The Giants offensive line is a source of optimism that all might not be lost this season.
Re-read that sentence.
Think about what it says.
Try to remember the last time it was true.
Offensive line disasters and sunk seasons have been synonymous with the Giants for so long that it’s almost impossible to accept that the blocking is not to blame for this ninth 0-2 start in the past 12 seasons.
Yet there are many bigger culprits on the field and 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 has kept quarterback Daniel Jones off of the ground.
“Can’t get any better than that. That’s all you can ask for as a back,” Singletary said of his sizable running lanes. “Big guys getting movement, having the receivers and tight ends get in on it. All I had to do was just run. Literally, just run.”
One year after allowing the second-most sacks in NFL history (85), the Giants are ranked 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 on 85 total pass-blocking snaps.
“We knew going forward [from Week 1] that 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 play-action off of them. That’s something this group is really comfortable with. We pride ourselves on being a really physical run team, but also being able to drop back and pass. That’s just 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 stiffens 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 straight seasons with at least 14.
Both of his strip-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 speed-rushing situation.
Anybody crossing their fingers that the Giants might miss Garrett (foot) because he did not practice Thursday should remember he did not practice last Thursday, either.
He still played 41 of the 60 defensive snaps in the next game.
“They do a good job trying to find the best matchup for him,” 2022 second-team All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas said. “It’s all about your technique. Your simple key is your stance, getting off the ball, getting to your spot square and fighting through the whistle. He’s a great player, but we have great players, too.”
The offensive line is far from permanently fixed given that right guard Greg Van Roten is on a one-year contract and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor essentially is signed to a one-year deal with a team option.
So the development of two underwhelming-to-date 2022 draft picks — first-rounder Evan Neal and third-rounder Josh Ezeudu — on the bench remains critical for the long-term vision.
But the veteran Band-Aids are sticking over the top of scars created by their predecessors’ shortcomings 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 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 done it for a long time, it makes it easier.”
Perhaps the most impressive thing the offensive line did against the Commanders was pull off double teams against 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 have our work cut out,” Runyan said. “But I like how we’re building off the performance we put out last week. We have to take that same kind of gritty game. It’s going to take us keep running the ball and trying to wear defenses out.”
It’s not lost on Thomas that the same five offensive linemen have taken every snap together so far.
That’s a path to steady improvement and a luxury rarely afforded for long stretches during his five-year career.
“I feel good about the progress that we’ve made over the first two games,” Thomas said, “but to be named a great offensive line or a good offensive line, you have to do it consistently.”
The Giants are finally starting somewhere.