EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Tim Lewis is no Jeremy Shockey.

Instead of pointing the finger elsewhere like the Pro Bowl tight end did last weekend, the defensive coordinator took the blame him for the Giants’ current position as one of the worst defenses in the NFL.

“I can’t screw it up, and right now I am screwing it up,” Lewis said in a bye week interview, one of the rare times coach Tom Coughlin allows his assistants to talk to the press. “I am trying to do something that they are not doing well.”

Three weeks into the season, the only thing the Giants (1–2) are doing well on defense is stopping the run. They are allowing an average of 89.3 yards a game and 2.9 yards per carry.

Everything else is a disaster.

Despite having Pro Bowl defensive ends Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora, New York is 32nd — that’s last — in sacks with three.

They are next to last in scoring defense (30.7 points) and third-down efficiency (58.7%), 30th in first downs allowed (71) and average passing yards allowed (281), and 27th in overall defense, allowing 370.3 yards.

“I know from a responsibility standpoint, it’s my defense,” Lewis said. “When I got hired here to coordinate the defense, that’s exactly what I got hired to do, coordinate it and put it together. From a communication standpoint, if they’re not coordinated, if there are people running free — which you all, I’m sure, have noticed — it’s my responsibility to get it corrected. Not necessarily just to find the fault, but to get it corrected.”

That’s what Lewis is trying to do with the Giants on sabbatical after being torched in Seattle.

The statistics in the 42–30 loss were atrocious. Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck matched his career best with five touchdown passes. Seattle scored the first 35 points, led 35–3 at halftime, and 42–3 in the second half.

The 32-point halftime deficit was the largest in the 82-year history of the Giants, while the 35 first-half points were the most they have allowed in a half since 1967. The 39-point deficit was the team’s largest in the regular season since the 42–0 loss in Oakland in 1973.

The Giants secondary blew the coverage on four of the five touchdown passes on Sunday, leaving a receiver wide open.

Lewis took the blame again, saying he is not getting his message to secondary coaches Pete Giunta and Dave Merritt so they can get it to the players.

“It’s a long football season,” Lewis said.”We have time. I don’t feel like the noose is there. If about Week 10 we’re still doing that, we’re in trouble.”

One thing that Lewis can do to help the secondary would be to put more pressure on the quarterback. That was supposed to be a given this season with Strahan and Umenyiora up front, but opponents have been helping out their tackles and getting rid of the ball quickly to neutralize them.

Even blitzing a little more has not resulted in more pressure, Lewis added, noting that New York has blitzed just under 40% this season, just a little more than usual.

Despite his lack of big plays, Lewis insists Arrington, the $49 million free agent, is playing better. Lewis says that he still is trying to find out what he does best.

Over the bye week, Lewis probably will cut down on the number of things he is asking the defense to do.

Overall, Lewis said the defensive problems are not being caused by one player, scheme or thing. It’s a combination, which is something he experienced when he was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive coordinator.

“Fortunately, we were able to fight our way through some things and get into some playoffs, get into some championship games when it looked fairly bleak early,” Lewis said. “So I’m not surprised. I’m disappointed that we’re not better than we are at this point.”