He realizes the Giants’ run defense needs to be much better

Just before offering the Giants defensive coordinator job to Shane Bowen, head coach Brian Daboll asked him one last question.

“Can you please make our run defense look like this?”

The yearly success Bowen’s scheme has had in stopping the run with the Titans hasn’t translated to the Giants, who are last in the league with 5.4 yards allowed per carry and 25th with 138.1 yards allowed per game.

“We have to have a more offensive mindset,” Bowen said. “Playing on the other side of the offensive line, finding ways to eliminate some space, making sure we’re playing with technique and fundamentals and using our hands.

“You have to be able to change the math from time to time and get guys going with two blockers and stealing some bodies that way to get things right. Otherwise you’re relying on having to make it all fit perfectly every time.”

Steelers, Who will host the Giants on Monday night?Attempt the second most offenses per game. If the Giants are playing from behind, it’s a recipe for disaster.

“We’ve got to take out some of those explosives and continue to improve the tackling. But it’s a challenge every week,” Daboll said. “The way the game runs is part of it, too. We’ve got to do a good job on early downs of building walls (and) setting the edges, but that’s the same It’s also a complementary play; no matter what, they can’t keep running the ball if they’re up.

Of course, Bowen couldn’t bring along the Titans’ defensive line personnel to reduce the amount of double- and triple-teams thrown at All-Pro Dexter Lawrence.

The Giants are paying the price for not replacing defensive tackles Leonard Williams and A’Shawn Robinson from last season’s team — they rank 30th in rushing yards allowed per carry under center (5.64).

The offense isn’t much better running from right guard (No. 29, 6 per carry), right tackle (No. 27, 5.31) or right end at cornerback (No. 32, 8.56).

“Your toughness is defined by how you run the ball and stop the run,” Bowen said. “There’s some great clips in there. But it gets dramatically skewed when you give up a three for 133 yards.”

The Eagles gave up four runs of 15 yards or more and seven runs of 12 yards or more against the Giants last week.

“They had a really good scheme that we weren’t used to,” linebacker Bobby Okereke said. “This is a chess game and they beat us in these matchups.”

In this analogy, Daboll is hoping Bowen’s scheme starts to become a stronghold for the Giants.