Giants Insider: New defensive coordinator Charlie 'Chuck' Bullen already has the respect of his players
Giants new defensive coordinatior Charlie Bullen during training camp in East Rutherford, N.J., on June 18. Credit: Ed Murray
Charlie Bullen’s first week as defensive coordinator started with a different sight at Wednesday’s practice.
The Giants went through tackling drills in which groups of players shifted around the field to learn technique from different position coaches. At one point, the defensive backs worked with defensive line coach Andre Patterson.
Bullen said it’s happened before this season and that it was a collective staff idea. But given the Giants’ defensive woes, it stood out with a new voice in charge trying to fix a unit that has looked broken.
“There’s times when working on those types of fundamentals, tackling or whatever, it’s more beneficial to do it in an individual setting,” Bullen said Friday. “Sometimes it’s more beneficial to do it in a group setting. And at that moment in time, we thought that we’d go that route.”
The defense has been awful, but Bullen’s work as outside linebackers coach has been great. Brian Burns’ career-high 13 sacks leads the NFC. It explains why Bullen, in his second season with the Giants, was promoted after Shane Bowen was fired Monday.
But now comes the test. How will Bullen function as a first-time play-caller Monday against the Patriots?
He has earned the respect of his players and even allowed them to call him by a nickname.
“Chuck’s a good guy,” Cor’Dale Flott said Friday. “He talks to everybody in the room so everybody’s comfortable with him. His style, it’s carrying over. Gave praise to Shane Bowen and we’re ready to attack as a defense and play for Chuck as well.”
It sounds similar to how interim coach Mike Kafka endeared himself to the players with his personality. Like Kafka, Bullen wants to be an aggressive coach and let his players thrive instead of over-scheming things.
“I understand fully that it’s a talent-driven league and a player-driven league,” Bullen said. “So to me, as a coach, my philosophy is always players over plays and how can we as coaches, even as a position coach, maximize our players’ abilities and put them in position to have success?”
One of Bullen’s coaching mentors is Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. They spent four seasons on the Cardinals when Joseph served in the same capacity.
Joseph’s defenses are known for being aggressive, with anybody able to cause havoc in the backfield, not only his pass rushers. The Broncos have been one of the NFL’s best defenses the last two seasons, and according to Sharp Football, they enter this week with the NFL’s fourth-highest blitz rate.
Does that mean the Giants, 15th in blitz rate, will blitz more? Bullen said “it might be” but didn’t give away specifics.
Dexter Lawrence gave a clearer answer Saturday.
“He’s keeping it simple,” he said. “He’s allowing the guys just to fly around and be players, he’s teaching that aggressiveness, that defensive swag that we should have.”
It could mean more sack opportunities for players other than Burns. That might help, given that the Lions kept Burns without a sack and teams might try to scheme around him these last five games.
Whatever shakes things up is necessary. The Giants tied an NFL record last week by coughing up a double-digit lead for a fifth game. They’re 30th in total defense and last in rushing yards allowed per game.
It’s too late in the season to reinvent things, but Bullen’s task will be fine-tuning a unit that’s been disappointing, even if it means reviewing the fundamentals in practice.
Said Bullen, “As best I can, I just want to put these guys in position to succeed so that their skill sets are maximized and they can play as fast as possible.”
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
