EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — For new defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, the starting point is easy: Last season, the New York Giants had their worst statistical defensive year since 1966.
That's not to say the Giants don't have talent.
"I think it's a workable challenge," Fewell said in a conference call Thursday with the media. "I'm looking forward to working with this defense. I look at our personnel and I see that we have the ability to rush the passer well and the opportunity to keep the opponent out of the end zone. I think it will be a great challenge."
Fewell, who ended last season as the interim head coach of the Buffalo Bills, going 3-4 after the team fired Dick Jauron midway through the season, replaces Bill Sheridan, who was fired by the Giants days after the end of a disappointing 8-8 season. The Giants gave up more than 40 points in each of their last two games and 427 points for the season, ranking third from the bottom in the NFL. Only the Detroit Lions and St. Louis Rams gave up more.
Injuries were part of the problem. The Giants lost safety Kenny Phillips (knee), middle linebacker Antonio Pierce (neck) and tackle Jay Alford for the season and had cornerbacks Aaron Ross and Corey Webster, linebacker Michael Boley and defensive tackle Chris Canty sidelined for significant portions of the season.
Fewell thought he did a good enough job as the Bills coach to earn the full-time position, but the team opted to hire former Dallas Cowboys head coach Chan Gailey.
"I thought I did a good job in the interview process," said the 47-year-old Fewell, who has been an assistant coach in the NFL since 1998 and was the Bills defensive coordinator for three seasons before finishing last season as interim head coach.
"I was very honored to have had the opportunity to be a head coach," Fewell said. "When you enter a process like that, the beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. If I would have won one more game, I would think I did a good job, because I would have been .500. They thought they needed to make a change. I obviously had aspirations to be the head coach and it is disappointing when you're not the guy."
Fewell worked with Giants head coach Tom Coughlin when Coughlin was the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars from 1998 through 2002. Fewell was the defensive backs coach for the Jaguars and held similar positions with the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears, before moving on to Buffalo to become the Bills defensive coordinator in 2006.
Fewell said his latest opportunity is more than a chance to work with Coughlin again.
"It was the opportunity to coach with the New York Giants," he said. "It's a very good organization with talented players. I'm very excited. I haven't been with many teams with as many talented athletes at one position [defensive line] like we have."
Fewell said that he has been busy evaluating the Giants' defensive personnel.
"I'm just trying to figure out what they do best and what they can do," Fewell said.
The Gastonia, N.C., native did not want to comment on what was wrong with the Giants defense last season.
"I'm just evaluating players and seeing what they do well," Fewell said. "I'm watching each individual and I do see some talent. We can always get better by adding some players by the draft and free agency, but I think we have some talent. The strength of the team looks like the defensive front. If we can stay healthy up front, I do think we have talent there."
Fewell was asked what kind of defense he would like to field.
"We obviously want to be fundamentally sound," Fewell said. "We want to attack and be aggressive. We want to be fast, but also to have fun out there. We want to play physically tough, create turnovers and turn those into points. I believe that a defensive unit can play offensively once they get a turnover. I want to play with discipline and play as a team."
Fewell didn't comment on many individuals, except demoted former Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora and fellow standout defensive end Justin Tuck. "I look at Osi as a good football player," Fewell said of Umenyiora, who was relegated to reserve duty at the close of last season. "I look forward to working with him on the field."
Tuck is coming off shoulder surgery after a sub-par campaign.
"He's the kind of player you need from Day One," Fewell said of Tuck. "But we don't know the extent of his injury. A player of that status is important to have through the mini-camps and training camp. We'd like to have him here."
Fewell said that the players should be able to learn his defensive philosophy fairly easily.
"I think they can grasp the defense relatively quickly," Fewell said.