New York Giants rookie cornerback DeAndre Baker believes he’s improved mightily since the Week 1 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
The first game of the 2019 regular season was one to forget if you’re DeAndre Baker and the New York Giants secondary. In an NFC East showdown at AT&T Stadium, the Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott torched the Big Blue defensive backfield. Dallas finished with 405 passing yards in the 35-17 ousting.
In the game, the first of his NFL career, Baker was responsible for allowing a 21-yard touchdown pass to wideout Amari Cooper. On Monday night, Baker will have the opportunity to serve revenge on the division rivals. The Giants will take on the Cowboys for the second time this season, with Baker believing in his improvement.
“Same player, I’d say, just with more knowledge, way more knowledge of the game, being able to play faster, things like that,” he said of his development from that first game, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. “I’m a way better player than I was since the first game of the season.”
Baker believing in the strides he’s made isn’t one single opinion. Defensive coordinator James Bettcher also sees the betterment in his play across the first half of the 2019 campaign.
“I think technique, fundamentals, awareness of splits and spacing on the field, the things in this league that you have to have to be able to not just win the down but to be able to compete on the down, I think he’s doing a better job at all those,” Bettcher said. “I anticipate him playing better, just like the rest of our guys.”
The Giants, at 2-6, need a win on Monday night in order to prevent falling deeper into the hole that is their 2019 campaign. Sadly, for fans, it’s shaping up to be another lost season, especially if they drop to 2-7.
New York and Dallas will kickoff at 8:15 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium.
