the run and the pass, en route to some impressive statistics relayed by Bleacher Report’s Ryan Fowler.

This was the kind of performance the Giants hoped to see on a regular basis after they traded two draft picks, including a second-rounder this year, to the Carolina Panthers for Burns. Things haven’t always gone to plan, with Burns even being blasted for his own no-show against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4.

The 26-year-old has responded brilliantly since then, and he’s setting a standard for the rest of the defense to meet. It’s a high standard, one that means the Giants can’t pat themselves on the back simply for bottling up the Bengals most of the night.

Allowing two long touchdown runs, a 30-yarder by Brown after his fumble, as well as Joe Burrow’s 47-yard touchdown on 3rd-and-18, shows there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

What the Giants do have on defense is a strong platform for success. It’s a foundation created by Burns, fellow teammates and some clever scheming.

Giants Were Physical and Clever Defensively vs. Bengals

This was the second game in a row where the front seven of the Giants dominated the line of scrimmage. Burns notched one of four sacks against Burrow, with two more coming from fellow edge-rusher Azeez Ojulari.

The latter lived up to the billing as a worthy replacement for injured Kayvon Thibodeaux. Ojulari “had six pressures and 2.0 sacks. The six pressures is tied for the most of any player in Week 6,” according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.

Big Blue’s dominance wasn’t just on the field. Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen won the X’s and O’s battle with a smart gameplan that had more than a hint of Bill Belichick about it.

Specifically, Bowen took a slightly unorthodox approach to covering dangerous Bengals’ wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. All-Pro Chase is the main man, but Bowen didn’t have his top cornerback, Deonte Banks, trail No. 1.

Instead, Bowen had “Banks going with Tee Higgins. Giants trying to bracket Chase with Cor’Dale Flott and a safety,” per Raanan.

This was something Belichick would often do when head coach of the New England Patriots. Bowen learned his defense from one of Belichick’s former players, Mike Vrabel, with the Tennessee Titans.

The Giants were expected to run a Patriots-style, opponent-specific brand of defense when Bowen replaced Don ‘Wink’ Martindale as play-caller. So far it’s working because the “Giants’ defense hasn’t allowed more than 21 points in a game this season,” according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic.

If only the offense was setting the same standards.