Another one bites the dust for the Giants. Yesterday they placed another player on season-ending injured reserve when backup defensive end Adrian Awasom was removed from the active roster.
Awasom, the ninth player to reside on IR, went down in Sunday’s 35-13 loss to the Packers with a fractured traverse process in his neck. His loss means the Giants have three defensive ends on the roster, which might prompt the shifting of linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka back to his natural end spot. The Giants also have a defensive end, Marquies Gunn, on their practice squad.
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The Giants have had major problems dealing with opposing tight ends (14 receptions, 171 yards, three TDs) in the first two games, and this weekend must contend with Chris Cooley of the Redskins, who has hurt the Giants before in the passing game.
How damaging has the defense been in this 0-2 start and, moving forward, how critical is it for the Giants to clean up their defensive mess? Well, since the NFL expanded to 32 teams in 2002, 25 teams have finished a season ranked among the bottom five in the league. Three of those teams had a winning record: the 2003 Chiefs (13-3, ranked 29th), the 2004 Colts (12-4, ranked 29th), and the 2005 Bengals (11-5, ranked 28th). The combined record for those 25 teams was 163-237, a .407 winning percentage.
The Giants, after allowing 80 points and an average of 432 yards in their two losses, are ranked 29th in the league in total defense. The only teams ranked behind them are the Bengals and Browns (Cincinnati’ 51-45 shootout victory Sunday had something to do with that), and the Bills.
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This is the 18th time in their history the Giants have started a season 0-2. In the previous 17 seasons, they finished with a losing record 12 times (including the last eight in a row). Their best final record after an 0-2 start was 9-5 in 1970.
The previous time three Giants quarterbacks threw a pass in the same game (as they did vs. the Packers) was Oct. 8, 1978 against the Cowboys. The unholy trio that day? Jerry Golsteyn, Joe Pisarcik and Randy Dean. The Giants lost, 24-3.