Giants believe O-line is coming together

Aug 20, 2017 - 12:00 AM EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- For a unit that consists of just five big and nondescript guys, the New York Giants' starting offensive line -- left tackle Ereck Flowers, left guard Justin Pugh, center Weston Richburg, right guard John Jerry and right tackle Bobby Hart -- sure has drawn a lot of attention not only this summer, but also in the spring.

Rightfully so, given its inconsistent performance combined with the fact that general manager Jerry Reese chose not to upgrade any of the five starters in the offseason with a premium free agent.

It was a curious move by Reese considering the emphasis placed on revamping the running game, the tight ends and the receivers. So far, the Giants' coaches and players have been steadfast in their belief that last year's offensive line, which finished 30th in the league in run blocking (3.5 yards per carry), is on the ascent.

"I'm excited about the direction that we're headed in," said Pugh. "Just watching the game film, we're doing some good things."

"We have seen a lot of progress, especially being in pads, especially having one game to take a look at where you can draw it up on the board (and) talk about it in meetings," added offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan.

For many people on the outside looking in, the progress made by the line has been miniscule at best. The unit was at the switch last week when Josh Johnson, getting the start for Eli Manning, was sacked three times.

The Giants' running also picked up right where it left off last year, averaging a dismal 3.2 yards per carry against the Steelers, with starter Paul Perkins accumulating just three yards on five carries.

Head coach Ben McAdoo has been careful to avoid leveling scathing criticism on the offensive line, particularly on Flowers, their third-year blind-side protector. But as both he and Sullivan pointed out, there is still a lot of preseason football -- 75 percent of their games, to be exact -- left to be played.

"We are not where we want to be, but we are headed in the right direction," Sullivan said. "I have seen some flashes of the type of offensive line performances that we are going to want to have and we are pleased with where we are headed right now. We have a lot more work to do, but we are headed in the right direction."

When asked if the progress has been slow to come due to any tweaks made in the linemen's technique by offensive line coaches Mike Solari and Lunda Wells, Sullivan shook his head.

"I don't know if it is as much about the technique per se in terms of anything that is schematically different. Fundamentals are still fundamentals," he said.

Instead, Sullivan cited areas such as aiming points, initial quickness, and communication to help the unit avoid some of the breakdowns that plagued them last year.

Sullivan was particularly generous with his praise for Flowers, who didn't allow any pressures or sacks in the dozen or so snaps he played in the preseason opener.

"There was one particular play where we were on the 10-12-yard line going in to score, and there was 1-on-1 pass protection and he had great initial quickness, his hand placement, he reacted to the second reaction of the defender and it was a legitimate good play," Sullivan said.

"It was what we want; it was the model. He has shown better finish, he has shown better sustain and strain of his blocks."

Despite all the rays of sunshine, Sullivan is realistic when it comes to the offensive line moving forward.

"We know we are going to go as far as our offensive line goes," he said. "There has been improvement, (but) as I said earlier, we are not where we want to be."