Golden is asked often if he is again the dominant player he was in 2016. He's not yet ready to go there.

"What I say is, I see myself working every day to get better," he said. "Back then, that was the player I was. Before I got hurt, I could seriously say I worked every day to get better. Last year, I was kind of nervous about my leg, wearing a big brace every day, every game. It's you getting better, but not as better as you can. I wasn't able to zone in and really focus like I am now and focus on football and the game because I don't have to worry about my knee."

This year, he has shed the brace and become one of the Giants' most important defenders.

"Anytime you're on the field and you have a big brace on your leg, and then you get out there and you have nothing on there, you feel clear," he said. "I feel good."

Bettcher also said the 2019 Golden is not identical to the 2016 model, but…

"I think he is really close to being that same guy," Bettcher said. "He is out here working to try and get better and he's felt better and better with his health. I think that was obviously the first thing. Markus and I talked at the beginning of the year and the goal wasn't to get back to that guy, it was to be better than that guy. I think if you have gotten to know Markus, you've gotten to see how he works, how he plays the game. I think if there is anybody that's going to come off of an injury like he had and be able to become a better player, it's this guy. He loves the game, he works tirelessly. A lot of the plays that he makes are just second-effort plays, are just beyond skills, talent. It's just mindset and purpose. That's one of the reasons I have always loved him.

"I remember his first game as a rookie, we are playing the Saints at our place. They are on the 15-yard line and he's aligned to the field, they run a screen into the back in the boundary, he's to the field and … he makes a tackle at the seven. I see that play and you see him work in practice and that's just his identity, that's who he is."

Bettcher's presence was a major factor in Golden choosing to relocate to New Jersey. Golden is also playing with three former Cardinals teammates. Linebacker Kareem Martin, currently on injured reserve, joined the Giants last year and safety Antoine Bethea and defensive tackle Olsen Pierre signed the same week this offseason that Golden did.

"Bettch was a big part of it," Golden said of his move east. "Just knowing Bettch, talking with Kareem a lot, and him telling me there was great people up here and everything. So, that played a big part of it. Then, I know the defense and knew the defense a lot. Of course, I had to learn more when I got here. Really that, and then when I came here, I was glad that I made the decision. I'm excited because there are a lot of good people here that are here to help you."

But it's the 6-3, 259-pound Golden who is leading the Giants' pass rush. The team did not have a sack in the season opener in Dallas but have had three in each of the five games since. Golden had a season-high 2.0 sacks at Tampa Bay in the Giants' first victory, full sacks vs. Buffalo and Minnesota and half-sacks against Washington and New England. His 5.0 sacks leave him tied for eighth in the league.

"I'm in a good groove, I feel good and I'm going to attack it," Golden said. "You have to attack. I've been in attack mode every day, as far as taking care of my body, as far as going hard at practice, and doing everything I can do so that when game day comes, I don't have anything in my head. I'm clear and I'm ready to go. That's what I feel like I've been doing. Being able to be out there healthy, I've been able to learn a lot about myself each week watching film. So, that's been helping, too. The mindset is to keep attacking."

On Sunday, he will apply what he has learned against some of his closest friends, notably Cardinals left tackle D.J. Humphries.