Giants’ defensive curveball leads to relentless pounding of Deshaun Watson
NY Post
CLEVELAND — The team that does not specialize in applying pressure via the blitz changed things up and that made all the difference.
“I mean, they switched up the game plan,” Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson said Sunday, after he finally picked himself up off the turf after a hard day’s work at Huntington Bank Field.
The Giants sacked Watson eight times and hit him 17 times, severe punishment that had Browns fans booing and jeering as the Giants went on the road and notched their first victory of the season, 21-15.
Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen is not known for heavy blitz packages, preferring to rely on establishing pressure up front with his four defensive linemen.
The Browns started out double-teaming both edge players, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Bowen adjusted by sending pressure up the middle, where Dexter Lawrence was dominating anyway.
“We knew there would be opportunities to get home because he’s a dynamic player, he looks for the big play, he likes to extend play,” Burns said. “We just kept in our minds to stay relentless and stay in the rush and that’s kind of what we did.”
The Jets were quiet on Day 2 of free agency after adding a new quarterback Monday.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Brett Berard has displayed both a fiery passion and an admirable patience in the last six months of his hockey career, which reached the NHL level for the first time at the end of November.
PORT ST. LUCIE — The baseball calendar says the Mets have about two weeks until Opening Day, but Francisco Lindor’s mind is on another timetable as these dog days of spring training pass.
The man with the best nickname on the team is one of the few Knicks who has made it this far relatively unscathed in the court of public opinion.
For a guy who seemingly is always headed out the door, Darius Slayton has a way of never leaving.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The Rangers stood by their defensive structure in the immediate aftermath of their Weekend of Missed Opportunities, in which they had two chances to capture the top wild-card spot in the East and failed to do so in such disappointing fashion.
PORT ST. LUCIE — Luis Torrens helped inject life into the Mets’ season last year but now faces even larger responsibilities with the team.
The Jets are having a Fields Day.
SACRAMENTO — P.J. Tucker understands his reputation as a hard-nosed player who is willing to vocalize displeasure.
The Yankees have insurance on Gerrit Cole, which is a positive thing in a very worrisome situation.
Could’ve, would’ve, should’ve, oh, the Rangers might’ve had a weekend if they had only buckled down after taking a 3-1 lead into the final 10 minutes in Ottawa on Saturday.
GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Dodgers’ last two steps to a championship were eliminating the New York teams last October, and it is hard to miss how much of a better February and March Los Angeles is having as well.
The Jets kicked off free agency by keeping one of their own.