The New York Giants had a strong offensive line group through the early part of the season. However, Andrew Thomas’ season-ending injury completely dismantled the O-line, and the lackluster play from second-year center John Michael Schmitz could no longer be masked.
Giants’ John Michael Schmitz has been underwhelming
The Giants drafted Schmitz in the second round of last year’s draft. He was initially touted as someone who would be a crucial part of solving the team’s O-line issues, but he has not lived up to that hype so far in his NFL career.
Schmitz has had a rough sophomore season in the NFL this year. In 611 snaps played, he has allowed 18 total pressures, 13 hurries, four quarterback hits, and one sack this season. Additionally, he is graded poorly in pass-blocking by PFF with an abysmal 45.4 grade assessed to him in that area.
With Thomas done for the year, there has been a massive hole at left tackle. Chris Hubbard was signed to replace Thomas at the position, but he has struggled mightily since joining New York. With Schmitz’s struggles this year, quarterback Daniel Jones has had little pocket protection.
In their last three games, Jones has been sacked nine times, including five in Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles. The faltering performance from the offensive line has largely contributed to the overall issues they have had scoring, as they are now dead last in points per game with 15.4.
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Week 10 will be a big game for Schmitz to turn things around
Week 10 against the Carolina Panthers would be the best time for Schmitz to turn things around. The Panthers have a very weak defensive line and have struggled to contain both the running game as well as the pass rush.
Carolina has the lowest-graded pass rush in the NFL by PFF with a 48.9 grade. They also have the third-worst graded run defense in the league with a grade of 47.8 in that department. Their overall defensive grade of 52.6 is dead last in the NFL this season.
That poor defense should work in Schmitz’s favor, as he desperately needs a strong performance to help snap the Giants’ four-game losing skid. They play their Week 10 game on Sunday in Germany at 9:30 A.M. EST, and the hope is that Schmitz can provide a quality performance on the front lines and turn things around to close out the season.
