Warning: If you happen to see a large man out and about, perhaps doing some holiday shopping, and that beefy guy happens to be a Giants offensive lineman, don’t be alarmed if he’s not all smiles and laughter.
None of them are in the mood.
“Every guy on the offense, we’re all [ticked] off, all of us,” left tackle David Diehl said yesterday. “The only way you can correct things is having a mentality that [bleep] is never going to happen again.”
A more family-friendly version of that statement is that the offensive line is taking to heart the struggles by Eli Manning in last week’s 41-17 loss to the Vikings. Manning’s four interceptions handed over 28 points, and there was no way the Giants could overcome that generosity. There were plenty of dreadful passes, but there also were plenty of throws made under duress, and members of the line aren’t hiding from the fact they were a large part of the problem.
“The positive is you know you don’t want to feel like that again,” guard Chris Snee said. “You’ve experienced the worst, the positive is you have another chance to go out there and redeem yourselves, and that’s what we’re gonna do.”
That sounds like a promise heading into Sunday’s game against the Bears at Soldier Field.
By any discernable measure, the offensive line has taken a dive in performance. Manning was sacked eight times in the first eight games but he has been sacked 10 times in the past three games. After rushing for 1,100 yards in the first eight games (137.5 yards per game), the Giants in the past three games have rushed for 255 yards (85 yards per game).
There are mitigating factors. The offensive backfield is playing without Derrick Ward. Brandon Jacobs missed the previous game. That also plays a role in diminishing the pass protection, as evidenced by rookie running back Ahmad Bradshaw blatantly missing a blitz pickup against the Vikings, forcing a pressured Manning into throwing the ball into the turf. An increasingly hobbled Plaxico Burress has hurt the quick-strike passing game, forcing Manning to scan the field longer than advisable, creating more sack opportunities.
“Any time a sack occurs they assume it just goes to the offensive line,” Manning said. “Other people are involved in protection, and some of the protection problems are not because of the offensive line.”
There is no debating the drop-off in the physical play of the line, the rise in penalties and the higher frequency of missed assignments leading to blown plays.
“Last week was a decline, without a doubt,” Diehl said.
This is no week to endure offensive line struggles. The Bears are tied for third in the league with 32 sacks, led by Adewale Ogunleye (nine), Tommie Harris (seven) and Mark Anderson (41/2). The Bears defense is not operating nearly as forcefully as it did during last year’s Super Bowl run (they are allowing 126.8 rushing yards per game) but the front group returns intact.
“They get after the quarterback pretty well, and they have a similar style to what we just saw,” Snee said. “The good part of it is we saw it last Sunday, the bad part of it is we didn’t block it up.”
Of all the units on the team, Tom Coughlin figures the offensive line will police itself as well or better than most. The players on the line seemed to take the loss and their performance harder than most.
Consider the way Snee reacted immediately following Manning’s debacle.
“We didn’t make him feel comfortable back there in the pocket, it’s tough to complete throws when you got guys at your feet,” Snee said in a tone that exhibited extreme disgust. “We didn’t do our job in making him feel comfortable back there, he was under pressure all day. He’s going to take the heat but we got to take the heat. We’re the ones supposed to be protecting him.”
That is what the linemen intend to do in Chicago.
“It’s a new week,” Snee said. “We’re moving on.”