NY Giants Interior O-line Struggled Most Against Commanders Defense

The New York Giants' offensive line got off to an awful start to the season against the Washington Commanders on Sunday afternoon.

The interior of the line struggled mightily with a Commanders defense that didn’t need to blitz often to make an impact.

Center John Michael Schmitz still hasn’t taken the next step in his development, raising concerns that it might be time to have a conversation about looking for a new center after the season.

Schmitz had his hands full with anybody who lined up across from him, and he didn’t win his battles often. Whether it was Daron Payne, Javon Kinlaw, Eddie Goldman, or Jer’Zhan Newton, they all gave Schmitz issues that were a big reason the Giants' offense was incapable of getting anything going.

He’s not a great one-on-one blocker still, and the Commanders attacked him relentlessly throughout the game. Schmitz allowed two pressures per PFF, so the numbers don’t look completely awful, but the film shows someone struggling to keep his man out of the pocket consistently.

Schmitz wasn’t the only culprit on Sunday afternoon. The Commanders ran multiple pass-rush games designed to generate interior pressure, something teams have increasingly focused on in recent years.

The inside stunts had the Giants' interior offensive line looking around and just trying to find a body to block. Guards Jon Runyan and Greg Van Roten, being experienced veterans, should have been able to perform at a higher level than they did against those looks.

The run game against the Commanders might have been the single most dominant effort I’ve seen. Excluding Russell Wilson’s 44 yards on scrambles and QB sneaks, the Giants had 30 yards on 15 carries, and 20 of those yards came after contact.

When rushing on the interior, Giants backs had nine carries for 18 yards, and 19 of those yards came after contact. The Giants had -1 yards before contact when rushing up the middle against the Commanders.

With no drive or push in the run game and no protection in the passing game, it might already be time for a change in personnel. The Giants have Evan Neal, who recently made the transition from offensive tackle to offensive guard, waiting to go, but they left him inactive on Sunday.

While throwing Neal into the lineup wouldn’t be ideal, many fans would feel comfortable knowing that he should at least be able to generate push in the run game. Of all the options, that seems the most likely one the Giants should make if the interior continues its struggles.

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