Andrew Thomas, the Giants offensive line wants revenge on the Cowboys

You could have excused the members of the Giants who were on the 2023 roster if they had walked onto the field at MetLife Stadium for Thursday night’s NFC East showdown with the Cowboys with at least a hint of PTSD.

The last time the two teams met at the stadium, the Cowboys annihilated the Giants on their home field, 40-0, in the first game of the 2023 season.

The player who may have had the worst night of this night of horrors was Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas, who suffered a hamstring injury in the first quarter while trying to chase down a blocked field goal return for a touchdown.

Despite the injury, Thomas remained in the game, but he missed the next seven games before returning for the final nine, eight of which he played all offensive snaps.

“That game was embarrassing,” Thomas recalled before Thursday night’s game. “Home opener…it’s a tough way to lose. But it’s a new season, a new team.

This is also a new offensive line for the Giants. A better one in the first three games.

The Giants have allowed 85 sacks for 465 yards for loss in 2023, the most sacks allowed in the league and the second most given up for a season in NFL history.

They entered Thursday night’s game having allowed just eight sacks for 31 yards in three games, which would be good enough for just 45 sacks and 175 yards for losses.

Giants running back Devin Singletary is also having a solid season (minus his two lost fumbles), entering the game having rushed for 197 yards on a 4.7 yard average with two touchdowns (which would be the equivalent of three touchdowns if he had now knelt to preserve the last). victory of the week in Cleveland).

Those numbers can be attributed to the revamped offensive line, which has three new starters from last year’s group, along with Thomas, the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Thomas and sophomore center John Michael Schmitz, the two returners, are joined by right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor and guards Jon Runyan Jr. and Greg Van Roten.

Eluemunor and Van Roten spent last season with the Raiders and came with their Las Vegas offensive line coach, Carmen Bricillo, who replaced the fired Bobby Johnson. Runyan arrived after spending his first four seasons with the Packers, for whom he played in every game since his rookie season.

With this new group, the bashing of the Giants offensive line stopped as production increased.

One indication of the group’s improving condition is the fact that, even after the Giants’ victory over the Browns on Sunday, Thomas was disappointed with his performance against Cleveland rusher Myles Garrett.

Thomas, before Thursday night’s game, called Sunday’s win over the Browns “bittersweet” because of his personal performance.

Stream the game live Thursday night on Amazon Prime Video

“We got the win and the other four guys played really well,” Thomas said. “I’m disappointed with my game and I’m taking it wholeheartedly and doing everything I can…trying to make the corrections so I can be ready for Thursday.”

The reality of this game for Thomas was this: He didn’t allow a sack, even though Garrett had three quarterback hits, and Garrett was only credited with one tackle.

But that’s the high bar that Thomas, who was voted to the All-Pro team in 2022, is setting for himself and the entire group.

Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, before the Dallas game, complimented the players on the line, saying, “I thought they played well.” »

He said the improved pass protection “gives you a lot of confidence to be able to see the field and find the open guy, get the ball out of my hands.”

“We ran the ball well, protected well, it was a good front we played last week in Cleveland,” Jones continued. “(I have) a lot of confidence in these guys.”