"Like a Fine Wine:" Jermaine Eluemunor Explains Giants O-line Chemistry

The New York Giants' chemistry on the offensive line has fused well despite some early struggles.

Aug 17, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Giants guard Jermaine Eluemunor (72) in action during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The New York Giants' offense might be struggling overall, but the chemistry in one area–the offensive line’s pass blocking–has proven particularly pure.

So believes right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, one of the newcomers to the Giants' blocking room, who offered his thoughts on how the offensive line has come together so quickly despite not having worked together all summer.  

Last year, The offensive line allowed 85 sacks, the second-most in the NFL and has done a much better job protecting quarterback Daniel Jones. Through four weeks, the unit ranks a respectable 12th in sacks allowed per game and sack percentage.

Eluemunor credits the offensive line's age and experience, comparing NFL blocking to the aging of a fine wine.

"It’s better over age instead of drinking the wine that's just made; if you have one that's aged a lot, then that tends to taste better," Eluemunor explained. 

"I think everyone on the o-line just cares, and it's a veteran group ... Experience can play a key factor in that, but also, we just really care about keeping Daniel upright."

Eluemunor added that the five-man offensive line–linemates left tackle Andrew Thomas, left guard John Runyan, Jr., center John Michael Schmitz, and right guard Greg Van Roten–hope that keeping defenders off Jones will help his confidence.

"We know the cleaner we keep him, the more confident he's going to be in the pocket and the more he'll be able to do what we know he can do,” Eluemunor said. “He'll be able to trust us more. We know that's a big thing for him, creating that trust with him and giving him the time he needs."

Eluemunor believes the past learned experiences among the non-blue draftees have paid off.

"I feel like we're having some success this year on the offensive line because we've all been around a lot of different offenses, and we've been in the league for a while now," said Eluemunor, who is on his fourth NFL team. 

"In the NFL, the older you are on the offensive line like I said, the more beneficial it can be for you because you're used to going against certain guys, and you're used to the game's speed."

Eluemenor praised Jones's finding at least some statistical groove after a brutal opener against Minnesota while taking just a little bit of the credit for it.

"If you watch the last three weeks, he's been doing his thing," Eluemunor said of Jones, who has a 95.8 passer rating over that span. "That's because he's starting to trust us more and more.

"That means a lot for us because we're going out there and doing everything we can to keep him clean. So, we're going to keep doing that, keep building his trust in us, and keep building his confidence." 

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