The New York Giants went to great lengths to revamp their historically bad offseason line this past offseason and appear to have succeeded. The additions of Jermaine Eluemunor, Greg Van Roten, and Jon Runyan Jr. have paid immediate dividends.
But training camp and the preseason differ greatly from the regular season and the new-look unit will be tested from the jump.
On Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium, the group will be tasked with slowing down a blitz-heavy unit led by defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
“I’d say it’s a completely different defense with Brian there and with a lot of new players that they’ve added. It’s a pressure defense. He pressures often. Sometimes the entire game,” head coach Brian Daboll told reporters on Tuesday.
Daboll and Flores squared off six times while the former was offensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills and the latter was head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Daboll was 6-0 in those games.
In order to make it 1-0 with the Giants on Sunday, Daboll will have to get more production out of quarterback Daniel Jones than he did a season ago and that requires an offensive line that can limit the pressure.
“I think going up against Wink (Martindale) and all of the different pressures he brought, you’ve got to have answers and things to get to offensively,” Jones said, comparing Martindale’s system to Flores’. “This system, this defense, puts a lot of pressure on the offense, on the quarterback, and you’ve got to see it, understand what’s happening and be prepared.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in (the offensive line). I think they’ve played really well throughout training camp. We’ve got some veterans who (we) brought in, some older guys who I think have done a good job and gotten on the same page. I think Carm (Carmen Bricillo) has done a really good job working with that group. I feel like we have a good plan this week. I’m excited. I think that group’s played well.”
It will certainly be a test for the Giants right out of the gate but with Daboll calling plays, Big Blue might have the advantage — especially with a capable offensive line.
