When you ask New York Giants fans about the team’s defensive philosophy, two phrases will come to mind: blitz and man coverage. It’s the chief reason that they drafted Deonte Banks in the first round, to Wink Martindale’s delight, and it might also be a contributing factor to Jason Pinnock’s starting safety job. Indeed, the 2022 Giants played the highest rate of man coverage in the NFL at 45.5%.
Looking through the Giants’ coverage tendencies, though, I was surprised to see another above-average coverage rate, one that I would not associate with a man-based coverage philosophy.