Giants' improved run defense braces for Cardinals rookie Jeremiyah Love

The Giants cut rushing yards allowed from 145.3 per game in 2025 to 104.3 this season; now they face Arizona first-round back Jeremiyah Love, whom they scouted.

Repairing the run defense stood near the top of the to-do list for the New York Giants' new coaching staff this offseason. That project now faces a telling examination, with the Arizona Cardinals bringing rookie running back Jeremiyah Love - a player the Giants evaluated in depth before this year's draft - to MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

The urgency stemmed from 2025, when New York surrendered 145.3 rushing yards per game, the second-highest total in the NFL. The early returns this season look different: through three games, the defense is permitting 104.3 yards per game on the ground, a figure that ranks 12th in the league. For a staff that made the run defense the centerpiece of its first offseason, the change marks clear early progress.

Love's connection to the Giants goes back to the pre-draft circuit. A standout at Notre Dame, he went to Arizona with the third overall selection, two picks before New York chose at No. 5 and landed linebacker Arvell Reese.

The Giants' homework ran deeper than routine scouting. The organization tracked him extensively through the pre-draft process and brought him in for a Top 30 visit on March 12, and there was speculation that team decision-makers would have held a genuine debate over selecting him had he still been available at No. 5.

Love's professional start was complicated by an ankle injury that slowed him over the first two weeks. He has come on since. In last Sunday's 36-30 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers in the Bay Area, the rookie compiled 109 yards from scrimmage and scored a touchdown on 26 touches.

His slice of the Cardinals' rushing workload has expanded every week as well, rising from 32 percent in Week 1 to 53 percent in Week 2 and 78 percent in Week 3 - a steady increase that points toward a still larger role.

Much of New York's week has been spent devising answers for him. "It's not just him, it's their offense," Giants head coach John Harbaugh told reporters when asked about slowing Arizona down. He described Love as a back who can turn any carry into a huge gain, calling him "a bounce threat" and "a cutback threat" who also spins out of trouble and runs with strength. Harbaugh added that the rookie is running with aggression and hunting for big plays.

The coach spread his warning across the whole Arizona offense, pointing to a physical offensive line, wide receivers who block in the style of the Los Angeles Rams, and personnel groups that can put three tight ends on the field at any moment. "It's going to be a challenge," he said.

Arizona visits New York on Sunday, Oct. 4, at MetLife Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. EDT, with the broadcast on CBS.