It’s always an ironic dichotomy — the more inverse the relationship between discourse and performance, the better.
Usually, how little talk there is about a team’s offensive line indicates how well the unit is playing. And for the first time in recent memory, the Giants offensive line is way, way, down the pecking order on the list of qualms around the team.
Heck, forget complaints. The Giants offensive line is emerging as one of the team’s strengths this year.
“It starts up front,” head coach Brian Daboll said on Monday. “Those five guys seeing the game through the same set of eyes. Without those guys, you’re not getting plays downfield or an efficient passing game and pass protection or the screen game. And same thing with the run game, that’s where it starts, but you need everybody on offense doing their job.”
The Giants invested heavily in their offensive line this past offseason, placing an emphasis on the position after years of disarray.
Daboll also fired offensive line coach Bobby Johnson and brought in Carmen Bricillo to oversee the group.
It’s so far paid dividends.
They signed Jon Runyan Jr. to a three-year, $30 million deal, and he’s slotted in as planned at left guard.
Jermaine Eluemunor, who signed with the team on a two-year, $14 million deal with the versatility to play both guard and tackle, has clearly cemented himself at the right tackle spot.
Greg Van Roten, who signed a modest one-year deal worth up to $3 million deal late in the offseason, has become a lock at right guard. Those three have played a combined 23 years in the league.
Stud left tackle Andrew Thomas is a staple along the offensive line, and center John Michael Schmitz — in his second year after a rough rookie season as the Giants’ second-round pick — has shown promising improvement.
All five have played every single snap through five games. Evan Neal, whom the Giants picked with the No. 7 pick in the 2022 draft, has been relegated to a backup and has yet to see the field.
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In the Giants’ 29-20 win over the Seahawks on Sunday, the team’s offensive line was once again hardly noticeable — in a good way.
“I’ve known since the OTAs and training camp that this team has all the pieces that we need to be successful,” Runyan said after the game. “… Us just doing our job and handling everything up front. I think this team is going to go as far as this O-line and our D-line plays. We take pride in that.”
Daniel Jones has been pressured on 20.8 percent of his dropbacks this year, per Pro Football Reference — 16th in the NFL. It would represent a career low after facing a career-high 30.5 percent pressure rate last year. His 12 sacks sit right in the middle of the league as well, tied for 16th. Together, the Giants offensive line owns a 68.3 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus – once again 16th in the NFL.
After disaster in recent years, the Giants will certainly take league average.
A level of trust is evident — Daboll said Monday he’s leaned on the unit and listened to what types of plays and blocks they want to run.
“This is a veteran group,” Daboll said. “They mesh well together. They meet a lot. They’re smart. If they make a mistake on something, usually by the next play or the next game, it’s corrected. They know how to handle themselves in the classroom to get ready for a game. … They’re a good group to work with.”
Jones has certainly benefited.
He said after Sunday’s win that he feels he’s playing at a higher level than he was in 2022. He completed 23 of 34 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday and his 109.6 passer rating was the highest of the season.
As he’s grown more comfortable with the line in front of him, he’s finally started to look farther down the field.
He averaged 7.6 yards per attempt on Sunday — his highest of the season. He finally uncorked the deep ball Daboll has promised for weeks, notably with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Darius Slayton along with another 41-yard completion to him.
So much for being shell shocked.
On the ground, rookie Tyrone Tracy rushed for 129 yards, averaging a stellar 7.2 yards per carry in place of the injured Devin Singletary.
Finally, the Giants offensive line isn’t a source of panic on game day.
“Felt really comfortable,” Jones said after the game. “Thought the guys up front played really well all day, in the pass game and the run game. I thought they played a really good game.”
