New York Giants LB Brian Burns dropped an F-bomb during a furious postgame rant following a 21-18 loss to the Washington Commanders.
New York Giants edge rusher Brian Burns was visibly upset after the team’s 21-18 loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 2.
The loss was a deflating one, and likely preventable. The Giants played the game without a kicker after Graham Gano pulled a hamstring on the opening kickoff. It severely limited them on offense and cost them dearly on the scoreboard.
The Giants became the first team in NFL history to score three touchdowns, allow none, and lose the game in regulation.
“Hats off to them, they did a great job executing,” Burns said, via the New York Post. “That offensive style, I got to watch the film to see exactly what happened but just the read option and the RPO, they’re able to kind of manipulate the defense in a way where everybody has to do their one job. If somebody’s out of their gap, they can hit it.”
Burns had some other comments that we’ll call “not safe for work.”
“When you shoot yourself in the foot, you’re f—–g yourself,” he said, via SNY.
Burns described himself as “pissed” and said the “competitive stamina” of this team must improve.
“When we have somebody by the throat, we have to finish them off. I feel like our competitive stamina needs to heighten in that aspect,” he said, via the New York Post.
The Giants allowed 215 yards on the ground and held the ball for a measly 22 minutes and change in the game. Theoretically, they should have been blown out. Their red zone defense kept the Commanders out of the end zone on six trips.
Burns finished the game with three tackles and one pass defensed.
Brian Baldinger breaks down how the New York Giants’ pass rush duo was “no hit” by the Minnesota Vikings with ease.
One of the bright spots coming into the 2024 season for the New York Giants was their dynamic pass rush duo of outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux and edge rusher Brian Burns.
Their performance in the Giants’ 28-6 opening-week loss to the Minnesota Vikings was less than inspiring. In fact, it was practically invisible.
Vikings offensive tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill kept the duo off the stat sheet — no sacks and just one QB hit between them.
The Giants had just one sack, by defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, and the lack of pressure allowed quarterback San Darnold to operate unfettered. He completed 19 of 24 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown for a QB rating of 113.2.
Retired offensive lineman and current NFL analyst Brian Baldinger broke down the Vikings’ dominance.
On Monday, head coach Brian Daboll said the preparation was not the issue, the Vikings just did an excellent job in pass protection.
“I think some of the games were good, the stunts and the games we used,” said Daboll. “I’d say the pressure was really good inside with Dexter when he was lined up in there. Again, they played the game. They played it well. They were playing in favorable situations. They get up, we get down.
“The game’s controlled a little bit. So, we got to do a better job of playing complementary football. Offense, defense, kicking game to make sure that we can get into more of those situations.”
sick play. Brian Burns tries to cut inside to fill the B gap (mid zone's favored gap) and darrisaw punishes him with the hook – exactly how you're supposed to play it but that is not an easy adjustment on the fly. Jones has to sort this all out too pic.twitter.com/cUKC2Bstrt
Thibodeaux has to be more accommodating and mature than this. As they say, success has a million mothers while failure is an orphan. He’s got to stay professional win or lose.
The New York Giants do not have a single designation on their final injury report and will have the entire roster available for Week 1.
The New York Giants open the 2024 regular season against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.
Following a summer littered with injuries — several to key players — the Giants will enter Week 1 relatively healthy and with the entirety of their roster available.
“Nope,” head coach Brian Daboll said on Friday when asked if he’d rule anyone out.
Safety Dane Belton (back), linebacker Brian Burns (ankle), quarterback Drew Lock (abdomen), linebacker Micah McFadden (groin), and wide receiver Gunner Olszewski (groin) were limited in Friday’s practice.
Full injury reports for both the Giants and Vikings can be found below:
The New York Giants host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday afternoon in Week 1, and here are three reasons for optimism.
The New York Giants will open up the 2024 regular season at MetLife Stadium on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.
The two teams will meet for the first time since the Giants upset the Vikings in the playoffs two years ago. However, both sides have experienced significant change since then.
Both the Giants and Vikings enter Week 1 with low expectations and each will be going up against a competitive race in their respective divisions.
With the Giants trying to start the season off with a win, here are three reasons for optimism ahead of Sunday’s game.
Credit: New York Giants
A special year honoring the franchise’s 100th season
The Giants are celebrating their 100th season in the National Football League. There will be a little bit of extra buzz in Week 1 as the Giants will be sporting their “Century Red” uniforms to honor the franchise. This will be the lone game they will wear these uniforms this season.
The Giants also revealed their 100th-season stadium design earlier this week which will create a little extra juice around this game.
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Players and play-callers making their Giants debut
Sunday will mark the Giants’ debut for big-time acquisition Brian Burns, running back Devin Singletary, and rookies Malik Nabers and Tyler Nubin.
Burns got a lucrative contract from the Giants after they traded for him and will look to take the Giants’ pass rush to the next level. Meanwhile, Singletary is out to help Giants fans forget about Saquon Barkley and there is a lot of hype around the rookies Malik Nabers and Tyler Nubin.
Look for all these players to get their Giants tenures off to hot starts.
The Giants will also have new playcallers on both sides of the ball. While defensive coordinator Shane Bowen will look for his defense to attack and be aggressive, head coach Brian Daboll will take over the offensive play-calling. Look for both of the play-callers to want to prove they were the right man for the job in their respective debuts.
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Forcing Turnovers
Believe it or not, the Giants’ defense caused the most turnovers in the league last season. With the addition of pass rusher Brian Burns, the front seven should improve dramatically.
The front seven should be able to get some pressure on Sam Darnold and force a few turnovers on Sunday.
There’s a new No. 0 in town for the Carolina Panthers.
Carolina Panthers tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders has his own number.
On Monday, the team announced new uniform numbers for six players ahead of the 2024 regular season. The rookie pass catcher headlined the switches, as he’ll be going from No. 85 to No. 0.
Sanders, Carolina’s fourth-round pick from this year’s draft, wore No. 0 during his final two seasons for the University of Texas Longhorns. And that number saw some numbers—as he reeled in 99 receptions for 1,295 yards and seven touchdowns en route to a pair of First-team All-Big 12 selections in 2022 and 2023.
Shortly after being selected by the Panthers, Sanders told reporters that he was planning on claiming his digit—but also admitted that he had to earn it first.
“That’s the plan,” he said with a smile. “If I’m lucky enough to get 0, then I’m definitely taking it for sure.”
The 21-year-old will be the second player in franchise history to don No. 0—which was first worn by Brian Burns in 2023.
All six uniform number adjustments are as follows:
That continued last week with a viral video released by the team in which Burns admits that his favorite smell is, well… We’ll let him speak for himself.
“You want me to tell you what the smell is? That’s crazy,” Burns said when asked if he’s ever enjoyed a smell he’s supposed to find gross.
Many other Giants admitted they liked the smell of gasoline in a post the team has since deleted. Burns also likes the smell of gas.
TRENDING: #Giants star DE Brian Burns says he enjoys the SMELL OF HIS OWN FARTS
“Sometimes I enjoy my farts,” Burns said. “They don’t smell too bad. I’m not going to lie. If you eat right, you’re fine.”
Safety Jason Pinnock had an equally gross answer.
“Earing backs,” he said with a laugh.
Wide receivers Darius Slayton and Wan’Dale Robinson, cornerback Deonte Banks, and linebacker Micah McFadden all answered “gasoline” with the latter adding “Sharpies” to the list.
It’s easy to see why the Giants’ social media team deleted the video from both X and Instagram, but they should have left well enough alone. It was a funny line from a funny guy and if you’re going to interview Burns, you had better expect some wild answers.
ESPN has named New York Giants linebackers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns a top-10 pass rush duo ahead of the 2024 season.
When the New York Giants acquired edge rusher Brian Burns from the Carolina Panthers in the heart of the free agency period, they had hoped to take their defensive line to the next level.
The Giants ranked seventh overall on the list, behind the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, and Philadelphia Eagles.
The duo of Thibodeaux and Burns should be strong from the jump in 2024 and with Dexter Lawrence also in the mix, the defensive line is expected to be one of the elite units in the NFL.
ESPN also ranked the top 50 edge rushers where the Giants saw Burns, Thibodeaux, and Azeez Ojulari make the list. By no surprise, Burns was the highest-ranked Giant on the list at ninth overall.
The model is projecting Burns’ first season with the Giants to result in a sack increase after he was dealt from Carolina this past offseason. Burns has been a steady performer at a level just below the elite pass rushers, maxing out at 12.5 sacks in 2022. He managed only eight last season, though playing on a bad Panthers team that was rarely ahead contributed to the lower total. The Giants aren’t much better, but Burns’ history of consistently strong win rates and his 2022 production buoys his forecast.
Given the amount the Giants gave up for Burns and the contract that ensued following the trade, there are big expectations surrounding the veteran.
This will be the most talent Burns has ever been around on a defensive front and they should be the Giants’ strongest defensive unit this season.
To create our list, we asked a panel of dozens of ESPN NFL experts to rate players based on performance expectations for the 2024 season compared with their peers. Emphasis was placed solely on the upcoming season and predicting potential greatness rather than on past performance or positional value. From those ratings, we ranked the best players in the league.
In total, three members of the New York Giants made the cut beginning with left tackle Andrew Thomas.
Lucas Boland-USA TODAY Sports
76. Andrew Thomas
OT | Giants Age: 25 2023 rank: 56
Thomas might have been even higher on this list if he hadn’t been limited to 10 games last season because of a hamstring injury. When Thomas is on the field, he’s proved to be an elite left tackle. His 92.4% pass block win rate over the past two seasons ranks seventh among all tackles. Just look at the impact he has on the Giants’ offense. New York averaged 12.1 points per game over the first eight games when he wasn’t healthy. It averaged 18.1 points per game after he returned from the injury. He might be the most important player on the Giants’ entire roster. — Jordan Raanan
Signature stat: Thomas has the seventh-best PBWR among tackles since 2022, sustaining his blocks for 2.5 seconds 92.4% of the time (ESPN Analytics/NFL Next Gen Stats).
Dropping 20 spots is a rough fall for Thomas, who underperformed last season as the result of the aforementioned hamstring injury. He has looked dominant this summer and assuming a full return to health, should re-establish himself as one of the best left tackles in the NFL this season.
Next up for the Giants is a bit of a surprise.
Dustin Satloff/Getty Images
54. Dexter Lawrence
DT | Giants Age: 26 2023 rank: 48
Lawrence’s numbers as a nose tackle are unmatched. He racked up 24 quarterback pressures last season lined up across the center, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. No one else had more than eight. Look no further than what Aaron Rodgers said after facing him two years ago to see the respect he now commands around the league. “No. 97 is a premier player. And needs to probably get more recognition for the ability that he has,” Rodgers said. He’s starting to get noticed. — Jordan Raanan
Signature stat: Lawrence is one of four players since individual sacks were tracked in 1982 to record at least 20 sacks and 250 tackles in their first five seasons with the Giants; he joins Jason Pierre-Paul, Carl Banks and Leonard Marshall.
2024 projection: 56 tackles, 5 sacks
Lawrence in this spot is surprising because ESPN suggests there will be 53 players better than Lawrence in 2024. They also have him falling six spots despite assuming the role of the NFL’s most dominant interior defender. This feels like disrespect.
Last up for the Giants and their highest-ranked player is a brand new addition.
Lucas Boland-USA TODAY Sports
32. Brian Burns
Edge | Giants Age: 26 2023 rank: 54
Burns has had at least eight sacks in each of the past four seasons and his pass rush win rate of 20.4% is the 14th best among all players during that span. The Giants showed what they thought of Burns’ game in Carolina when they traded for him this offseason and then handed him a $141 million deal. So far, Burns has impressed. Cornerback Nick McCloud said he was in “awe” of the explosion Burns possesses at his size (250 pounds). The Giants even think Burns can take his game to the next level playing with Dexter Lawrence II in the middle and Kayvon Thibodeaux on the other side. — Jordan Raanan
Signature stat: Burns’ 46.0 sacks is the second most by a Panthers player in franchise history through the first five seasons of their career, trailing only Julius Peppers (53.5, 2002-06).
2024 projection: 60 tackles, 9 sacks
With Kayvon Thibodeaux playing alongside him, we’re taking the over on Burns’ projected 9.0 sacks. He’s been impressive every time he’s stepped on the field and should benefit from a lot of one-on-one matchups because offensive coordinators now have to pick their poison.
Like Thomas and Lawrence, expect Burns to be higher on this list next year.
The New York Giants plan to deploy a pass rush that brings an “animal” attitude in 2024, with hopes of returning to their former glory.
The New York Giants know their traditional path to success is through their defense, most notably the pass rush.
The past decade the Giants have not had the level of success that they had enjoyed during their Super Bowl period and the results have been evident in the standings. They have had nine losing seasons over the past 11 years.
This season promises to be different. Kayvon Thibodeaux, the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, is an ascending star. He is coming off an 11.5-sack second season and is poised for even greater success.
The Giants decided that Thibodeaux may not be enough to satisfy new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen’s system, so they traded for Carolina Panthers Pro Bowl edge rusher Brian Burns this past offseason.
Burns, a former first-round pick himself, has 46 sacks over his five-year NFL career and has never had less than 7.5 in a season.
The Giants now have a formidable duo that opponents will have to account for. “Pick your poison” is the message. You can’t stop them both.
Combined with All-World defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence in between them, the possibilities are limitless for the two. The Giants know this and plan to exploit the mismatches early and often in games.
#Giants Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux on what the addition of LB BRIAN BURNS will mean for this defense 💪😈
The plan is to keep both on the field as much as possible to keep the pressure on opposing offenses. With a defense that will be blitzing less and relying on its front four to apply pressure. The strategy will hinge on both players playing a ton of snaps.
That won’t be a problem for Thibodeaux or Burns, who rarely came off the field in 2023. From the New York Post:
Thibodeaux (86.8 percent of the defensive snaps playing under former Giants coordinator Wink Martindale) and Burns (82.8 percent in his 16 games playing for the Panthers) both ranked among the NFL’s top 18 edge rushers in total defensive snaps logged last season.
And when the duo needs to be spelled, the Giants have capable reserves in Boogie Basham and Azeez Ojulari. First-year outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen believes the Giants have more than ample resources to get four quarters of high-level play each week.
“The biggest thing is no drop-off,” Bullen told reporters recently. “If Burns or K.T. is tired, we have to get the next guy in. We have to have waves of fresh players. If you look at any of the great fronts over the years who have had consistent production, there is no drop-off. My push to all the non-starters is that the standard is the standard, and whoever is in there has to uphold it.”
Panthers LB Shaq Thompson had a little fun when asked about former teammate Brian Burns on Wednesday.
The Carolina Panthers defense is no longer about Brian Burns.
Following Wednesday’s outing of training camp, linebacker Shaq Thompson was asked about the loss of the two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher. The 10th-year veteran, a teammate of Burns for five seasons, responded with a bit of humor.
“Ah, forget Burns. We don’t need Burns,” he said jokingly. “That’s my guy. I’ma miss him. Hope he does well out there in New York. I’m happy for him. He got paid and stuff like that.”
He sure did.
After failing to reach middle ground with Burns on an extension, the Panthers shipped the 26-year-old off to the New York Giants in March. Burns would promptly get the deal he was looking for from his new employer—signing a five-year, $141 million pact with Big Blue.
Carolina’s defense will likely miss Burns, who led the team in sacks in each of the past two seasons. The departure may hurt even more considering the Panthers just finished dead-last in that category in 2023.
Thompson, however, seems to believe the unit is fine the way it is.
“But it’s not about Burns right now,” he continued. “We got [Jadeveon] Clowney, we got all these other guys coming in here, learning this defense and excelling at this defense. I’m happy to be out here with these guys, sharing the same field with these guys.
“Be out there for Clowney, be his secure blanket. If he doesn’t know something just go out there, talk to him, make sure he understands his technique and stuff like that. But not just him. The young guys—Eku [Leota], Luiji [Vilain] and all the guys that are outside ‘backers.”
Along with Leota and Vilain, who both stood out in last Thursday’s preseason opener, the Panthers will also look to free-agent signees D.J. Wonnum and K’Lavon Chaisson as well as 2023 third-round pick DJ Johnson to provide the pressure.
