After the Giants defense made a massive leap from 2015 to last year, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo finally feels like he’s back in a comfort zone in New York.
According to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, Spagnuolo believes he has a handle on the personnel and an understanding of how the team fits together after returning to the team two years ago.
“Listen, the first year I was here in 2015, I didn’t really know what we had, (Jason Pierre-Paul) had the (fireworks) accident,” Spagnuolo said. “Last year, we really didn’t know, because we brought in a lot of new people. This is the first year in the three years I’ve been here you feel comfortable, where there’s a comfort level in knowing what we are, who we are, guys working with each other, players with players, coaches with coaches, coaches with players. So there’s a comfort level there. It doesn’t guarantee success but I think if we stay healthy we’ll be ok.”
The Giants were last in the league in total defense and ranked 30th in points per game allowed in Spanguolo’s first season back in 2015. The leap last year was substantial as the Giants improved to 10th in total defense and second in points allowed.
The improvement helped the Giants return to the playoffs for just the second time since Spagnuolo left the team following the 2008 season to become the head coach of the St. Louis Rams.