A strong pass rush is nothing new for the New York Giants. It's nothing accidental, either.
Giants coach Tom Coughlin denied a reporter's claim that it is a "luxury" to have so many defensive ends who rush the passer well during his press conference on Wednesday, four days prior to meeting the New England Patriots in Sunday's Super Bowl.
"It's not a luxury," Coughlin said. "It's a style and a way in which we prefer to play. It's a position that we place a whole lot of stock in...one of the questions that had been asked this morning was to get pressure, how do you get by doing that. If you can do it with four rather than the rest, then you can cover. You have more people involved in coverage, obviously. The great skilled defensive lineman that come along, rare or not rare, if they have the other attributes that you're looking for, they're going to give you a number of weapons. Mentioning athleticism, speed, and that type of thing, they provide versatility for you as well."
Coughlin discussed whether his team's pass rush has been a factor in its recent success against the Patriots.
"We feel that we certainly have a very strong group of men in the front, not only with the ends but with the tackles as well. We've had an opportunity to collect all of the people we had injured, and all the people who came back from being injured have played well. It's just the way we play and prefer to play. It's a pressure group, and we have played better in the back end as well, probably as a result of the ball having to come out faster than it has at certain times during the year," he said.
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