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Being 6-2 means the New York Giants have received more praise than criticism during the 2022 NFL season. Not everything is going swimmingly though. Not according to a clutch performer who helped the Giants win two Super Bowls.
This cult figure from legendary title victories has warned the Giants they need to fix a growing problem that’s been masked by the team’s winning record. If the problem persists, it will make it impossible for the most important starter on the Giants’ offense to improve significantly during the second half of the campaign.
Super Bowl Winner Sends Warning About Struggling Group
Lawrence Tynes kicked the Giants out of several jams during the Super Bowl runs of 2007 and 2011. His clutch performances, particularly in NFC Championship Games against the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers, qualify Tynes to speak on the prospects of this season’s team.
The 44-year-old has spoken out against a struggling offensive line that’s allowed quarterback Daniel Jones to be sacked at an alarming rate. Tynes believes Joe Schoen has failed to make good on a priority the general manager revealed during a recent appearance on the TikiandTierney show on WFAN Sports Radio:
It’s easy to agree with Tynes’ damning assessment of the players in front of Jones. Especially when the Giants’ QB1 has been sacked at least five times on three occasions already this season.
The latest five-sack game surrendered by Big Blue’s offensive line was Week 8’s 27-13 defeat to the Seattle Seahawks. Uchenna Nwosu logged two of those sacks off the edge against right tackle Tyre Phillips, winning easily with a speed rush highlighted by DLineVids:
Phillips was only in the lineup to replace seventh-overall pick Evan Neal, who is out with an MCL injury. Neal had endured his share of struggles on the right, after playing left tackle for Alabama in college.
Left tackle is the purview of Andrew Thomas for the Giants, and the fourth player drafted in 2020 is the only starter who can’t be considered a weak link. Even so, giving up this many sacks is a bad look when the Giants have two top-five picks as bookend tackles.
The bigger problem is what’s happening along the interior.
Soft Middle a Growing Problem for Giants
Edge-rushers have enjoyed some success against these Giants, but defensive tackles have positively feasted on this offensive line. It began when Jeffery Simmons recorded two sacks for the Tennessee Titans in Week 1.
Even outside pass-rushers are winning easily with inside moves. DeMarcus Lawrence caused havoc crashing inside during Week 3’s 23-16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Highlights from Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News revealed the Giants had no answers for Lawrence’s varied rush plan:
A closer look at Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence’s night vs. Giants. He recorded three sacks and influenced a fourth despite missing two second-half series with a foot injury. He returned to help close out Monday’s win.
One of the players who struggled most against Lawrence was right guard Mark Glowinski. He’s one of three new starters along the interior this season, all of whom have struggled to anchor the middle.
Glowinski arrived from the Indianapolis Colts during free agency, but as NJ.com’s Darryl Slater pointed out, the veteran has been a disappointment: “19 pressures allowed, most on the team.”
Slater also noted how left guard Joshua Ezeudu “allowed six pressures in Seattle.” Ezeudu is standing in for Ben Bredeson, who landed on IR after suffering a knee injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 7.
An increasingly shaky situation at guard is putting extra burden on center Jon Feliciano. He’s also struggled to handle one-on-one assignments since arriving from the Buffalo Bills in the offseason, like when he was mauled by rookie Travis Jones against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6:
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First career sack for @bigtrav76 ❗️
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The Giants simply don’t possess a bluechip talent at any of the three spots along the interior. It’s compounded Neal’s slow start and left Jones’ protection consistently overwhelmed.
Taking so many sacks is an obvious problem for a mobile signal-caller who already absorbs more hits than most, thanks to his rushing ability and its role in head coach Brian Daboll’s offense.
Daboll’s playing to Jones’ strengths, but he’s also trying to make the former sixth-overall pick a more efficient passer. Designing quicker reads will help, but Jones won’t boost his modest 6.4 yards per attempt without better blocking up front and more time in the pocket.
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