Jim O’Connor-USA Today Sports
During Week 4 of the regular season, in a Sunday night game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants, New York’s Kenny Phillips hurt his knee, which opened up the door for Stevie Brown. Brown was previously with the Indianapolis Colts and the Oakland Raiders in his brief career, but had not made an impact up until the 2012 season.
Brown would go on to tie Chicago Bears CB Tim Jennings with eight interceptions on the season. Hw was impressive at that safety position, which led to the Giants letting Phillips walk in free agency. Brown was a restricted free agent and signed his one-year tender offer.
However, if anyone is expecting him to duplicate what he did in the 2012 season, they’re likely to be disappointed. Brown had a remarkable season and all the Giants need from him at the safety position for them to be thrilled is around four interceptions. If Brown can produce that, he’s worth keeping around for a while.
When preparing for the Giants’ defense, opposing teams will be sure to figure out Brown and his sweet spots. That’ll make it harder for him to duplicate the success he had in 2012. Nonetheless, he has to remain solid in order for him to keep his job in a position that’s crowded with good players.
In addition to Brown and Antrel Rolle, the Giants have Tyler Sash, Will Hill, Cooper Taylor and free agent signee Ryan Mundy. The Giants shouldn’t jump the gun and replace him if he isn’t catching interceptions, but if he’s getting beat by the defense routinely, that’s another story.
