The Giants' offensive line is a source of optimism that all is not lost this season.
Read that sentence again.
Think about what he says.
Try to remember the last time that was true.
Offensive line disasters and sinking seasons have been synonymous with the Giants for so long that it's nearly impossible to accept that blocking isn't to blame for this ninth 0-2 start in the past 12 seasons.
But there are far bigger culprits on the field and on the sideline than the group that cleared space for Devin Singletary to run for 95 yards on 16 carries in last week's loss to the Commanders and mostly kept quarterback Daniel Jones off the ground.
“You can’t get any better than that. That’s all you can ask for as a running back,” Singletary said of his wide running lanes. “Big guys get movement, get receivers and tight ends involved. All he had to do was run. Literally, just run.”
A year after allowing the second-most sacks in NFL history (85), the Giants rank as the No. 6 pass-blocking team in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.
The line has allowed seven quarterback hits and two quarterback sacks in 85 total pass-blocking snaps.
“We knew going forward (from Week 1) we were going to have to try to play to our strengths more,” guard Jon Runyan Jr. said. “We had a lot more direct runs, and because of that, we were able to build the trick play around them. That’s something this group is very comfortable with. We pride ourselves on being a really physical running team, but also being able to drop back and pass. That’s going to be our strength as an offensive line, and this offense is going to go as far as this offensive line goes.”
The challenge intensifies Sunday against the Browns' Myles Garrett, who is trying to become the first NFL player since sacks became an official statistic in 1982 to have four consecutive seasons with at least 14.
His two sacks in the first two games came from the quarterback's blind side, but Garrett can line up on either edge of the defense or over a guard in a rush situation.
Anyone keeping their fingers crossed that the Giants miss Garrett (foot) because he didn't practice Thursday should remember that he didn't practice last Thursday, either.
He still played 41 of the 60 defensive snaps in the next game.
“They do a good job of trying to find the best matchup for him,” said 2022 second-team All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas. “It’s all about your technique. The key is your stance, getting off the ball, getting to your spot and fighting until the whistle blows. He’s a great player, but we have great players, too.”
The offensive line is far from permanently set as right guard Greg Van Roten is on a one-year contract and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor is essentially signed to a one-year deal with a team option.
So developing two 2022 draft picks who haven't been great to date (first-rounder Evan Neal and third-rounder Josh Ezeudu) off the bench remains critical to the long-term vision.
But veteran band-aids continue to cover the scars created by the shortcomings of their predecessors over the past decade.
Van Roten and Eluemunor played side-by-side with and under Giants offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo for the Raiders last season, so the chemistry hasn't been hard to build.
“As an offensive lineman, experience is everything,” Thomas said. “It’s a tough position. When you have guys that have been doing it for a long time, it gets easier.”
Perhaps the most impressive thing the offensive line did against the Commanders was double-team the interior duo of Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.
Those double teams, orchestrated by center John Michael Schmitz “directing traffic,” Runyan said, could be redirected to the edges with Garrett and Za'Darius Smith this week.
“We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us,” Runyan said. “But I like how we’re building on the performance we had last week. We’ve got to have the same kind of gritty play. We’re going to have to keep running the ball and try to wear down defenses.”
It's not lost on Thomas that the same five offensive linemen have been involved in every play together so far.
That's a path to constant improvement and a luxury he rarely allows himself over long stretches of his five-year career.
“I feel good about the progress we've made in the first two games,” Thomas said, “but to be named a great offensive lineman or a good offensive lineman, you have to do it consistently.”
The Giants are finally starting somewhere.
