The man in charge of the New York Giants' defense is a familiar face. Steve Spagnuolo's return after his gallop around the NFL following his Super Bowl run with Big Blue from 2007 to 2008 has brought with it hope that the 29th-ranked defense can turn it around quickly.
The Giants defensive coordinator is pumping the breaks off the bat, however.
"This isn't an on-and-off switch where, boom, all of a sudden we're back to 2007 and we pick up where we left off," Spagnuolo said, per ESPN.com. "It doesn't work that way. It's a different challenge. It's a different year. It's different personnel. I'm not a magician. Things aren't going to happen like they may have happened in a different time. But hopefully, something exciting will happen. At least that's the goal."
The Giants gave up 6,012 yards on defense last year, and there still remains a plethora of question marks. Their four-man line has just two surefire-starters in Jason Pierre-Paul and Johnathan Hankins, their linebacking unit might be one of the weakest in the NFL and the safety corps consists of a rookie with cover issues and a Manhattan-sized question mark. Oh, and Spagnuolo also admitted he doesn't know who will play nickel corner yet.
If the Giants are to make the leap into the playoffs, it will be on the back of an explosive offense and a defense that finds its way, congealing and answering big questions as the season nears.
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