It is not correct, Osi Umenyiora says, to assume members of the Giants defensive line are feeling the heat to generate more quarterback sacks.
No one can hit one out of the park unless the ball is pitched.
“It’s just like a guy who’s a slugger and every single time they’re throwing him balls,’’ Umenyiora said yesterday. “They’re trying to walk him and then you’re asking why he’s not hitting home runs. If they pitch him the ball, he’s going to hit a home run.
“We’re not getting pitches. It’s really that simple. When we get the pitches whenever we get ahead, whenever we get one-on-one blocks, we’re going to take advantage of them, but we’re just not really seeing that right now.’’
Umenyiora, with six sacks, is just behind Jason Pierre-Paul (6 1/2) for the team lead, with the other pass-rushing defensive end, Justin Tuck, stuck on three. Umenyiora says he knows he and the others are judged by their sack totals, which are down for all three. He insists sacks, while important, are not the end-all and be-all.
“We can say it till we’re blue in the face, but the only people who know and actually sit there and watch this for a living … we know exactly how it is that we’re actually affecting the quarterback and the teams that try and take us away,’’ Umenyiora said. “So at the end of the day sacks are what everybody looks at, so we have to find a way to get more.’’
The only sack last week against Drew Brees was by Umenyiora mid-way through the fourth quarter, despite Brees dropping back 44 times. That sounds like not enough pressure until you hear defensive coordinator Perry Fewell explain the gameplan against the Saints was to make Brees’ feet “hot’’ and “move the launch pad,’’ meaning not allow him to set himself before throwing.
In other words, don’t worry about sacks.
“It’s kind of the strategy that I put them in last week,’’ Fewell said. “Our guys are very cooperative. It took a lot for them to do what I asked them to do last week. It wasn’t the most sack-friendly game for them, but it was the way that we felt we had to win that football game.
“We’re not exonerating them from getting sacks. Obviously we want more pressure on the quarterback. Should we have had sacks? Yes, we should’ve had sacks, but I did not put them in the best position to accumulate multiple sacks last week.’’