The Giants made a series of miscalculations about their pass rush last offseason, but the next tough decision coming down the pike seems to be getting easier by the game.

Olivier Vernon, whose $17 million cap hit in 2018 is second only to Eli Manning's on the Giants, has just one sack in six games since returning from a season-opening five-game injury absence. He has as many roughing the passer penalties as tackles (2) in the last two games.

Giants coach Pat Shurmur and defensive coordinator James Bettcher are quick to point out sacks are not the end-all be-all for measuring a pass-rusher. Vernon has just 14 hurries and six quarterback hits, according to Pro Football Focus.

"Certainly getting pressure on the quarterback is important," Shurmur said. "He is out there. He is contributing. When you don't sack the quarterback or the quarterback has a pretty good day throwing the ball, certainly part of it is the rush."

Vernon grew up in the Miami area, attended the University of Miami and totaled 29 sacks in 64 games over four years with the Dolphins. He signed a five-year, $85 million free-agent contract to join the Giants in 2016 and was a Second-Team All-Pro with 8.5 sacks in his first season.

Since then, however, Vernon has failed to live up to his mega bucks, which account for about 9.6 percent of the salary cap. He missed four games in 2017 when he finished with 6.5 sacks and the first five in 2018 because of ankle injuries.

The Giants did not shop Vernon at the trade deadline, a source told NJ Advance Media.

"I want to win. Everybody wants to win," Vernon said when asked how frustrating the season has been for him. "I just worry about winning games. That's it."

The Giants rank second-to-last in the NFL in sacks (14), which falls mostly at the feet of Vernon because he is playing alongside rookies B.J. Hill and Lorenzo Carter.

Free-agent additions Kareem Martin and Connor Barwin (whose snaps have been limited since Vernon's return) also haven't produced sacks but neither has a contract like Vernon's.

So, is Vernon the victim of his own resume and getting double-teamed while waiting for teammates to establish themselves? It's more a case of not winning 1-on-1 battles.

"I don't see teams spending extra resources at all," Shurmur said.

Vernon's cap hit goes up to $19.5 million in 2019, when the Giants could decide to cut bait for $11.5 million in relief and $8 million in dead money. He also is under contract for a $19.5 million cap hit in 2020, when the dead money is just $4 million if he survives 2019.

The Giants need to clear up money to operate this offseason, especially if they plan to put the one-year franchise tag on free-agent safety Landon Collins instead of reaching a long-term extension. They likely need to target at least one high-priced offensive lineman.

Fixing the pass rush is the top defensive priority, so the Giants must figure out if Vernon is part of the solution.

"Fundamentals. Big plays," Vernon said when asked for his solution to defense. "When teams make big plays, it comes down to fundamentals. If you fix fundamentals, everything else is going to clear on its own."

The Giants decided to trade Jason Pierre-Paul, 29, and hang on to Vernon, 28, in March, when it seemed like the wise move based on the locker room and the toll of the heavy workload put on Pierre-Paul in recent years. They also signed Martin instead of keeping free-agent Devon Kennard and cut Romeo Okwara.

Pierre-Paul (10.5), Kennard (6) and Okwara (5.5) have 22 sacks combined for their new teams.

Giants radio analyst and Ring of Honor member Carl Banks was highly critical of the team's lack of pass rush Monday on his weekly radio spot with WFAN co-hosts Joe & Evan.

Banks did not single any players by name but put the blame on the defense when the offense has garnered more criticism in other corners.

Ryan Dunleavy may be reached at rdunleavy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rydunleavy. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.