After two weeks of regular season play, the New York Giants defense has allowed 882 yards and nine touchdowns (NFL.com). Most of this production has come at the expense of rookie cornerback DeAndre Baker and the secondary. Baker, one of college’s dominant press cornerbacks in 2018, has been slaughtered in the defensive backfield.
Note a specific about Baker mentioned above — he’s a press-corner. Defensive coordinator James Bettcher’s scheme has forced Baker to play off-ball coverage, a weakness in his game and a skill he’s attempting to learn during consequential competition. This preseason, Baker looked excellent in coverage and locked down Giants receivers in practice, but those successes haven’t translated against actual opponents.