Steelers Film Room: Giants crack in their defensive armor

6-5 with a chance to make a statement on Sunday vs. a 8-3 Giants team in a now suddenly open AFC, the Steelers are going to have to attack the Giants through the air early and often.

Just where though?

Isn’t this Giants secondary very good?

Yes they are, but I’ll tell you what isn’t, their LBs. Again, just like last week, the Steelers are going to have attack them often in the pass game and get the matchups they want.

That’s right, attack the LB’s again.

Attack the LBs, again

Unlike the Colts run defense, the Giants are the 4th best run defense in the league entering week 13 and are only allowing 3.5 yards per carry, but just like the colts, their LBs struggle badly in coverage.

Against the Bears in week 11, they struggled to cover Zach Miller vertically.

Often against the Bears, I noticed the LBs were caught out of position, and right here, Devon Kennard was trailing Miller in coverage the whole entire time. Miller isn’t exactly the fastest cat at the TE position, and the fact he averaged about 20 yards per catch in that game on just 3 catches just shows how much they struggle.

Kennard isn’t exactly the only athletically challenged linebacker either.

This is Keenan Robinson and he fails to carry Miller up the seam and Cutler throws it right to the tight ends breadbasket. Couldn’t quite tell, but the giants definitely blitzed on this play and it looks as if the only guy who was responsible for the middle of the field was Robinson.

I know I sound like a broken record, but this Giants defense doesn’t have a ton of weaknesses but it’s glaring weakness against tight ends has really shown up the past 3 or so weeks and teams have been trying to exploit them over the middle.

You know what’s crazy (other than the formation)? If you thought Miller average a ton of yards per catch, well Tyler Eifert the previous week, wound up averaging 32 yards per catch on (you guessed it) 3 receptions. Jonathan Casillas left one on one with Tyler Eifert is just not a recipe for success.

I’m not going to sugarcoat this, the Giants flat out cannot cover tight ends and the Steelers must look to exploit them, if they hope to win Sunday.

Conclusion

The Giants going into week 13 have given up 60 catches to tight ends, which is the 8th most in the NFL.

The Giants are very sound defensively and have shown a pass rush regenration the past 2 or so weeks just like the Steelers and Landon Collins is making a big case for defensive player of the year.

Every piece of armor though has it’s cracks and the Giants crack in their armor is their linebackers.

Look for the Steelers to exploit them with Ladarius Green and Le’Veon Bell often.