Brian Burns Wants the Giants Defense to Be “Paranoid”

Brian Burns has never been accused of playing football at half speed.

That much was obvious long before he arrived in New York.

But as the Giants work through their first training camp under head coach John Harbaugh, Burns is discovering that his natural intensity fits perfectly into a defensive system built around movement, versatility and accountability.

The veteran outside linebacker returned to the Giants’ complex Monday and immediately sounded like someone who understands what this defense is trying to become.

“It’s a very interesting defense,” Burns said. “A lot of moving parts. We got a lot of weapons that can do different things.”

For Burns, the key isn’t simply understanding the scheme. It is understanding every detail of his responsibility within it.

“I would just say knowing my job with all details included,” Burns said. “So, with all this being on the same accord and really honing into the details. This defense, it’s unbelievable.”

That word — details — has become increasingly important around the Giants during Harbaugh’s first training camp.

So has another one: accountability.

And Burns believes the two are connected.

A Defense Built to Move

The Giants are asking their defenders to do more than simply line up and attack.

Players are expected to understand multiple responsibilities, adjust to formations and make decisions within a defense that can change from snap to snap.

For a player like Burns, that creates opportunities.

For the offense, it creates uncertainty.

“We do have a lot of guys that can get to the quarterback, that have great pass rushing ability, and we’re going to use it well,” Burns said.

The possibilities extend beyond the established veterans.

Burns specifically pointed to rookie defensive lineman Darius Alexander, who has impressed during camp with his ability to do considerably more than occupy space along the defensive front.

“Big boy got hands,” Burns said with a laugh.

But the compliment quickly became more serious.

“DA is also a very versatile weapon that we have,” Burns said. “Him just being able to drop into space and make those type of plays, it just shows his athleticism and really his IQ.”

Alexander’s ability to rush the passer has also caught Burns’ attention.

The Giants didn’t bring him into the defense simply to be another body on the line. They see the possibility of moving him around and forcing offenses to account for another athletic piece.

Burns sees it, too.

“He’s also been doing very well rushing the pass as well,” Burns said.

And with Dennard Wilson coordinating the defense, players know there is little room for complacency.

Burns described Wilson and Harbaugh in blunt terms.

“They’re very real with you,” he said. “They don’t sugarcoat much, and they demand a lot of excellence out of you.”

That standard is being applied to everyone — including Burns.

“We Need to Be Paranoid”

Perhaps the most revealing part of Burns’ conversation came when he was asked about accountability.

The answer went far beyond simply accepting coaching.

Burns believes discomfort is necessary.

“It just keeps you uncomfortable,” he said.

That discomfort, Burns explained, is actually part of the development process.

“I think the main way to grow in this sport, in this profession, is to be uncomfortable,” he said. “You don’t ever want to feel like your spot is guaranteed. You don’t ever want to feel like you’ve made it.”

That is a significant statement coming from one of the Giants’ most established defensive players.

Burns has already proven himself in the NFL. He has been a Pro Bowl-level pass rusher, signed a massive contract and entered this Giants season as one of the leaders of the defense.

Yet he doesn’t believe any of that should provide comfort.

Instead, he wants the opposite.

“You always want to keep pushing yourself,” Burns said.

And that mentality extends to the coaching staff.

Burns appreciates that Harbaugh and Wilson are willing to challenge players publicly when they aren’t meeting expectations.

“Having those type of coaches to call you out in front of everybody and hold you to a standard that you may not always hold yourself to is important,” Burns said.

Then came the line that might best define the mentality the Giants are attempting to establish.

“So, having Harbs and D-Will keep us on track to keep us uncomfortable is where we need to be,” Burns said. “We need to be paranoid.”

Paranoid.

Not comfortable.

Not satisfied.

Not convinced they’ve arrived.

Paranoid.

That may be exactly what Harbaugh wants.

Burns Sees Growth From Dart

While Burns’ primary responsibility is making life miserable for opposing quarterbacks, he has spent the last several weeks getting a firsthand look at his own quarterback.

And he likes what he sees from Jaxson Dart.

The second-year quarterback’s development has been one of the major storylines of Giants camp, and Burns believes Dart’s preparation is what stands out most.

“Dart operated like this last year,” Burns said. “So it’s not really nothing, not really a surprise to see that he has that much attention to detail, and he’s very intentional about his work.”

Burns has noticed a particularly important evolution in Dart’s game.

The athletic ability was never really in question.

Everyone knows Dart can escape pressure and create plays with his legs.

The next step is making defenses pay without always having to leave the pocket.

Burns has seen that progression.

“Him really focusing on staying in the pocket, going through his progressions, making the right decision, making smart reads,” Burns said.

Then Burns offered an interesting compliment.

“We obviously know he can create,” he said. “We know he can hurt a lot of defenses with his feet and just playmaking ability.”

But Dart is beginning to understand that sometimes the best play is the one that makes the defense believe something that isn’t actually happening.

Burns has seen Dart look off defensive backs and manipulate coverage.

“Him being able to steer the defense the wrong way just going through his progressions is very impressive,” Burns said.

There was, however, one area where Burns wasn’t willing to give Dart too much credit.

Had Dart successfully misdirected Burns himself?

“Me? No,” Burns said, laughing.

“Most of the time I’m going after him, so he hasn’t misdirected me.”

Fair enough.

The Run Defense Has a Different Attitude

The Giants’ defensive improvement during camp hasn’t been limited to rushing the passer.

Burns believes the run defense has improved because of a change in technique — and, perhaps more importantly, mentality.

“That’s just technique and mentality,” Burns said.

The emphasis is simple: players must control their gaps and attack the running game with an edge.

“We just really put emphasis on being in our gap but also having a mean mentality when it comes to the run,” Burns said.

That mentality fits the larger identity Burns believes the defense is developing.

The Giants aren’t simply trying to be good.

They want to be difficult to play against.

Asked whether the defense has the potential to become ferocious, Burns didn’t hesitate.

“Yeah, man, yeah, I mean, of course.”

The confidence wasn’t manufactured.

It comes from seeing the number of players capable of impacting a game.

“We do have a lot of guys that can get to the quarterback,” Burns said.

That could become one of the defining characteristics of this defense.

If offenses have to account for Burns, while also worrying about multiple pass rushers and versatile defensive linemen such as Alexander, the Giants can create opportunities to generate pressure without relying on one player to win every snap.

Burns’ Message: Keep Fighting

The physical demands of Harbaugh’s training camp have also become part of the story.

The days are long.

The bodies are sore.

And eventually, the accumulated fatigue becomes something every player has to confront.

Burns isn’t pretending otherwise.

“These days do stack on you,” he said.

But he also believes that is exactly the point.

“It’s camp. It’s supposed to be hard. It isn’t really supposed to be easy.”

Burns recently dealt with an ankle issue, but returned to practice quickly.

For him, it wasn’t necessarily about proving anything to the coaching staff.

His teammates already know what they’re going to get.

“For the most part, my guys know whether I’m hurt, limping, it doesn’t really matter,” Burns said. “I’m going to be out there regardless.”

But there was a message in his return.

“It is good to get back out there and show them that we can fight through a little adversity,” he said. “That an ankle isn’t going to stop me from practicing and getting better.”

That’s leadership without a speech.

Show up.

Work.

Set the example.

Repeat.

The Maniac Is Still There

Of course, Burns hasn’t completely changed.

Anyone who watched him last season knows that.

His teammates famously referred to him as a “maniac,” a description Burns doesn’t exactly reject.

He was reminded of an incident involving Titans receiver Wan’Dale Robinson that helped earn him that reputation.

Has he finally slowed down?

Sort of.

“I still got that same mentality,” Burns said.

He admitted that he’s learned from the experience and has toned things down somewhat.

But the underlying mentality hasn’t changed.

“It has the same intent, same mentality, as far as getting after the ball and chasing the ball.”

Then came the perfect Brian Burns explanation of what he learned.

“When you see a lot of people, slow down a little bit,” he said. “Otherwise, you might knock another tooth out.”

Lesson learned.

Intensity retained.

The Bigger Picture

The Giants are still in training camp.

Nothing that happens on a practice field in August guarantees what will happen once the regular season begins.

Burns knows that.

But there are signs that this defense is developing a personality.

It’s aggressive.

It’s versatile.

It’s demanding.

And, perhaps most importantly, it isn’t satisfied.

Burns believes the Giants have the personnel to make Wilson’s defense work. He believes they have multiple players capable of pressuring quarterbacks. He believes Alexander can become another versatile weapon. And he believes Dart’s continued development can make the competition between the offense and defense even more valuable.

But Burns also understands that talent isn’t enough.

The players have to embrace the discomfort.

They have to accept being coached.

They have to hold one another accountable.

And they have to keep pushing even when they’re tired, sore or convinced they’ve done enough.

That is the culture Harbaugh is trying to establish.

Burns isn’t simply buying into it.

He’s becoming one of its loudest voices.

“We need to be paranoid,” he said.

For a defense that wants to make opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable, perhaps there is no better mentality than being uncomfortable themselves.

The Giants aren’t trying to convince themselves they’ve arrived.

They’re trying to make sure they never believe they have.