Some games don’t show up in the win column but still reshape the narrative around a team. The Giants didn’t beat the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, but they walked away with something they haven’t had in a long time: genuine optimism about their offensive line.
Against one of the league’s most aggressive pass rushes, the Giants held their own up front — and third-year center John Michael Schmitz delivered the best performance of his career.
In a season filled with inconsistency, injuries, and shifting expectations, seeing their young center anchor the line with confidence was one of the most important developments of the year.
John Michael Schmitz played the cleanest game of his NFL career
Facing a Green Bay front that thrives on collapsing pockets, Schmitz didn’t blink. He didn’t allow a single pressure across 33 pass-blocking snaps — a flawless outing that showcased the discipline and technique the Giants have been hoping to see since drafting him in the second round back in 2023.
He wasn’t just solid in pass protection. Schmitz also helped open lanes in the run game, moving defenders off the ball and creating creases that gave the offense rhythm. For a player who has struggled at times with leverage and anchor strength due to his size, this was the most complete display of his development.
This wasn’t luck. It wasn’t a favorable matchup. It was progress.
Carmen Bricillo is unlocking the consistency the Giants desperately needed at center
When the Giants hired Carmen Bricillo to fix this offensive line, they were betting that his track record of developing linemen would translate quickly. It’s taken some time, but Schmitz is becoming one of his clearest success stories.
After two rocky seasons filled with technique lapses and strength mismatches, Schmitz has turned a corner. He has allowed just nine pressures and one sack across 327 pass-blocking snaps this season. That’s a massive improvement for a player whose size limitations once seemed like a ceiling rather than a challenge to overcome.
Bricillo’s emphasis on footwork, hand placement, and angles is translating onto the field. Schmitz is anticipating better, anchoring more confidently, and finishing plays with more balance. For the first time in his young career, he’s stacking consistent reps — not just flashes.
The Giants needed this outcome after investing heavily in the position
Drafting Schmitz in the second round was a major commitment. The Giants believed he could be the steady, intelligent, technically sound center their line had lacked for years. But development at the position is rarely linear, and early struggles raised real questions about whether he could be trusted long-term.
Sunday’s performance, paired with his steady season overall, gives the Giants something they’ve been searching for: clarity.
It’s still early, and the work isn’t finished, but Schmitz is playing like the ascending interior lineman they envisioned on draft night. That matters — not just for the offense, but for the future of the line as a whole.
What comes next for Schmitz and the Giants?
Schmitz is under contract for one more year, giving the Giants additional time to evaluate before making a long-term decision. If he continues this trajectory, extension talks won’t be far behind.
And while the Giants have plenty of problems to solve — from quarterback health to wide receiver depth to pass-rush consistency — establishing stability at center is a foundational win. It sets the tone for everything else they want to build offensively.
For now, the Giants can take a breath. They saw real development in the trenches. They saw progress where it matters. And they saw a young player begin to look like the anchor they drafted him to be.
That alone is worth celebrating, even on a day the scoreboard didn’t go their way.
More about: New York Giants
