The New York Giants are coming off the heels of a disastrous 40–0 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1. Much of the blame can be pinned on the offensive line, as they allowed an astonishing 7 sacks, and allowed pressures on over 62% of Daniel Jones’ dropbacks.
After such a dreadful performance, the Giants may need to search the free-agent market to address their offensive line woes. The answer to solving their offensive line woes could come in the form of an old friend.
Giants could form a reunion with veteran OL to address the unit
Veteran offensive lineman Justin Pugh could be a mid-season target for New York to bolster their offensive line. Pugh most recently played for the Arizona Cardinals last season but is currently a free agent after tearing his ACL in Week 6 and missing the final 11 games of the 2022 season.
The 10-year veteran spent the first five seasons of his career with the Giants from 2013-2017, accumulating an average Pro Football Focus grade of 73.9 over his five-year tenure, with a career-best 81.1 in 2016. Pugh’s veteran presence could prove useful to a young offensive line that appeared visibly intimidated against Dallas in Week 1.
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Pugh defends the Giants amidst Week 1 embarrassment
Pugh took to X to defend Big Blue during their epic collapse on Sunday Night Football, saying “That first drive is who the @Giants are. It snowballed from there but don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. When you get behind and it starts to snowball it looks way worse. If they would’ve scored on that opening drive it would be completely different game. Trust me I’ve been there. Long way to go.”
If the Giants want to replicate the success they had last season, the offensive line must be addressed. While Week 1 could very easily have been an outlier for Big Blue, it could also be a theme for the season. Joe Schoen and the rest of the Giants front office will have some decisions to make if they wish to improve upon an issue the team has had for the better part of a decade.