How Andrew Thomas's Absence Has Negatively Impacted the Giants' Offense

New York Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas was the one man the team couldn't afford to lose.

Aug 24, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants offensive tackle Andrew Thomas (78) walks off the field following the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. / Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Several emerging head-scratching decisions have been made by the New York Giants this season, but perhaps there have been none larger than the team’s plan–or is that lack of a plan–at swing tackle.

The Giants, who lost starting left tackle Andrew Thomas for the season two weeks ago to a foot injury, have been scrambling to find a suitable replacement for the all-important blindside protector role.

But when head coach Brian Daboll said you don’t just replace an Andrew Thomas like that, he wasn’t kidding.

The Giants spent the entire offseason and training camp trying to groom third-year man Joshua Ezeudu, a 2022 third-round pick, for the swing tackle role, a role they tried to get him into at the start of last year even though he hadn’t practiced there all spring and summer. 

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But this year was supposed to be different. Except it wasn’t. Ezeudu got the start at left tackle against the Eagles and gave up three pressures, two of which were sacks. 

While he did settle down as the game went on, his balance issues came to light in run blocking. The Giants attempted just three runs to the left side of the formation for a measly five yards against the Eagles.

This past week against the Steelers, the Giants decided to go with veteran Chris Hubbard, a career right tackle who was originally an undrafted free agent signed by the Steelers out of UAB in 2013. 

Hubbard, whom the Giants signed off the 49ers practice squad 11 days ago, has played 3,439 of his career 4,134 snaps at right tackle and just 198 snaps (70 of which came in Week 8 against his former team) at left tackle.

He allowed 12 pressures in pass blocking in his new role–more than double what his next closed teammate (Jon Runyan, Jr.) allowed.

To be fair, though, the Giants schemed most of the pass-blocking help to the right side, where Jermaine Eluemuor toughed out the game despite a groin injury that caused him to miss two days’ worth of practice.  

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The pass protection issue was among the many reasons for the Giants loss to the Steelers. Quarterback Daniel Jones was pressured 5.3% of the time on Monday night, going 8 of 18 for 123 yards and one interception. Per Pro Football Focus, he also had two turnover-worthy plays and completed two of six pass attempts of 20+ yards.

The good news is that the run production to the left side was head and shoulders better than it was the week prior, with Hubbard in the lineup. New York gained 89 of its 157 rushing yards on seven carries to the left side.

The Giants, who flirted with former first-round draft pick D.J. Humphries, have yet to try Evan Neal, a top-10 draft pick in 2022 who played left tackle in his final season at Alabama, at left tackle in a game. 

This is presumably because Neal, having missed all of the spring and most of the summer while recovering from an ankle issue, is still not caught up on what offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo has tight him technique-wise. 

Neal’s only snap to date this season came on the botched 2-point conversion play, a rather damning statement of where he currently is in his third season–and just how big of a hole Andrew Thomas’s season-ending injury has left on this Giants offense.

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