Where the Giants Are Missing Andrew Thomas Most

Coach Gene Clemons breaks down the specifics, but suffice it to say Thomas's absence has been huge for the Giants.

Author:
Gene Clemons
Publish date:
Oct 10, 2023 2:40 PM EDT

In this story:

Undeniably, the New York Giants offensive line has been a mess this year. Fans need to remember that the product they have seen all season is not the product that anyone expected to be on the field this season.

The issues began with the loss of All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas. Since his injury at the end of the first drive of the season, the offensive line has suffered a myriad of injuries. Obviously, the unit has not performed well because backups are backups for a reason. The other disadvantage is that the players on the line have no continuity or comfort. The results have been an all-out assault on quarterback Daniel Jones in the passing game.

The loss of Thomas is the most glaring of all because the left tackle is charged with protecting the quarterback's blind side. Jones has been under siege from that area.

Although Joshua Ezeudu has mostly done an admirable job, there is a reason why he was projected to be a guard. His skill set projects better as a guard than a tackle, although with more practice, maybe he would be a decent tackle.

There are just some things that his inexperience has exposed and illuminates why the Giants miss Thomas manning the left side.

Technique vs the 'Speed Rush"

Three things make you a good pass blocker against the speed rush: quick and balanced feet, a strong punch, and patience.

Quick feet allow you to kick, slide, and keep your body between the rusher and the quarterback. Once you allow a rusher to get to your edge, it makes it much easier to get around you. Rushers can't make you lunge or reach if your feet are balanced.

The strong punch provides a jolt to stop the rusher's forward momentum and disrupt their flow. Ultimately, patience is key. Linemen should never chase or reach for defenders because you already know where they are trying to go. Make them come to you and thus go through you to the quarterback. That allows your quick feet and strong punch to be even more effective.

Thomas has thrived against the speed rush because of these factors. Rushers can't get him off balance or emerge him half-man and turn him to better get around him.

He does not fall for much of the histrionics in front of him, and when the defense does engage, he is met with a powerful punch that slows down their momentum.

These are all things that Ezeudu has struggled with so far. It's not as if the skills don't exist, but they are inconsistent enough.

Aug 18, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) chats with New York Giants wide receiver Jamison Crowder (80) during the fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium.

Technique vs. "Speed to Power"

Speed to power can be tricky to combat for an offensive lineman. The defender is setting you up for a finesse rush and quickly adjusts to a physical rush.

In these cases, an offensive lineman needs to be able to drop their anchor. That means they can quickly ground their feet and not allow the defender to run them over.

The difficulty comes from moving your feet quickly to combat the speed rush, which means being light on them and keeping the normally more athletic defender from flying by you. Then, you must quickly drop down your center of gravity so that you don't get run over.

Thomas is a very large yet naturally athletic tackle. It is much easier for him to display the quick feet needed to stop the speed rush while keeping his center of gravity lower.

That, combined with a strong punch that can stun defenders, allows him to succeed when edge rushers and outside linebackers want to use this speed-to-power technique.

His natural athleticism gives him the advantage over Ezeudu because he lowers his anchor naturally and does not need to drop it much lower to stop an advance.

Technique vs. Stunts

The difficulty with stunts is that offensive linemen are normally taught to lock on once they engage with a defender and not let them go. Defensive line stunts take this into consideration as they look to change the leverage on offensive linemen.

The key to a good stunt is to get the offensive lineman to follow a defender one way so much that they get their body out of position to be able to adjust when they see the other defender loop around.

This has been one of the ways that defensive lines have been able to get an advantage over the Giants during these first five games.

Proper offensive line technique calls for one to pass off that defender to another offensive lineman who should, in turn, pass off their defender and be ready to catch yours.

When it is not executed, this is not always the fault of the offensive lineman passing off a defender, but it may seem that way. Regardless, it is important to note that when picking up a stunting player, they usually get run around if they fail to get their shoulders back in front of that looping defender.

Thomas has always been good at passing off defenders and even better at collecting the newly acquired rusher. It is something that Ezeudu has struggled with at times while playing left tackle.

Final Thoughts

While it may seem that Thomas's return will only correct one position, it could do much more. His return could spark change at left guard as well. Ezuedu could bump inside and solidify another position in flux all season. Thomas and Ezeudu on the left side could be a force in pass pro.