Maligned Thomas turning it around
This is the Andrew Thomas the Giants thought they were drafting.
Who was the NFL’s best rookie last week? Who was the best left tackle? Thomas is the answer to both questions, according to Pro Football Focus. Considering that same grading scale buried him early in the season, it’s easy to quantify progress.
Thomas stopped getting beat on inside moves by pass-rushers — and he stopped looking foolish.
“In the beginning, that was something I really struggled with,” Thomas said. “I would over-set a lot of times and put myself in a bad position. That’s something I’ve been working on over the last few weeks. I think that’s made the biggest difference. You have to trail your defender, trust your athleticism to push a guy around the pocket so you don’t give up the inside.”
Since bottoming out against the Eagles in Week 7, Thomas has allowed one sack in five games. He allowed a NFL-high 39 pressures in his first eight games and just five in the last four, including back-to-back zero-pressure games.
Improvement started under former offensive line coach Marc Colombo and continued after the bye-week switch to Dave DeGuglielmo. Thomas said the teaching points are not a “drastic change,” but he is “just getting better.”
Hand placement is one technical change. Here’s another: Thomas was set on a 45-degree angle at Georgia, where protections slide and the left guard could atone for his mistakes. He is committed to a more vertical set.
“We run a little bit different protection here and the way we spot and set was going to be different,” Thomas said. “I had to break that habit. Obviously, going against more talented rushers has an effect on that, too. They read your hips.”
➤ ILB Blake Martinez (lower back), RT Matt Peart (ankle) and CB Darnay Holmes (knee) were limited in practice. S Madre Harper (knee) did not practice.
Martinez was not riding the stationary bike as he was Wednesday. If he cannot play, safety Logan Ryan will take over the headset to communicate calls within the defense.
“There’s no other person I would trust more than Logan taking that role,” Martinez said.
➤ Joe Judge conducted his interview Thursday wearing a Don Bosco Preparatory High School sweatshirt.
Did the Mississippi State alum lose another bet as when Giants tight end Evan Engram made his coach wear Ole Miss gear?
“No,” Judge said, “but I pay enough for that high school for my son.”
Judge’s oldest son is a freshman with the North Jersey-based national powerhouse football program.
➤ Special teams play has been a strength for nearly two seasons under coordinator Thomas McGaughey, before the Giants allowed a kickoff-return touchdown and a punt-block safety the last two games.
McGaughey has a saying for facing adversity: “Are you going to box or throw rocks?”