An elite pass-rush. It was a staple for the New York Giants’ Super Bowl XLII-winning team. It was the catalyst to success again four years later when they hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XLVI. And it’s once again expected to be the focal point of the team as they enter the 2024-25 season.
Featured in those Super Bowl wins was a unique defensive package, patented by former Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo (now the DC for the Kansas City Chiefs). Spagnuolo introduced the world to the infamous “NASCAR” package — a defensive line configuration that took the interior defenders off the field and loaded up the front line with pure pass-rushers.
A recent quote from new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen seems to indicate that he could look to reintroduce that package (or implement something similar to it) this season.
Could the Giants bring back the NASCAR package?
Back in its hay day, the NASCAR package was an undersized, yet lethal configuration that featured Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, and Mathias Kiwanuka. All four of the pass-rushers were defensive ends. Spags dropped the interior lineman for ends and let them loose as pure pass rushers.
Bowen seems to want to do something similar this year with Ojulari. He mentioned deploying the third-year edge rusher on the interior in a recent media session:
“Azeez, possibly,” Bowen told the media when asked who could line up on the interior alongside Dexter Lawrence(h/t Giants.com). “…Again, when you get to those passing situations, it’s finding the best four, whoever that is and however we got to coordinate it, to be able to get to the quarterback. He gives you a lot of versatility in that regard.
“I think (Brian) Burns gives you some versatility. KT (Kayvon Thibodeaux) gives you some versatility in that regard. It’s just a matter of where you place them. If you’ve got three edge guys on the field, well there’s only two edges. So, it’s where you place them.”
Bowen’s quote seems to indicate that, not only does he envision Ojulari pass-rushing from the interior, but that he could also deploy his star edge rushers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux in that role as well. Having those edge rushers line up with their hands in the dirt would be all-too-reminiscent of Spagnuolo’s NASCAR package.
What the Giants’ 2024 NASCAR package could look like:
Rotating with Ojulari on the interior could be fellow edge rusher Boogie Basham Jr. The Giants acquired Basham last summer via trade from the Buffalo Bills. He was a second-round pick for Buffalo back in 2021 but was in need of a change of scenery.
Basham is 6-foot-3, 273 pounds and possesses a prowess against the run that could give him unlocked upside as an interior defender. Although he is a defensive end, his versatility to play both inside and outside could make him a valuable piece to Bowen’s creative pass rush.
Keeping Burns, Thibodeaux, and Lawrence on the field together at all times will be the priority. However, some upside could be unlocked by placing another defensive end on the interior alongside Lawrence in that second defensive tackle position. Ojulari and Basham could fill that role.
With the addition of Burns, the Giants’ new defensive line trio combined for 24 sacks and 149 pressures last season (PFF):
- Dexter Lawrence: 4.5 sacks, 65 pressures
- Kayvon Thibodeaux: 11.5 sacks, 44 pressures
- Brian Burns: 8 sacks, 40 pressures
Keeping those three on the field and adding another twitchy pass-rusher to the mix with Ojulari could give the G-Men a NASCAR-style pass rush that tantalizes opposing quarterbacks. Bowen’s creativity in this regard could pay massive dividends for the Giants’ defense this season.
