Charlie Bullen has New York Giants defense playing back up to standards

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The New York Giants fired Brian Daboll after their Week 10 loss to the Chicago Bears, which dropped the team's record to 2-8 for the third consecutive season. It was another game where Big Blue had the lead in the fourth quarter, but the defense failed to hold.

It would be two more close losses before interim head coach Mike Kafka fired defensive coordinator Shane Bowen and replaced him with outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen.

Bullen has changed the unit's approach to a more aggressive style. The unit he inherited was near the bottom of the league in many major statistical categories. Since Bullen took over, the defense has vastly improved, and he is making a case for himself and Kafka to be retained past this season.

The Giants no longer have a passive approach to defense. Even though they have just one win since Bullen took over, they have looked more like a Giants-style defense.

One of the keys to Bullen's success has been getting rookie linebacker Abdul Carter interested and untracked. Carter, the third overall player selected in the 2025 NFL draft, was wallowing under Bowen's system to the point where his dedication had begun to wane.

Punitive half-measures for lateness and missing team-related activities were falling short under Daboll and Bowen. Kafka and Bullen have Carter fully engaged and ready to take his place as one of the Giants' future leaders. He is playing at the level the team had hoped when they drafted him.

"I just think you see a guy who's learning and growing as a young player, and sure, he's hitting his stride right now and is feeling good about what he has to do," Kafka told reporters on Monday. "I think Charlie is doing a really good job of putting him in positions to be successful, moving him around not only on the perimeter but in the core, complementing him with (Brian) Burns inside as well.

"Then on top of that, he does have a couple other pieces on that defensive line that are getting a little bit of attention in Dexter and Burns, so he's getting some one-on-one opportunities and he's taking advantage of it. When teams look to double Abdul, that's when Burns and Dex step up.

"So, I think you're seeing a well-run room up front. They're doing a nice job of getting pressures in general. In the back end, they're doing a good job of being sticky. Charlie's mixing up the coverages in the back end to allow these guys the opportunity to rush the passer."

The Giants, Bullen, and his defense will close out the regular season at home in Week 18 against the Dallas Cowboys.

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Charlie Bullen has Giants defense playing back up to standards

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