Will New Defensive Coordinator Bring New York Back to the Playoffs?

Last season wasn't exactly the year of the defense for the Giants.

Thirteenth in total defense is not passable for the Big Blue, considering their consistent defensive prominence within the last decade.

So Coach Tom Coughlin brought back a familiar face: Perry Fewell.

Fewell was on Coughlin's coaching staff in Jacksonville and had been the defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills before he was appointed interim head coach for the Bills last year in week 10.

Fewell was just finding his groove in 2008, when he led the Bills' defense to a pretty stellar performance.  This of course came to a halt when he had to take over the head coaching spot.

If Fewell can teach these young defensive question marks to stop the run and whip the Giants' secondary into shape, the Giants will have a good shot at a winning season.

Fans don't need to be reminded of their 3-8 record to end the season and the fact that the defense looked like it was trying to tackle a greased pig (which had a dress on in Washington).

But Fewell can only do so much with the injuries the Giants' defense have experienced over the last years.

Will Osi Umenyiora be able to play like he did in 2007?

How will Barry Cofield and Fred Robbins perform?

The key for how to gauge Fewell's performance is how he sculpts rookies Jason Pierre-Paul, Linval Joseph and Chad Jones.

These rookies will most likely be called upon to fill the defensive voids that plagued the Giants last year.