The New York Giants still have the worst-ranked past blocking unit in football, but they took a significant step forward in Week 14 against the Green Bay Packers on Monday night. Undrafted quarterback Tommy DeVito led the charge, making a few impressive throws and picking up over 70 yards on the ground.
With the Giants’ defense on fire and the offense just managing to get by, the team is riding a three-game winning streak as they prepare to face off against the New Orleans Saints. However, with the offensive line trending in the right direction, there’s plenty of optimism regarding the offense taking another step forward. On the season, they’ve given up 211 pressures and 38 sacks, but they didn’t give up a single sack against the Packers.
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The Giants Need Their OL to Step Up
The Giants gave up 14 total pressures but had several standup performers on Monday. Left tackle Andrew Thomas gave up one press over 28 snaps, recording a 77.2 PFF pass-blocking grade. Rookie center John Michael-Schmitz was also excellent, giving up one pressure. Guards Ben Bredeson and Justin Pugh combined for six pressures, and backup right tackle Tyre Phillips allowed three pressures as well, but they were solid for the most part.
DeVito managed to navigate the pocket and get the job done on the ground, but a few signature throws made the difference. Having time to get rid of the football was the name of the game for DeVito, who still holds onto the ball a bit too long but is taking steps forward in that regard. Second-year receiver Wan’Dale Robinson had an electric game, going 79 yards through the air and 36 yards on the ground. Isaiah Hodgins caught a touchdown pass in the second half on a beautiful throw from DeVito on the run.
Ultimately, we are seeing what this offense can do with a protection scheme that holds its own. Hopefully, they can continue compounding on that success, especially with a more tantalizing Eagles pass-rush coming up in a few weeks.