How Shane Bowen and the Giants' defense got on the same page

"It was just one month ago that defensive coordinator Shane Bowen had to publicly apologize for not being aggressive enough in the closing seconds of regulation in Dallas, allowing the Cowboys to get into field goal range to send that practically-won game into overtime and then win it as time expired in the extra period. Since then, the Giants have won two games and his defense played well enough in a third to have won it were it not for the five straight offensive turnovers."

"In the four games since the Dallas defeat, the Giants' defense has allowed an average of 19 points per game (the Saints had one touchdown on a fumble return). They have registered four takeaways in the last three games after just one in the first three, have seven sacks in the last four games and allowed just five touchdowns in the last three. So what changed? Simple. Bowen did."

"As with many coaches who are pushed to the brink of their tenures, Bowen had to start truly listening to his players and begin to trust them to pull him back. He had to realize that the theories and philosophies he drew up during the week may have looked great on a whiteboard but on the field they needed to be tweaked to account for the players' abilities."

One month after a public apology for late-game conservatism that allowed the Cowboys to force overtime and win, the Giants' defense has markedly improved. Over the next four games the unit allowed an average of 19 points per game, recorded four takeaways in three games after only one in the first three, totaled seven sacks, and surrendered just five touchdowns across three contests. The shift followed defensive coordinator Shane Bowen beginning to listen to and trust players, adjusting schemes to match personnel. New additions and healthier veterans — including Jevon Holland, Paulson Adebo, Abdul Carter, Darius Alexander, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence — contributed to the turnaround.

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