Strahan: Giants defense needs an, ahem, offensive personality

As usual, Michael Strahan is blunt, and as usual, he's correct when asked a simple question: What's gone wrong with the Giants defense?

"The problem is they need an ass---- in that locker room," the former Giants defensive end said. "When I was there, I was the ass----. I liked being the ass----.

"You need someone on a defense who tells it like it is," he added. "They need to get in guys' faces and push them. That's not an easy job. It's easy to just sit back and watch and say nothing. That's what the Giants players [on defense] are doing. No one is taking charge. They're still searching for someone to do that."

His words are strong but they're accurate.

When Strahan was a Giant, he was one of the more decent guys I've met in 20 years of writing. But on the field, Strahan was nasty, turbulent and fierce. There's little question the Giants aren't just missing Strahan's talent; they're missing his unique ability to motivate the people around him.

They're missing him being an ass----.

And I mean that in a good way.

The basic point Strahan makes: Who are the leaders on the Giants defense? The answer is, no one really knows yet.

How far the 7-5 Giants go this season will depend on who develops into that leader. The Giants have a history of high-performing and vocal greats on the defensive side of the ball, from Strahan to Jessie Armstead to Harry Carson to Lawrence Taylor and many others.

This is one of the first times in recent Giants history they don't have that kind of vocal and talented player.

Despite the lack of defensive leadership, the Giants still have more heart than the Dallas Cowboys (which isn't too difficult) and more overall talent than the Philadelphia Eagles. What they're missing is someone on that defense who can use spit and nastiness as a sort of cement mix.

The Giants defense played better in Sunday's win against Dallas, but overall the unit has, at times, been borderline embarrassing over the past two months. The lack of a fiery big mouth is why.

The Giants defenders are too nice, too complacent and too comfortable. That's some of Strahan's message and it's an important one.

"The Giants have a lot of good players," Strahan says. "They have the talent. Talent isn't the issue. As a player it's very easy to sit on the sideline or on that bench and say, 'I'm tired. I'm not saying anything.' That's why when I played I was always talking, always pushing people. I've been looking but I don't see that fiery person now."

And things can't be forced. When Osi Umenyiora was caught by cameras exploding on the sideline during the Thanksgiving debacle against the Denver Broncos, it looked unnatural because, as Strahan said, "That's not really Osi."

"When I first got into the league," Strahan said, "there was L.T. in the huddle and he would fire us up. You didn't want to let L.T. down. Phil Simms was on offense. You didn't want to let him down. They were inspirational guys.

"You need a guy to open his mouth. Don't depend on the head coach. On game day the coach is a guy on the sideline wearing a jacket. He can't do [expletive]. It's on the players."

Strahan may be a sitcom star and a pitchman who's now pushing Vaseline Men (which is interesting, since Strahan has always liked being the squeaky wheel), but get him talking about football and Strahan reverts back to that gritty and fearless player.

Now if only the Giants could find someone just like him.