Tremaine Edmunds did not view the New York Giants' sound Week 1 run defense as a surprise. Dallas finished with 69 yards on 18 carries in Big Blue's 28-20 win, and the veteran inside linebacker pointed back to the work that started in the spring.
Attention to detail, he said, had been the emphasis through the offseason and training camp. The Cowboys had a capable running back, a strong offensive line, wide receivers and a tight end. The plan was to take the run away and make that offense one-dimensional.
“I’m not surprised because it’s what we’ve been doing,” Edmunds told reporters on Monday. “It’s what we’ve been preaching in our room. So, to see it come to light on that stage, it was good to see.”
The personnel that made it possible was just
as notable. Edmunds and rookie Arvell Reese played every defensive snap, a rare pairing in a league that so often trades linebackers for extra defensive backs. Edmunds is used to staying on the field when he is healthy. What stood out was keeping two traditional inside linebackers out there together and presenting a different look to offenses that expect smaller bodies in those spots.
“I’m a linebacker, man,” he said. “I’m always an advocate to see the linebackers out there moving around, making plays. So, it’s always exciting to see. Hopefully, we can keep gaining that trust from our peers, that trust from our coaches to be on the field.”
That choice fits the physical standard John Harbaugh has pushed since he arrived. Edmunds said he was confident before kickoff because padded practices had already looked that way. The defense had spent camp taking on the Giants’ own offensive line, fullback Patrick Ricard and the rest of a unit built to finish blocks.
When Edmunds watched the tape, he saw the same ease in the last four quarters on offense, defense, and special teams.
“I wasn’t surprised at all,” Edmunds said. “Anytime we’ve had pads on, it’s been physical. That’s Harbaugh, that’s our offense.”
The next test comes on Monday night in Los Angeles. The Rams are coming off a lopsided loss, creating an easy narrative about anger and a bounce-back. Edmunds isn't buying it. He will prepare around what the Giants can control and treats the NFL as a week-to-week league.
"I look at it as that’s a good football team that we have to go play and we got to do all the necessary steps it is to the process of it, to go win a football game. It's not necessarily what happened the week before or what's going to happen the week after. We can't predict that. It's all about being present in the moment and doing all the necessary steps to go out there and win one game," he said.
It does not matter if a team lost by 40 or won by 40. New York still has to show up, take the necessary steps, and win one game.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Attention to detail fueled New York Giants' Week 1 stand against the run
