The NY Giants offensive line has been a constant revolving door all season. Literally, as they haven't been able to adequately block, and figuratively due to the plethora of players being inserted at different spots due to injury.
One major injury came in Week 1 in the Giants' 40-0 blowout loss to the Cowboys. Star left tackle Andrew Thomas injured his hamstring on the blocked field goal that was returned by Cowboys cornerback Noah Igbinoghene. A nightmare trickle down effect from that moment has led the Giants to where they are now, 2-7 and likely a Top 5 pick in April's draft.
Good news for the Giants, however, was Thomas returning to the field in Week 9 against the Raiders. He was initially slated to return in Week 4 against Seattle, but suffered a setback that led to another four missed games. The Giants offensive line desperately missed Thomas, as second-year lineman Joshua Ezeudu and veteran Justin Pugh struggled to fill his void.
Nevertheless, Thomas being back is great news no matter what the record is. Most importantly, considering Daniel Jones is done for the season with a torn ACL, Tommy DeVito, or whoever is at quarterback over the next eight games, won't have to worry about their blindside with Thomas anchoring his side of the line. These two plays below are a great example why:
Andrew Thomas' presence is already back to being a beast
Reminder that Andrew Thomas is a good at football pic.twitter.com/IoHm4gUAkS
— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) November 6, 2023
This first play is a great reminder of Thomas' run-blocking. He quickly meets Pugh for a double team on Bilal Nichols, then immediately gets to the next level to block former Giant Jaylon Smith. This was a well-blocked play in general, with Thomas' quick instincts coming into play to allow Saquon Barkley to gain a few extra yards.
Andrew Thomas throwing the rook out of the club pic.twitter.com/J2IERKWAWq
— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) November 6, 2023
Now we're getting to the good stuff, which happens to be Thomas' pass blocking. Fans have certainly missed Thomas' ability to completely shut down opposing edge rushers like it's nothing. Here, Thomas' effortless kick step puts him into a great position on rookie edge rusher Tyree Wilson. Once Thomas got his hands on Wilson, there was nothing the poor rookie could do at that point.
To make things sweeter, Thomas throws the rookie to the side, in what was a solid pocket given to DeVito. While the Giants' season is likely over at this point, having Thomas back at left tackle is a breath of fresh air for everyone. Look for him to keep looking sharp vs. Dallas this weekend.