To lay the Giants' defensive problems on the creaky back and sore shoulder of Jason Pierre-Paul would be inaccurate.

The man who led the Giants with 16 1/2 sacks in 2011 is certainly not today the same player he was back then. His coaches like to point out that he has matured to become a more multi-dimensional defender, a theory borne out by his tackle stats. Yet, for all the versatility he has shown in becoming a solid run defender, what the Giants truly need him for is his pass rush.


For whatever reason, be it the constant double-team attention he draws or that the body that allowed him to handspring down a football field in front of draft scouts has stiffened from lower back surgery of 2013 and lingering shoulder issues, Pierre-Paul has not been the same player in the area the Giants expect the most out of him.

That is a problem. And as Tom Coughlin's 3-5 squad prepares to take on Seattle's fast offense in front of their crowd of 12th Man crazies, it will likely continue to be a problem against the mobile, fast-acting Russell Wilson.

Consider: JPP has but 3 1/2 sacks in the first eight games this year, and two of those came just before the bye on Oct. 19 against Dallas. With three quarterback hits and six tackles overall, it was easily his best game of the season. The post-bye matchup with Indianapolis was, in relation, one of his quietest -- zero sacks, one hit, and just two tackles.

It was left for Robert Ayers, Jr. to pick up whatever pass rush the Giants generated against Andrew Luck, and Ayers did that well in collecting the only sack against Luck while hitting him seven times.

Ayers beat his man repeatedly on the left side of the defense while Pierre-Paul was losing most of his battles on the other side.

Ayers had a monster game, and Damontre Moore showed signs that his increased workload could pay off profitably in the future. But it is Pierre-Paul the Giants are counting on to bring stability and consistency to the pass rush, week in and week out.

That, simply, hasn't happened.

Pierre-Paul didn't have a sack in five of the six games that followed his 1 1/2-ack, two-hit performance against Arizona in Week 2. In those same games, he got to the quarterback just three times -- twice against Atlanta and once against Indianapolis. The Eagles not only shut him down, but had him apologizing for his yapping during the practice week.

This is Pierre-Paul's contract season, which makes his performance all the more curious. If he's not piling up the sacks and hits, one wonders if Jerry Reese will think it wise to hand the unrestricted free agent upwards of $15 million.

All that is secondary to the immediate issue, however. Pierre-Paul, while showing good form against the run, simply hasn't shown it in the area defensive coordinator Perry Fewell needs him most. The pass rush simply is not getting to opposing quarterbacks with any consistent frequency, and it's not a new problem. Even before Pierre-Paul lost strip-sacking bookend Osi Umenyiora after the 2012 season, the Giants' once-lionized pass rush has undergone a major dental extraction.

The Giants will take plenty of other defensive problems with them Sunday into CenturyLink Field. Their secondary started off battered and will now operate the rest of the season without Prince Amukamara, who will undergo surgery for a torn bicep. The linebackers, having lost the leadership of toe-challenged Jon Beason, can't cover a tight end or rush the passer. The front four is average at best.

The player they need major production from is Pierre-Paul. It's up to the coaches to find him.

So far, it hasn't been that easy a task.