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5 Things We Learned

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5 Things We Learned: What the coordinators said

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The Giants were back on the practice field Thursday as they continue preparations for their Week 15 matchup against the Ravens.

Coordinators Mike Kafka, Shane Bowen and Michael Ghobrial spoke with reporters during their weekly press conferences, while coach Brian Daboll met with the media prior to the start of practice.

Here are five things we learned Thursday.

1. Henry 'tough to bring down one-on-one'

One week after facing the tough task of slowing down Saints running back Alvin Kamara, the Giants' defense has another difficult challenge coming to MetLife Stadium Sunday. The soon-to-be 31-year-old Derrick Henry is having one of the best seasons of his nine-year NFL career in his debut campaign with the Ravens. Through 13 games, Henry has carried the ball 240 times for 1,407 yards, good for a career-high 5.9 yards per carry, and a league-high 13 rushing touchdowns. He's also caught 13 passes for another 125 yards and an additional two touchdowns, giving him a league-leading 15 total touchdowns on the season.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 247 pounds, Henry is quite possibly the most physically imposing running back in the NFL. The veteran back has racked up a whopping 51 missed tackles forced, along with an impressive 3.53 yards after contact per attempt. After spending six seasons with Henry in Tennessee, defensive coordinator Shane Bowen knows how big of a challenge his defense faces this weekend.

"I think the first thing is just the size," Bowen said about Henry. "He's an outside linebacker playing running back. He's 250-plus pounds. Runs hard. It's going to be tough if you let him get downhill. Tough to bring down one-on-one. You've got to get hats to the ball. It's going to take more than one guy. Probably the best stiff-arm guy ever. He uses it as a weapon. Just in my time there, seeing some of the things he was able to do with the stiff arm gives me nightmares this week.

"But he's a special player and we've got to make sure we do a good job of hopefully keeping him bottled up. And the thing that's unique about him is if he has the crease and he's rolling, he takes it the distance. He makes your pay, and guys don't catch him and that's showing up this year as well."

View photos of the Giants on the practice field at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.

2. Bellinger 'kind of a Swiss Army knife'

The Giants placed tight end Theo Johnson on injured reserve last week due to a foot injury suffered in the Thanksgiving game against the Cowboys. The rookie had started every game this season, but his injury paved the way for Daniel Bellinger to retake his spot in the starting lineup. While he had only played limited snaps prior to Week 14, the third-year tight end took advantage of this expanded opportunity.

Through the first 12 outings of the season, Bellinger totaled just three receptions for 31 yards while not playing more than 36 percent of the offensive snaps in any game. Those numbers saw a big increase this past Sunday with Johnson out. Bellinger played 78 percent of the offensive snaps against the Saints and caught five passes for 45 yards, tying him with Malik Nabers and Tyrone Tracy for the most receptions on the team in Week 14. Despite the limited playing time over the first 12 games, the 24-year-old stayed ready all season, something that did not surprise assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.

"Belly is a guy we've leaned on here for the last couple years, so it was nothing new to us," Kafka told the media Thursday. "Bellinger is always going to do a good job, no matter what his role is. Whether it's not getting a lot of touches, whether it's getting a lot of touches and being a part of the pass game, the run game. He's kind of a Swiss Army knife in that respect, where he can play a bunch of different positions."

3. Filling in for Nubin

The Giants have been decimated by injuries on both sides of the ball this season. The latest starter to land on injured reserve is safety Tyler Nubin after he suffered an ankle injury during the team's Week 14 loss. With only four games remaining, Nubin's rookie campaign has come to an end after 13 games.

Despite his first season getting cut short, Nubin put together a strong rookie year. Through 13 games, Nubin's 98 total tackles are the most on the team and lead the entire rookie class. One factor that played a big role in Nubin's productivity was the fact that the rookie safety had missed just two defensive snaps all season prior to Week 14. Despite being a rookie, Nubin had developed into one of the leaders on the Giants' defense, something that his coordinator said the team will miss over the final four games.

"He's one of our leaders back there," Bowen said about the rookie safety. "Him and J-Pin (Jason Pinnock), they kind of run the show, especially with Bobby (Okereke) being out here these last few weeks. So, I mean, it's big, but again, with anybody, next guy up. We've got to be ready to go. The good thing for us is Dane (Belton) has played, he's been involved, he's an experienced player. It's not like he's super raw and green and hasn't played snaps. So, I'm excited about his opportunities. Get him out there, go see what he can do, and we'll keep moving forward here."

4. Hamilton plays 'all over the field'

While Derrick Henry is considered a physical specimen on the offensive side of the ball, Kyle Hamilton offers a similar size mismatch on the defensive side of the ball. The 6-foot-4, 224-pound defender is listed as a safety, but the Ravens line him up all over the field with over 200 snaps in the box, at free safety and in the slot in addition to nearly 60 snaps on the defensive line. After the success he's had in the NFL, especially since the start of last season, it's no wonder the Ravens deploy him in numerous positions across the defense.

Hamilton was named first-team All-Pro last year after he registered 81 tackles (63 solo), three sacks, 10 tackles for loss, four interceptions and 13 passes defensed. The 23-year-old is having a similarly dominant season this year, as he has already topped last year's tackle total with 88, and in two fewer games. While the Ravens have talented players on all three levels of their defense, Hamilton is one player that you must account for on every play.

"He's everywhere," Kafka said about the Ravens safety. "He's all over the field. He plays safety, he plays nickel, he plays inside linebacker and he is a talented player. He can handle all that. He's a smart player out of Notre Dame. I remember watching him a couple years ago in that first round, as you're peeking at guys that are potentially going to be in that first round order both offensively and defensively. I know guys that liked him a lot and he was a good player."

5. Neal returns to practice; Banks has chance to play

As mentioned earlier, the Giants have been hit with the injury bug this season, but especially in recent weeks with 19 players currently listed on the Week 15 injury report. For the second consecutive day, quarterback Drew Lock (heel/left elbow), defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches (neck/shoulder), linebacker Bobby Okereke (back), cornerback Dru Phillips (shoulder) and guard Jon Runyan (ankle) did not practice, putting their statuses for Sunday in doubt.

One player that was able to return to practice Thursday after missing Wednesday's session was offensive tackle Evan Neal, who has been dealing with hip and ankle injuries. The third-year tackle has played 100 percent of the team's offensive snaps over the last four weeks.

Cornerback Deonte Banks has missed the last two games due to a rib injury. However, the young corner has been a limited participant in each of the first two practices this week, and on Thursday, Daboll told the media that the second-year corner has a chance to suit up this Sunday.

View rare photos of the all-time history between the New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens.

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