The New York Giants aren’t content with being one and done after upsetting the Dallas Cowboys, so Big Blue will throw a “curveball” at the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2, after making a 350-pound change to the active roster before the matchup on Monday Night Football.
That change involved promoting journeyman nose tackle Josh Tupou on Wednesday, September 16. Tupou was moved from the practice squad to the gameday group for the trip to SoFi Stadium. The move is a bit of a curveball,” according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic.
Duggan does see a method to the apparent madness. A method to help the Giants stand up to an NFL-leading play the Rams love to use to gash defenses.
Josh Tupou Part of Plan for Rams
The Giants adding more beef to the trenches is a smart way for the Giants to counter how the Rams dominate teams on the ground. Specifically, the NFC West outfit uses one particular concept and one certain personnel grouping to wear down the interior of defenses.
Duggan pointed out how the “Rams lead the league in Duo rate by a mile, so imperative to have DTs stout against double teams. That’s what Tupou brings.”
Duo combines inside zone and power-running ideas with a pair of double teams at the heart of the trenches. The obvious counter is to field defensive tackles big enough to hold double teams and prevent those duo blockers from getting to the second level and absorbing linebackers.
As Duggan put it, “Tupou brings” the potential to be a magnet for double teams. He’s a 6-foot-3, 350-pound natural nose tackle who plays with a low center of gravity and pushes the pile.
Tupou’s core talents are well known to Giants’ head coach John Harbaugh, who worked with the player for the Baltimore Ravens. Harbaugh also knows how important it is for the Giants to keep blockers off inside linebackers Arvell Reese and Tremaine Edmunds, so they can stop the Rams’ favorite rushing scheme.
That won’t be easy when the Rams sit near the top of the NFL in another notable category. They used “13 personnel,” one running back and three tight ends, on 36.8 percent of their plays in Week 1, the second-highest mark in the league, per ESPN’s Bill Barnwell.
Bills (40.4%) Rams (36.8%) Jags (17.9%) Jets (17.5%) Bears (15.7%) Ravens (15.6%) Cards (15.3%)
Having three tight ends in the lineup lets the Rams secure one or both edges and leaves extra bodies available for double teams inside. Wrecking those doubles is why Tupou’s in the mix, and why another D-tackle could be in trouble.
Giants Rebuilding Defensive Front for Bigger Test
The Giants already have an expert in handling double teams against the run. A formidable veteran who kept his promise about adequately replacing former Giants’ All-Pro Dexter Lawrence II in Week 1.
Nobody missed Lawrence while the Giants were bottling up the Cowboys’ ground game. They held 1,201-yard running back Javonte Williams to just 3.4 yards per carry and a long run of only eight yards.
The Giants’ stouter showing against the run was powered by nose guard D.J. Reader. He led a line that only featured second-year pro Darius Alexander for 18 snaps, according to Pro Football Reference.
Alexander’s facing a pivotal season after barely making a dent as a rookie. New defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson called Alexander out this offseason, urging the 310-pounder to play tougher against the run.
It seems Alexander didn’t respond well to the challenge. Instead, he entered this campaign facing the prospect of losing his spot along the interior to a converted edge-rusher.
So it proved, when edge Chauncey Golston got onto the field for 28 snaps against Dallas. The Giants and Golston still bullied a Cowboys’ offensive line missing a three-time Pro Bowler on the inside, but the Rams are bigger and better up front.
Golston’s a 277-pounder who the Rams can overwhelm with “Duo” blocking. Harbaugh and Wilson can’t let that happen, so they’ve reacted by throwing a “curveball” and putting extra mass next to Reader at the point of attack.
Giants Reveal ‘Curveball’ for Rams With 350-Pound Roster Change