NY Giants Week 4 Defensive/Special Teams Player Review: How It's Done

• Dexter Lawrence

This week was this big guy’s Grand Awakening to the 2025 season. Lawrence played big all game long, starting with that huge first-quarter interception that he initially deflected. 

Lawrence kept his cool and brought in the deflection, and then returned it 37 yards to the Chargers’ 4-yard line. Alas, the offense settled for a field goal on what should have been a game-changing play. 

Lawrence had already deflected one early pass and was a massive presence between the tackles all game long. The Chargers had two big running plays today, and both came against the Giants’ soft edges. 

Lawrence blew up several pass plays with some lightning-quick inside upfield moves. He handled the double teams better than he has all season. 

There were several stunts where he drew so much attention that pressure from elsewhere resulted, including the big 16-yard sack by Brian Burns late, which was a significant play. 

Though he only finished with one tackle on the stat sheet, Lawrence was a monster on the interior pass rush from start to finish. This was easily his most impactful game of the year.

• Roy Robertson-Harris

We’re still waiting for this big vet to start making a difference inside, but his slow start continued, resulting in another invisible performance. 

Robertson-Harris came up empty on the stat sheet, though he can be relied upon to be where he’s supposed to be, which pretty much means staying out of Lawrence’s lane and maintaining his own space. 

He’s still not shedding single blocks, but he is holding up to the double teams. This run defense was not necessarily gashed between the tackles this week; rather, most of the damage this week came off-tackle and wide.

• Darius Alexander 

Getting plenty of rotation snaps, Alexander once again showed better on the pass rush, but came up small inside against the run, especially against the double teams, which he is just not handling well at all. 

On a light-running day from the Chargers (13 attempts), Alexander also came up empty on the stat sheet.

• D.J. Davidson

Another pit player who came up empty on the stat sheet, Davidson did flash on one play-action pass that saw him crash the pocket, albeit a bit late. 

Davidson also took a good angle on a wide red zone run, but he didn’t quite get there. His snaps were limited to rotation.

• Elijah Garcia

Getting just a smattering of snaps, the ball never came his way, and he never got to the ball, leading to another defensive lineman shutout on the sheet.

Outside Linebackers 

• Brian Burns 

Perhaps the defense’s best player this week (as has been the case so far this season), Burns created a good half dozen pressures from various angles, hit the quarterback on four of them, played some immaculate dropback coverages and finishes, made several electric plays in pursuit, and ended the game with five total tackles plus one very big sack. 

On 3rd-and-9 near midfield with the Chargers driving to tie it up, Burns executed a breathtaking stunt off the strongside edge (with an uncredited assist to Dexter Lawrence in setting things up) that resulted in a 16-yard quarterback sack that knocked the Chargers out of field goal range and forced a punt with just 3:30 on the clock. 

The Chargers didn’t get the ball back till there was 0:18 left on the clock. The defense’s pass rush was in high gear all game long, Burns being one of its leaders. 

• Kayvon Thibodeaux

Also contributing to the defense’s big pass rush day, Thibodeaux was a constant physical presence coming off the weak side edge. He finished the day with three quarterback hits of his own, including the other sack by the defense. 

There were also several more pressures plus some solid run defense, though Thibodeaux was victimized by at least one of the Chargers’ big edge runs when he took a heavy inside rush off the snap and was easily sealed inside. 

Regardless, he was a legit force from all angles throughout today’s game, making some big contributions with his physicality. 

• Abdul Carter 

We tried counting all of Carter’s splash quarterback pressures today, as they approached double figures — that’s how active he was. 

The rookie continues to flash best off the edge, but he’s also needed inside on some passing downs. His pass rush inside is not as effective due to the heavy traffic. 

Carter remains a scintillating weapon in space, not only with his insane foot speed for his size, but with how quickly he reads and reacts to plays. The more he sees, the quicker he will play, which seems kinda scary. 

He only has a half sack on the year, but he surely leads the defense in pressure. He led the defense today with five quarterback hits, but the pressures were double that. 

He finished with one measly tackle, which is why the stat sheet should never be taken as gospel. This kid is getting it done and has been since opening day.

• Tomon Fox

Getting a handful of rotation edge snaps, Fox did not hurt the team with his solid and physical contain.

Inside Linebackers 

• Bobby Okereke

Okereke finished with just four total tackles on the day, and appeared to be the main culprit-slash-spectator on the Chargers’ third-quarter 54-yard touchdown run that made it a 3-point game. 

We were stunned by the lack of urgency in his reaction to this play. He was in position but simply stood by and watched the running back fly past him at the line of scrimmage. 

Once again, there were a few impact plays from Okereke, even though he never left the field. He did commit an offside penalty when he was being sent on a rare blitz. We remain convinced that he’s dealing with some sort of physical ailment.

• Darius Muasau

Returning to the starting lineup after missing last week’s game with a concussion, Muasau returned to the field seemingly renewed and playing a much more physical brand of defense than he was playing before the injury. 

Muasau led the entire defense with six total tackles, at least half of them being physical finishes, and almost every one of them coming near the line of scrimmage. This week was easily this second-year man’s best game of the young season.

• Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles

Injured all summer and inactive in Weeks 2 and 3, Flannigan-Fowles actually got his first uniform of the year in Week 1 where he just played specials. 

This week, this 29-year-old, six-year vet (and former safety) got some snaps on passing downs with the defense. He was around the ball a bit, and in fact was the contain edge (his presence keeping the quarterback in the pocket) on Brian Burns’ big 16-yard sack. 

Though he didn’t dent the stat sheet, this vet appears to be a coverage specialist who can be mixed and matched on defense while also contributing on special teams.

Defensive Backs 

• Paulson Adebo

This veteran may indeed be the defense’s CB1, but we sure wish he were a bit more physical out there. 

He recorded four tackles, most of them coming on short passes completed in front of him. However, he also had several very soft edges that made him vulnerable to being pushed around and beaten down. 

He also got his hands on another ball, and though it was a low and hard pick to make, the fact remains he had a chance for another turnover, and once again, he came up short.

We like the way that Adebo plays the game – he’s alert and disciplined and is always around the ball. But his lack of physicality is alarming. 

• Cor’Dale Flott 

Flott’s five tackles all came on short completions. His coverage was consistent throughout. 

We believe he has the best deep speed in the current secondary, which enables him to reach places none of his teammates can. 

He’s playing the best ball of his young career, keeping himself healthy and away from piles and holding up to the occasional physical stuff that comes his way.

• Dru Phillips

The secondary’s best player this week, bar none – this coming after he was scorched in this space just last week, primarily for his pre-snap issues – Phillips capped off what we consider to be his best game as a pro with a third-quarter interception that he returned 56 yards to the Chargers’ 3-yard line. 

The offense cashed in with a touchdown, thanks to Phillips’ big play. It was just one of numerous big plays he made. 

Early on, he drew a big holding flag when he crashed into the middle of the line of scrimmage on a running play, beating a guard to the punch. 

It was Phillips’ play in slot coverage, however, that was the most impressive. From start to finish, he dominated receiver Ladd McConkey, knocking away four balls and suffocating his opponent. 

The coaches kept Phillips primarily in coverage on the run defense today, and it really paid off, as it held down the Chargers’ prolific passing game. 

• Deonte Banks

We continue to be perplexed by this young player, who combines solid play with inexplicable moments. 

It’s obvious that the Giants’ opponent every week maps out ways to attack Banks in coverage, confident in their plans that Banks’ lack of wherewithal will reward them with success. 

This week was no different. On a first-half 3rd-and-18, Herbert scrambled, and Banks was losing his contain, peeking inside where he had not one but two teammates’ support, leaving his sideline completely wide open for Herbert to get the yards and the first down. 

This kind of lack of smarts and discipline is just not supposed to happen in this league, and yet Banks keeps making his mistakes. 

Want another example? The Chargers had the ball near midfield at the end of the first half, seemingly happy to settle for a field goal. Then they spotted Banks isolated on a receiver, 12 yards off his guy.

What happened next? Banks fell for a stutter-and-go, was beaten soundly, and gave up the kind of back-breaking touchdown that isn’t supposed to happen in this league. 

The good thing about Banks is that he has a short memory. He keeps playing, finishing the game on a high note with three total tackles, while also knocking away a pass. 

His talent is real, but so is his lack of football intelligence. As long as he’s playing in this secondary, opponents will find him at the most crucial of spots, and he will get beaten. 

The coaches keep hoping that something will eventually click between the ears, and maybe it will, but so far, it hasn’t.

• Tyler Nubin 

There were a few more quick-reacting plays from Nubin that got him into position to make a tackle. Much more than half the battle in this league is getting yourself into the right spot at the right time. 

His four total tackles this week were all around the line of scrimmage, which is where we like him best; however, his inability to make tackles in space out wide reveals a lack of agility and athleticism that is troubling.

• Jevon Holland

We liked a lot of what Holland did in deep coverage, handling almost every situation that came his way, as well as some that were unexpected. 

Holland was sharp mentally and was around the ball on several short completions with sticky coverage. He only finished with three total tackles, but it was his deep coverages that the Chargers mostly stayed away from. 

On the big Chargers second-quarter touchdown throw, we’re not sure why Holland wasn’t the deep help on that side instead of Dane Belton. If Holland had been back there, we wonder if the Chargers still would have gone that way.

• Dane Belton 

When the Chargers saw not only Deonte Banks in soft solo coverage and Belton as the deep safety, they must have been drooling. 

Yes, Banks was the primary culprit on this much-too-easy touchdown, but Belton was the late-arriving safety. That’s more of a coaching error than a player one, as Belton needs to be placed in situations that best benefit him, not threaten him. 

Instead, he was back there on an island, despite not having the requisite foot speed to recover. 

Belton finished with two tackles in his role roaming the line of scrimmage with smarts and discipline, but you just can’t expect him to cover the deep spaces and expect him to thrive. 

Special Teams

• Jude McAtamney 

With Graham Gano on IR, the coaches surprisingly chose to go with this rather unproven international youngster over the veteran they signed this week, Younghoe Koo. 

Did McAtamney win the kicking competition in practice this week, or was this a move to the future – going with the kid with a future -- for a team that so desperately needs to move on from the aging and injury-prone Gano? 

We think it was a little bit of both, but for whatever reason, this team had not only the rookies Dart and Skattebo to watch, but also the new kicker, who did not disappoint. 

We weren’t overly thrilled about two of his kickoffs going into the end zone – which automatically hands the opposition field position at the 35 – as his other three kickoffs were returnable and covered very well. 

What we really liked about this kid was how smoothly he struck his three placekicks. The kicks were one extra point and field goals of 22 and 31 yards, so there was nothing to get too excited about, except McAtamney’s form looked so familiar. 

That’s right, it looked like a younger, bigger version of Gano was out there kicking. That said, the kid has a long way to go to prove himself. Let’s hope he’s given a legit chance to be this team’s kicker for the balance of the year. 

He has leg strength. Can he do it under pressure? Can he hit the long kicks? Like we said, McAtamney’s got a lot to prove. Is this the season to see if he can do it?

• Jamie Gillan 

After excoriating Gillan in this space for the first three weeks of the season, this week was the game where Gillan answered all of his critics with perhaps his best punting day as a Giant. 

His first punt was a majestic 58-yarder from his own 20, flipping the much-needed field position. 

His second punt was a 46-yard pooch that was fair caught at the Chargers’ 9-yard line; a penalty moved the ball to the 5-yard line. 

His best punt of the day came from his own end zone, Gillan once again flipping the field with a monster 69-yard moon shot. His fourth punt was another pooch that was fair caught at the 9; another great job. 

His final punt of the day was his only average one (40 yards), but it was fielded at the 13-yard line and returned only 3 yards. It also left the Chargers with only 0:18 left on the clock. 

That’s five productive punts, of all stripes. Pooches, moonshots, call them what you will. This week, Gillan out-punted the other guy’s very good punter, and it contributed to the win.

• Casey Kreiter

More of the same from this vet, deep-snapping extraordinaire.

• Gunner Olszewski 

On a day of solid decision-making and north-south punt returning, Olszewski returned two punts for 14 yards, had his best return of 15 yards nullified by a holding call, and fair-caught another. 

His decision to allow a first-quarter punt to hit the turf with the hope of it bouncing into the end zone did not turn out as Olszewski hoped. The punt bounced and rolled down to the 1-yard line, placing the Giants' offense in terrible straits. 

Olszewski had the opportunity to fair-catch this punt; next time, hopefully, he’ll make a better decision. 

• Devin Singletary

We have to question the wisdom of having Singletary return kickoffs this week, given that he was one of only two running backs active for the game. 

Fortunately, the veteran did a solid job returning his two KO opportunities as the Giants' special teams continued their fine play through four games. Singletary’s two returns gave the offense field position at the 29- and the 39-yard lines.

• Deonte Banks

The surprise kickoff returner alongside Singletary, Banks, did well to return his two chances to the 40- and the 25-yard lines. Overall, that’s good production from these teams.

• Art Green

The punt team’s starting strongside gunner in the first few games flipped over to the weakside on several punts this week and continued his fine play. 

Green drew one holding flag and played disciplined contain throughout, never once overrunning the catch spot. Green also assisted on one of the kickoff coverage tackles.

• Nic Jones 

Jones also played some fine gunner play as well as contained on kickoffs. On Gillan’s 69-yard punt, Jones refused to be decked by the returner, held his contain, and assisted on the short return. Jones was also flagged for holding on a Giants punt return.

• Neville Hewitt 

We love the way that Hewitt throws his body around on kickoff coverage. The organization has upgraded the quality of its coverage group, transforming this historically weak kickoff cover team into a legitimate team strength. 

Why the coaches had McAtamney kicking off into the end zone mystified us, as kickoff coverage had been good all year and even better over the last two weeks.

• Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles 

This veteran linebacker has been a solid addition to the special teams. He has a nice combination of speed and physicality that makes this group tough to get through. Flannigan-Fowles contributed a solo kickoff tackle and was around the ball on every coverage.

• Dane Belton

The team’s punt team fullback continued his top-shelf special teams work with three more tackles, two of them coming on punt coverage.

• Chris Manhertz

The surprise appearance of Manhertz on today’s stat sheet was one for the ages. This veteran, not known for his open field prowess on the football field, contributed not just one but two special teams tackles, both on punt coverage. 

The final coverage of the day was Manhertz’s big play as he made a diving tackle just as the returner was about to turn a corner. Who knows what would have happened if he got there, but Manhertz’s big play ended the return at three yards, and shortly thereafter, the Giants had won their first game of the year.

• Tomon Fox 

The Giants’ reserve outside linebacker contributed on special teams with a solo tackle on kickoff coverage. Whenever given the chance, Fox has been a steady player on the team’s specials.