OUT OF LINE
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Giants are on pace to set an NFL record for the most different offensive line combinations used in a season.
What an injury-fueled, short-handed mess.
It’s a wonder then that Sunday’s 44-20 loss to the Cowboys was competitive for as long as it was. A front-seven that is as good as any in the NFL at generating pressure off of stunts finished with zero sacks, seven quarterback hits and 12 pressures.
In addition to starting their fifth different lineup in as many games because of left tackle Andrew Thomas’ absence with a foot injury, the Giants also turned to their fifth different left guard when Wes Martin made his debut in the second quarter. So, the Giants now have started eight different offensive lineman and used a ninth off the bench during less than one-third of the new 17-game regular season.
Thomas’ absence had a significant impact on the game even before the other injuries piled up: Nate Solder moved from right tackle to left, and Matt Peart returned from a three-game exile on the bench to start on the right side. The Giants activated Thomas after pregame warm-ups, and he did not have a setback, coach Joe Judge said.
“We thought he was at a point where we were going to use him as an emergency, if needed,” Judge said. “That incorporated into the plan we are thinking about going forward.”
Consistent backfield pressure on two quarterbacks didn’t count as an emergency.
Thomas’ absence had a ripple effect across the offense because coordinator Jason Garrett’s faith in leaving the blossoming secondyear stud on an island to protect Jones’ blind side is what allows the Giants to direct helpful double-teams and chip-blocks to Solder. There was less time to replicate the downfield passing attack shown in last week’s fourth-quarter comeback.
“Matt and Nate practiced all week,” Judge said. “The offensive line — with a lot of moves and some things we had to settle down and move on from early in the game — there was a lot of productive things we did today.”
Take, as one example, the way Solder was blown off the ball by rookie Micah Parsons, forcing a scrambling Jones to be errant on a sideline throw. Or, as another, the way the Giants were forced to roll the pocket on fourth-and-goal, trailing 27-13 late in the third quarter, because of no confidence that pressure wouldn’t wreck the play before it developed.
Signed last week off Washington’s practice squad, Martin replaced starter Matt Skura and played series in both halves.
“We were planning on rotating those guys going in and making both guys play,” Judge said.
The Giants’ left guard curse has taken down Nick Gates (season-ending broken leg), Shane Lemieux (possible season-ending knee) and Ben Bredeson (hand) and dipped to the practice squad this week to impact Jonotthan Harrison (possible season-ending Achilles).
Fearing that Thomas might not be available as a game-time decision, the Giants elevated Korey Cunningham from the practice squad as a swing tackle. But they stuck with Solder — who allowed 20 total sacks as the left tackle in 2018 and 2019 before last season’s opt-out — and Peart, who made one start as a rookie last season and had not played offense since 19 snaps in a Week 1 rotation with Solder.