5 Steps for the New York Giants to Get to 50 Sacks Under Steve Spagnuolo in 2015

When it comes to sacks, the magic number is 50.

The New York Giants last surpassed the 50-sack mark in 2007, during Steve Spagnuolo's first stint as defensive coordinator. That year, Spags and the Giants rode a three-pronged attack in Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck to a league-high 53 sacks and a victory in Super Bowl XLII.

Year	Sacks (Rank)
2007	53 (1st)
2008	42 (6th)
2009	32 (18th)
2010	46 (5th)
2011	48 (3rd)
2012	33 (22nd)
2013	34 (25th)
2014	47 (4th)

The 50-sack mark (just over three sacks per game) has only been met by 11 teams since then.

Last season, the Buffalo Bills (54) were the only team to accomplish the feat. Two years ago, three teams did it, with the Carolina Panthers reaching a new height of 60 sacks in a season.

There was a two-season span from 2009-2010 during which no team reached 50 sacks.

Registering 50 sacks in a season doesn't guarantee a spot in the playoffs, but it is evidence of a defensive unit that terrorized quarterbacks all year. And that's exactly what Spagnuolo should be aiming to create during his second stint with the Giants.

Here's a five-step plan for how to make it happen again in New York.

1. Play Stingier Run Defense on Early Downs

Sacking the quarterback when he drops back to pass on third down requires disciplined run defense on first and second down. This is an area in which the Giants struggled mightily last season.

In 2014, the Giants allowed a league-high average of 4.9 yards per rush attempt. The opposition barreled its way close to the first-down marker without facing much resistance from New York's defensive front. Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins was impressive in run defense, but he may have been the only one.

Although stopping the run is not a one-man effort, middle linebacker Jon Beason's health is key to limiting yardage ceded on the ground (four games played in 2014).

Making stops on first and second down would result in longer third-down situations, requiring the quarterback to hang back in the pocket longer and thus affording more time for the pass-rushers to bring him down.

The Giants actually did a fine job on third downs last year, allowing opponents to convert only 36 percent of the time (fourth-best in the NFL). The problem was creating the third-down situations in the first place. New York forced only 200 third downs (second-fewest in the league).

2. Improve Coverage on the Back End

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

The Giants were atrocious against the run, and they weren't much better against the pass. Although their overall yardage figure ranked around the middle of the pack (3,850 yards, 18th in the NFL), they were one of only four teams to allow 8.0 or more yards per pass attempt in 2014.

A great way to boost pass-rushing figures is through coverage sacks.

Sometimes, the receivers just can't find any open space in the defensive backfield, and the quarterback becomes a sitting duck as he waits for the rush to bring him down.

The Giants have some questions to answer in the secondary before they can start counting their coverage sacks, though.

First, will starting cornerbacks Prince Amukamara and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie be able to stay healthy? Amukamara has missed 29 of a possible 64 games since turning pro, and Rodgers-Cromartie frequented the injury report in 2014, his first season with the Giants.

Does the team have reliable backups? Who will man the slot cornerback position?

Moving to the safety position, will Landon Collins be able to keep up in coverage? The second-round pick is a sure tackler, but he comes out of college with concerns about his deep-pass defense. Once that's settled, who's in line to start next to him?

If the Giants' defensive backfield remains a mystery to everyone but opposing passers, there won't be any time to rack up sacks.

3. Maximize Damontre Moore's Impact

The great struggle for New York over the last couple of years has been finding an effective way to get Damontre Moore on the field (5.5 sacks, 319 defensive snaps in 2014).

Moore has the potential to be a star pass-rusher, but his run defense leaves something to be desired.

At 6'5" and 250 pounds, Moore lacks the required robustness to hold the edge against the run—especially if he is being asked to line up on the left side like he has the last two years.

Ideally, both starting defensive ends would be stout against the run, but Spagnuolo has dealt with this type of athlete before, and he did so with tremendous success.

Umenyiora had the same long, slender build with great bend to swoop around the edge and get after the passer on almost every dropback. Like Moore, Umenyiora's run defense was suspect, but it didn't matter as much on the right edge, where Umenyiora could line up wider and rush straight upfield.

Since 2011, Jason Pierre-Paul has owned the right side of the defensive formation, but with a defensive transition in place, maybe it's time to give Moore a shot at rushing from the blind side.

Pierre-Paul is going to be the best defender on the field no matter where he lines up, so why not make room for Moore and put JPP in a place where his run-defending ability will be most valuable?

If the Giants experiment with this simple positional switch, Moore can finally get his speed rush on the field for more snaps and Pierre-Paul can bull-rush against weaker right tackles.

4. Unleash Jason Pierre-Paul

Even if the Giants move him to the other side of the formation, the design of the defense should still be centered around Pierre-Paul. Only 26 years old and slated to play under the franchise tag in 2015, Pierre-Paul must also prove that he's still the player to carry New York into the future.

Pierre-Paul showcased shades of his old self last season, playing 91.1 percent of the Giants' defensive snaps in a workhorse role.

He appeared to be completely healed from his 2013 back and shoulder injuries by the end of the year, snagging nine of his 12.5 sacks in the last five games of the season. That dominance must carry over into 2015 if the Giants hope to reach the 50-sack mark.

The key will be to keep Pierre-Paul happy and healthy.

Normally, players aren't fond of playing under the franchise tag, so JPP may feel slighted from the start. If he is banged up early in the season, it's on Spagnuolo to keep the young defensive end focused and motivated for all 16 games.

If Spagnuolo can devise a scheme and cultivate an atmosphere in which Pierre-Paul can thrive, there will be nothing stopping the former All-Pro from replicating the season he had in 2011. JPP had 16.5 sacks that year, as he dragged an otherwise subpar defense all the way to a victory in Super Bowl XLVI.

5. Employ the Full Stable of Pass-Rushers

If there's one thing Spagnuolo can learn from his predecessor, Perry Fewell, it's to get creative with pressure packages and always be in search of new ways to get fresh legs on the field.

Fewell's signature innovation was the NASCAR package, which put four defensive ends on the line of scrimmage in sure passing situations.

Spagnuolo has several intriguing pass-rushers on the roster beyond Moore and Pierre-Paul.

Owa Odighizuwa, a 2015 third-round selection, might be the most compelling option. As a rookie, Odighizuwa should be eager to show his new defensive coordinator the disruption he's capable of causing. His development will be an ongoing project for Spagnuolo this season.

There are other more experienced pass-rushers to consider, too.

Robert Ayers and George Selvie have combined for 20.5 sacks over the last two seasons—both could serve as viable options off the bench. Kerry Wynn, a former undrafted rookie, was beginning to come along at the end of last season and shouldn't be forgotten.

To get to 50 sacks, the Giants will need contributions from more than just defensive ends. Interior defensive linemen must take advantage of favorable matchups. Spagnuolo must be aggressive and send blitzers whenever he can.

A lot has to go right for the Giants to reach 50 sacks by the end of the 2015 season, but Spagnuolo can pull it off—just like he did in 2007—if he follows this five-step plan.

All snap count information courtesy of Football Outsiders. All other statistical information courtesy of ESPN.com, unless otherwise noted.

Kevin Boilard writes about the New York Giants at Bleacher Report.