The Giants looked at the Packers backfield, where injured quarterback Aaron Rodgers should have been, and they saw Scott Tolzien, a grizzled veteran of one NFL game. They also saw rookie Eddie Lacy, who for the previous six weeks was the league’s leading rusher.
And so a bull’s-eye the size of the entire Giants’ defense landed on Lacy.
“Going into the game, you have a young quarterback, an established offensive line, a big-time running back who’s a load. A hard tackle, you’ve got to swarm,” said linebacker Jon Beason after the Giants made it four straight victories in the wake of their near-catastrophic 0-6 start by defending the Packers into a 27-13 Sunday at Met Life Stadium. “We were able to stop the run.”
By hard tackling, by swarming, by meeting the load head on. Oh, Tolzien threw for 339 yards but Lacy, who had accumulated 618 yards in his previous six games, was limited to a mere 27 yards on 14 carries with a long run of 5. He did managed a 4-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that got the Packers within 20-13, before Jason Pierre-Paul returned a back-breaking interception for a touchdown.
“That’s the focus, man. It always starts with the run,” Justin Tuck said. “We’ve played pretty good against some pretty good backs this year as far as taking their running game out of the contest.”
Add Lacy to that list.
“We couldn’t really get the running game going,” Lacy said. “We knew it was going to be tough going in.”
Yeah, 55 total rushing yards team-wide qualifies as tough.
“They have a great D-line. They shed blocks good. Their pursuit to the ball was good,” Lacy said. “Overall, they have a great defensive line.”
The Giants affirmed Lacy’s comments.
“It wasn’t me, I didn’t do much of anything,” said a laughing Beason who came up with a momentum-changing interception that thwarted the Packers on the initial drive of the second half. “It was more our defensive front. Man, you get those guys lined up collectively, they’re as good as anybody in our league. I really believe that.
“It’s like having windshield wipers out there and if they’re going to sit back and make all the plays, that’s fine with me,” Beason added. “I’ll stay on the second level and watch and enjoy the popcorn.”
Even Giants coach Tom Coughlin was pleased with a Giants defensive effort that allowed three rushing first downs.
“We did a great job against them,” Coughlin said of stuffing the rush.
But then, that’s always first and foremost.
“That’s always our focal point, especially our front seven,” Tuck said, “to go out there and be the more physical unit and shut down the run and not really give that offense a two-headed weapon.”