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New York Giants: Comparing Landon Collins and Lawrence Taylor

By John Franklin

Nov 6, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants safety Landon Collins (21) reacts after stopping the Philadelphia Eagles on fourth down during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 6, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants safety Landon Collins (21) reacts after stopping the Philadelphia Eagles on fourth down during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 22, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Ryan Mathews (24) runs with the ball before being tackled by New York Giants strong safety Landon Collins (21) during the second half at Lincoln Financial Field. The Philadelphia Eagles won 24-19. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Ryan Mathews (24) runs with the ball before being tackled by New York Giants strong safety Landon Collins (21) during the second half at Lincoln Financial Field. The Philadelphia Eagles won 24-19. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Pro Bowl and All-Pro Players in Year Two

Both Collins and Taylor were named to the Pro Bowl and named First Team All-Pro in their second year in the NFL. Taylor made his second Pro Bowl in 1982 as a member of the Giants. In the 1982 season, Taylor was absolutely outstanding for the Giants defense.

In 1982 there was a player strike which only allowed for nine games to be played. During those nine games Taylor notched 7.5 sacks, and perhaps had one of the most memorable moments of his career.

In a Thanksgiving Day game against the Detroit Lions, in front of a national audience, Taylor made a play that would go down in Giants history. Lions quarterback Gary Danielson threw a pass to the left sideline where Taylor stepped in front and picked the ball off. He returned it 97 yards for a touchdown, and it would be the difference as the Giants won 13-6. At the end of the season, Taylor was an obvious choice for First Team All-Pro.

Collins had a stellar season for the Giants this year, and it got him his first invitation to the Pro Bowl. Collins was a ball-hawking safety in 2016, and with the Giants adding Darian Thompson in the 2016 draft, Collins was able to move back to his original position of strong safety.

The switch proved to be more than effective as Collins put up some gaudy numbers. Just like Taylor, Collins had an iconic moment happen in the second year of his career. The Giants took on the Rams in London this year, and Collins made an interception.

The interception was impressive, but it was the runback that was more iconic. He returned the ball 44 yards to the house, but felt more like 100. He ran sideline to sideline to avoid being tackled, and it worked as he ultimately ran the ball back for a touchdown.

This was one of five interceptions Collins had on the season, and he paired it with 125 tackles, four sacks, and 13 pass deflections. Collins was the first player in NFL history to have over 100 solo tackles, more than two sacks, at least five interceptions, and with a minimum 12 pass deflections in a season. Just like Taylor, he was an obvious choice for First Team All-Pro.

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