It’s not unfair to say the New York Giants need a hero or two to help save their ailing 2022 NFL season. A fast and surprising 7-2 start is now a fading memory after an 0-3-1 run that threatens to deny the Giants a first playoff berth since 2016.
Confidence should be low amid this dismal a run of form, but two key members of Big Blue’s defnese have described themselves as “superheroes.” There’s only one problem.
This dynamic duo doesn’t want to be known as “Batman and Robin.” Instead, the pair prefer comparison with a go-to condiment few sandwiches are complete without.
Giants’ Caped Crusaders Prefer Something Different
Azeez Ojulari knows he and fellow edge-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux are “superheroes.” That’s what he told Steve Serby of the New York Post: “We try to get after it, man.”
Serby compared the duo to a “young Batman and Robin,” only for rookie Thibodeaux to declare “Nah, I don’t like Batman and Robin.”
Fortunately, the fifth player taken in this year’s draft knows exactly how to describe his partnership with Ojulari: “We’re like peanut butter and jelly. I say that because one isn’t more important than the other. One doesn’t taste better than the other. They’re different, but they’re equally important.”
Thibodeaux even knows which is which: “He’s peanut butter, I’m jelly though.” Although, the former Oregon standout is willing to compromise: “All right, I’ll be peanut butter. I’m good for your health.”
Straying out of the realm of comic books and sandwich fillings, Thibodeaux even made an apt musical comparison, per Art Stapleton of northjersey.com:
He said Ojulari is classical music, Thibodeaux is hip hop.
But then he called their pairing Peanut Butter and Jelly. “Different,” Thibodeaux said, “but better together.”
Whatever names they choose to go by, Thibodeaux and Ojulari have a crucial role to play during the run-in. It’s a role based on their shared talent for making life miserable for quarterbacks.
Thankfully for the Giants, it’s something both have been doing for fun in recent weeks.
Giants Have Something Special on the Edges
The sack numbers won’t bowl anybody over. Not when Thibodeaux has just two QB takedowns to his credit, while Ojulari has recorded four.
Success for edge-rushers is about more than sacks, though. Smart players know how effectively pressure erodes offenses over time.
Pressurs is a currency Thibodeaux has been dealing in all season, according to Nick Falato of SB Nation’s Big Blue, citing numbers from Pro Football Focus:
Here are all of his pass rushing reps from Week 14
Thibodeaux wasn’t the only one who showed out in a losing cause during Week 14’s 48-22 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles. Ojulari was also in the mood to dominate.
The Giants’ second-round pick in 2021 has been on a tear since returning from a spell on injured reserve due to a calf problem. Ojulari continued his upward trend against the Eagles, as numbers from Empire Sports Media’s Alex Wilson showed:
Fittingly, Ojulari’s first game back was Week 13’s 20-20 tie with the Washington Commanders. The Giants face their NFC East opponents again on Sunday Night Football in Week 15.
It’s a must win game after the Commanders overtook the Giants as the sixth seed in the NFC playoff bracket. Another defeat for the Giants would almost certainly spell doom for their postseason hopes.
Big Blue’s best chance of avoiding one more damaging setback will be for a struggling defense to get back on track. Coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale’s unit has surrendered 28 or more points in three of its last four games.
Stopping the run will be the priority against the Commanders, so the Giants need to improve their effort and tackling after being steamrolled by the Eagles. The pass rush will be just as significant, though, with the Giants needing to force some turnovers from gusty but erratic Washington passer Taylor Heinicke.
Martindale’s defense sacked Heinicke five times in Week 13, with Ojulari and Thibodeaux both getting home. Dexter Lawrence also got in on the action, and the stellar nose tackle explained the differences between Thibodeaux and Ojulari, per Serby.
Lawrence described Ojulari as “Unique. He knows how to keep his separation from offensive linemen, has a good speed rush. … I think he’s like a savvy rusher.”
Ojulari’s speed and subtlety is contrasted by Thibodeaux’s brute force, according to their teammate: “Kayvon is more of like a stronger type of rusher. They both do a good job of rushing off the edge and making the quarterback step up.”
Lawrence and Martindale will hope Thibodeaux and Ojulari can meet in the middle often and hammer Heinicke enough to give the Giants the edge in their season-defining game.
Giants ‘Batman and Robin’ Want Better Nicknames