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Evan Neal won’t miss the New York Giants Wild Card playoff matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. The rookie right tackle has recovered from a minor ankle injury suffered in practice and is expected to start at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, January 15, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, while head coach Brian Daboll also confirmed the seventh player taken in the 2022 NFL draft will “be ok,” per Pat Leonard of New York Daily News:
Neal’s return is a good news, bad news scenario for the Giants. Good because having their regular starter on the field means Daboll’s team has a clean bill of health to mark the franchise’s return to the postseason for the first time since 2016. Bad because Neal will have to deal with Vikings’ sack leader Danielle Hunter.
The matchup didn’t go in Neal’s favor the last time the Giants faced the Vikings, a 27-24 loss in Minnesota in Week 16.
Struggling Evan Neal Needs Help
To say Neal struggled first time out against Hunter would be an understatement. More accurately, the first-year tackle was savaged by one of the league’s better edge-rushers, “who had nine pressures and two sacks in the first matchup,” per Dan Duggan of The Athletic.
Duggan expects the Giants to give “Neal some help with chip blocks.” He also thinks the offense needs to run the ball more often, after offensive coordinator Mike Kafka “called 17 handoffs compared to 49 dropbacks in the first matchup.”
Both of those things need to happen because Neal proved he couldn’t handle Hunter three weeks ago. Specifically, Neal didn’t cope with Hunter’s speed around the corner, a problem highlighted by Bobby Skinner of Talkin’ Giants:
This sack, one of Hunter’s 10.5 on the season, shone an unflattering light on some of the core issues in Neal’s rookie performances. Problems like sluggish footwork and poor angles.
Those are things Neal can clean up with better technique and more experience, according to Dan Schneier of Big Blue Banter, but the same source highlighted how Neal also failed to corral Hunter in the running game:
Running the ball more often won’t help Neal nor the Giants if he can’t do a better job on blocks this. These missed opportunities highlight the tough sledding faced by the former Alabama standout who has transitioned from left to right tackle in the pros.
Injuries haven’t helped Neal overcome some inevitable pitfalls as a rookie. He’s dealt with shoulder problems and a sprained MCL suffered against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 7 that ruled Neal out of four games.
The latter injury has done more than anything else to stall Neal’s development during his debut season, per numbers from Tommy of Giants Country:
Neal’s latest setback, an ankle injury “considered minor,” per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, has come at a less than ideal time ahead of a game where he’ll need to be at his best and still get some help.
Giants Must Help Rookie Play to His Strength
Strength is the key word for Neal. Despite his issues with speed, the 6’7″, 350-pounder is an imposing physical specimen who can dominate with power.
Neal showed flashes of that dominance against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 17, particularly on a play highlighted by Nate Tice of The Athletic:
Getting to grips with Hunter before he hits the accelerator will increase Neal’s chance of leaning his ample frame on No. 99 and making him a non-factor. Kafka can help by putting Daniel Bellinger next to Neal and having the tight end regularly stay in to chip Hunter and slow down his initial rush.
A few early double teams could frustrate Hunter and get him to try inside moves, where Neal will better be able to cope. Another option will be to let Neal crash down into the interior of Minnesota’s defensive line and have right guard Mark Glowinski slide out and meet Hunter on the edge, a so-called “molly” block.
This ploy would work best for when the Vikes move Hunter’s fellow edge-rusher Za’Darius Smith to defensive tackle. It’s something Duggan anticipates would give the Giants a few headaches: “He played inside for a handful of snaps in the first matchup against the Giants. Putting Smith and Hunter on the right side of the Giants’ offensive line could cause major problems.”
It will be important for the Giants to scheme multiple ways to help Neal as often as possible. If Hunter and Smith, two players who’ve combined for 20.5 sacks this season, are allowed to run riot, the Giants’ postseason adventure will be short lived.
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