1. The Offensive line as a whole
Whew boy, where do we even begin? Originally, we wanted to focus on just one or two offensive linemen, but after taking a glance at the film and advanced stats, it's clear that the unit as a whole was a major problem for this game. This make-shift line was the biggest reason the offense couldn't get much of anything done.
Last night's Giants pass-blocking grade is the third-worst we've seen since 2020.
— Steve Palazzolo (@PFF_Steve) September 22, 2023
Daniel Jones pressured on half of his dropbacks and average time to pressure was 2.2 seconds, faster than Week 1 vs. Dallas https://t.co/dPoo1jWxDX
To start, Joshua Ezeudu, who had a solid start against the Cardinals, registered a PFF pass-blocking grade of 11.7, allowing four pressures. Next to him was Shane Lemieux, who was stupidly given a chance to start - he had a pass-blocking grade of 3.8 while allowing five pressures and a sack. The way Lemieux has consistently been given chances despite never showing potential in the regular season is becoming very frustrating.
As for rookie center John Michael-Schmitz, he was one of the few players to actually have a decent game. While PFF may disagree, the tape shows that he was at the very least New York's best offensive lineman, only allowing two pressures. Alongside him was Marcus McKethan, who had a very good debut vs. Arizona. However, this week he did not fare so well, allowing three pressures and earning a pass-blocking grade of 3.9.
Capping things off we have Evan Neal, who surprisingly was okay while being matched up against Nick Bosa. In 45 pass-blocking snaps, Neal allowed just three pressures and shockingly didn't give up a sack. Bosa was definitely getting the better of Neal during this matchup, but compared to how bad he's looked at times this season, it's nice to see the second-year player somewhat hold his own against the former DPOY.
Overall, this was an absolutely disastrous showing from the offensive line. Both Andrew Thomas and Ben Bredeson need to heal up quickly if the Giants offense wants any chance of success in future matchups.