We all know how embarrassing and frustrating Sunday night was for the NY Giants and their fans, especially those in attendance who painfully watched the Dallas Cowboys dismantle Big Blue. Still, one major takeaway from the 40-0 massacre at MetLife Stadium was the Giants' lack of protection, especially on the right side.
Pass block win rates for Giants vs Cowboys: (rate + ranking)
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) September 11, 2023
LT Andrew Thomas 88% (32nd)
RT Evan Neal 70.6% (59th)
LG Ben Bredeson 90.0% (32nd)
RG Mark Glowinski 75.8% (56th)
C JM Schmitz 90.3% (18th)
Neal was 59th out of 60 qualifying tackles in Week 1. Glowinski was 56th out…
For the Giants, getting dominated by your conference rival in a primetime matchup during your first showing of the season isn't pretty, but there is still a lot of football left to be played, and at least they got their ugly loss out of the way early. The main takeaway from this defeat was the horrendous play of the offensive line. Could Joe Schoen make a move to bring in some help for the group?
Luckily for Schoen and Co., there are still some talented linemen sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring. Here's a look at three guys the second-year GM must get in contact with as soon as possible:
3. OG Justin Pugh
Among the guys Schoen must call, the list includes a former Big Blue first-round pick in Justin Pugh, who has publicly stated on social media that he would be interested in making a return to East Rutherford.
“I want to win football games. I’m not in Year 10 just to be a mentor, either. I fit a lot of the Giants needs and they fit a lot of my needs, but at the same time we have to be realistic where we’re at. I’m not doing this for the money"@JustinPugh wants to return to #NYGiants https://t.co/QpXPd60bQK
— Giants Fans Online (@NYGFansOnline) September 11, 2023
Pugh was the 19th overall pick by the Giants in 2013 and would spend his first five professional seasons with the team. He started 63 games in New York and contributed on both the right and left sides of the offensive line.
If called upon, Pugh would fill in at right guard instead of Mark Glowinski, who let up nine pressures and three sacks and struggled to protect quarterback Daniel Jones against the Cowboys' pass- rushers. Pro Football Focus gave Glowinski a 1.0 passing block and a 41.7 overall grade, which could likely decrease his playing time.
Giants' OL stats from Week 1, via PFF
— Alex Wilson (@AlexWilsonESM) September 11, 2023
Andrew Thomas: 3 pressures
Ben Bredeson: 2 pressures
John Michael-Schmitz: 3 pressures
Mark Glowinski: 9 pressures, 3 sacks
Evan Neal: 8 pressures, 1 sacks
Really fricken bad, but that right side, holy hell.
Despite Pugh's recent struggles to stay healthy with the Arizona Cardinals, he brings high football intelligence, leadership, and experience playing under pressure in New York. Big Blue Nation would welcome a reunion, and from our chair, we couldn't agree more.