Joe Judge has preached from day one that actions have consequences. That should also include the New York Giants offensive line.
At 1-6, the franchise is facing the grim reality of missing the playoffs for the eighth time in the last nine seasons. Much of the blame has been put on the offensive line. Collectively, they have trouble pass-blocking and opening holes for the running game. It is time for the Giants to change the narrative on the offensive line by starting Matt Peart at right tackle and keeping Andrew Thomas at left tackle.
The Giants offense has been a major disappointment. During training camp, the hope was for the playmakers to lead the franchise back to prominence. Then after the sluggish start to the season, the coaching staff was hoping to gain some consistency. Neither has occurred as the offense has averaged only 17.3 points-per-game.
The New York Giants Offensive Line Needs to Change the Narrative
Biggest Area of Concern Is the O-Line
The biggest area of concern has been the play of the offensive line. The unit has surrendered 20 sacks in seven games. It is easy to point fingers at Cameron Fleming, but he is nothing more than a stop-gap replacement starter at right tackle. It is time for a change and build for the future. The logical choice is to insert Peart into the starting lineup.
One of the hardest positions to play in the NFL is on the offensive line. For rookies, it takes time to adapt to the speed of the game. Every down linemen and linebacker that you’re expected to block are as fast and agile as a running back. So for them, they must take baby steps before excelling on the football field.
But, the thought of starting two rookies as bookend tackles doesn’t offer many expectations for the remainder of the season. However, if Thomas and Peart are actual foundation pieces for the future, then they must take their lumps as NFL starters. That means no threat of being replaced in the lineup regardless of their struggles. The Giants must give Thomas and Peart some room for growth and improvement.
Patience is Needed for Thomas’ Struggles
This was not the Giants’ original plan. Instead, the coaching staff wanted to ease Thomas into the lineup by starting him at the right tackle position. Veteran Nate Solder was expected to be the starting left tackle in 2020. But that plan went out the window after Solder opted out of the season because of coronavirus pandemic concerns. That decision made Thomas the lone option to play blindside protector for second-year quarterback Daniel Jones.
There’s no argument that Thomas has struggled, but his on-the-job training has come against some of the NFL’s elite pass rushers. He has lined up across from Pittsburgh Steelers Bud Dupree, Chicago Bears Robert Quinn, and Dallas Cowboys DeMarcus Lawrence in the first seven weeks of his rookie season. Each player can generate a pass rush from anywhere on the defensive front, which makes life difficult for any offensive linemen.
Progression has been seen, but Thomas has trouble maintaining his block on obvious passing downs. Continually, pass rushers are beating Thomas to the edge and pressuring Jones into unforced errors.
It is hard to imagine that Thomas is having a difficult time adjusting to the NFL, especially if you have watched game tape from his days with Georgia. Often, Thomas dominated an opposing defender off the line of scrimmage. But that has not been the case with the Giants. Thomas has shown to be a confused rookie who is desperately trying to become a better, more consistent blocker.
Peart’s Starting Date Is Week 8
The spotlight was placed on Peart after Judge benched his rookie left tackle in Week 6 against the Washington Football Team for arriving late to a Saturday evening team meeting. To the surprise of everyone on game day, Thomas was on the sidelines and Peart made his NFL debut as the Giants starting left tackle.
With little fanfare, the rookie lineman held his own against Washington. You loved how Peart initiated contact off the snap of the ball. He has a good square frame that allows him to maintain the block upon impact. But, Peart needs better footwork to drive an oncoming pass-rusher away from the pocket.
Both Thomas and Peart have deficiencies that can be cleaned up by gaining more repetitions in practice and game action. Doing the extra work during film sessions will point out poor blocking habits that develop better overall fundamentals. Plus, being tutored by Giants offensive line coach Marc Colombo doesn’t hurt either. Colombo had a very distinguished 10-year NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, and Miami Dolphins before turning his attention to coaching.
Giants fans are looking for any signs of progress from Thomas and Peart. It is a matter of time before they conquer their struggles and control opponents at the line of scrimmage.
