New York Giants secondary performance is a primary concern
By Ed Stein
The safeties have played well at certain times. Back to Monday, Antoine Bethea recovered two Dallas turnovers. Upon closer review, his interception on the first play of the game happened because of a Dak Prescott mistake, he didn’t see Bethea. Fumble recoveries are always a crapshoot and when Randall Cobb was separated from the ball by Jabrill Peppers, it went to Bethea.
Yes, Peppers made a great hit. He’s made several this season. Unfortunately, the good plays by both safeties are spaced too far out by poor tackling and soft coverage. When the Giants traded Odell Beckham to Cleveland for Peppers, they were expecting a replacement for Landon Collins, but the 25th overall draft pick of 2017 hasn’t measured up. Bethea is 35 years old, quite long in the tooth for an NFL defensive back. The fact Big Blue doesn’t have anyone younger and faster to replace him speaks volumes.
Jenkins has probably been the New York Giants best defensive player this year. With the exception of his dismal performance against Mike Evans and Tampa Bay, he’s been Pro-Bowl quality. Unfortunately, his arm tackle attempt on Blake Jarwin‘s 42-yard catch and run Monday was awful and detracted from an otherwise good showing. From the above photo, it’s hard to tell whether Jenkins is trying to bring the Dallas tight end down or looking to get a “low five.”
Nickel back Michael Haley has been a disaster, he is absolutely lost in pass coverage. If it weren’t for DeAndre Baker, he could be the worst defensive back in the league. I’ve waited to write about Baker until the end because I want to cover the other defensive backs first, so I wouldn’t miss anyone.