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Factoid

New York Giants

Secondary has been very opportunistic in recent years

The Giants Defense is best known for its pass rush. It's transitioned from Michael Strahan to Justin Tuck to Jason Pierre-Paul without missing a beat. But you may be surprised to learn that it's made a bigger impact with its secondary than its pass rush in recent years.

New York has ranked higher than 14th in sacks just once in the last five years; outside the top 20 in three of those seasons. But in interceptions, it's been one of the league's best over that span.

The Giants have put a lot of free agent dollars and draft picks into their secondary, drafting Landon Collins and Eli Apple and signing Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Janoris Jenkins. With that core, it's totaled 87 interceptions over the last five seasons. That's an average of 17.4, 3rd-best.

Interceptions have been on the decline league-wide, but New York is a defense that's defying those trends.

Team interceptions over the last five season, sorted by total picks, are shown below.

INTERCEPTIONS, 2012-2016
Team20122013201420152016Total
Arizona222018191493
Cincinnati142020211792
N.Y. Giants211717151787
Carolina112014241786
Seattle182813141184
Buffalo122319171283
Tampa Bay182114111781
Green Bay181118161780
Denver161718141479
New England201716121378
San Francisco14182391074
Kansas City7216221874
Chicago2419148873
Atlanta201016151273
Cleveland171421111073
Miami101814131671
Philadelphia81912151670
Washington21167111368
Houston15720141167
L.A.-St.L. Rams171413131067
Tennessee191312111267
Detroit11152091065
Baltimore13161161864
Indianapolis12151217864
Minnesota101213131462
San Diego14117111861
Pittsburgh101011171361
Oakland1199141659
Dallas715188957
New Orleans1512129957
N.Y. Jets1113618856
Jacksonville121169745

--Andy Richardson

Fantasy Index