Players to Watch: Rookies continue to shine

The Giants received some tough news this week as the team announced that left tackle Andrew Thomas underwent season-ending surgery Wednesday morning for a foot injury suffered in last week’s loss. Through the first six games of the season, the Giants’ five starting offensive linemen had played every single snap together, the only unit across the NFL to do so. But with Thomas now done for the year, the O-line must adjust with other players stepping up to try to fill the void left by Thomas’ injury.

We don’t yet know how exactly the O-line will look come Sunday. Coach Brian Daboll said the team is evaluating its options, one of which includes just slotting Joshua Ezeudu into the starting lineup at left tackle. Another option could be moving right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor over to the left side, while Evan Neal steps in at right tackle. Daboll also told reporters Wednesday that Neal could potentially take some snaps during practice at left tackle. All options appear to be on the table as the Giants look to figure out the best combination of five players to fill out the line. While “you can’t replace Andrew Thomas,” as Daboll said on Wednesday, the Giants are confident in the guys behind him.

“Everyone’s on this team for a reason,” Daboll said about the team’s injuries. “They’re all working to improve. They’re not here just to hold the space. They’re working to improve. So when they get their opportunity, they go out there and they do as good of a job as they can do and be themselves and trust their fundamentals, their techniques. That’s why they work so hard and are involved in the meetings and get the reps, because you have to develop those guys that are backups throughout the season. Because inevitably, you’ll have some type of injury, regardless of the spot it is.”

“It’s next guy up and that group’s played well this year,” Daniel Jones added after practice. “I think obviously it’s a tough blow to lose Andrew. He’s a tremendous player, a tremendous leader for us. But I’m confident guys will step up and I think more than anything, it’s about that group playing well together as a unit, communicating, getting on the same page, and helping each other. And so far, they’ve done a really good job with that.”

The Eagles have recorded just 11 sacks through their first five games, which has them tied with the Cardinals for the 24th in the league. However, the metrics show that their pass rush has performed better than the numbers indicate. The Eagles’ 43 percent pass rush win rate comes in at No. 13, according to ESPN analytics.

The Thomas news marks the second consecutive week in which the Giants lost a key starter after outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux was placed on injured reserve last week after undergoing wrist surgery. The Giants can only hope that the replacement along the O-line sees similar results as we saw on the edge last week. Outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari stepped in opposite Brian Burns, and the fourth-year edge rusher put together one of the best games of his young NFL career. Ojulari had two sacks and six total pressures on 26 pass rushes against the Bengals, which resulted in his highest pressure rate generated in a game since the 2021 season finale.

“He did a good job,” defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said Thursday about Ojulari. “That’s the expectation. These guys, they get their opportunities and make the most of them. Be ready to go day in, day out. Never know when that opportunity is going to arise. I thought he showed up. He made plays for us. He was active. He was winning. He was getting off the ball. I felt his speed out there attacking the line of scrimmage. Really pleased with him and being ready to go and showing up when we needed him.”

Sunday’s matchup against the Bengals was the first game in which Ojulari played more than 44 percent of the team’s defensive snaps this year. Despite his limited action, Ojulari is tied for the second-most sacks on the team with three, while his four quarterback hits are tied for fourth. His 13 pressures on 92 pass rushes has led to a 14.1 percent pressure rate, the highest by any Giants pass rusher this season with at least 50 pass rushes.

The Eagles’ 14 sacks allowed are tied with the Giants for the 14^th-fewest in the league, although the Giants have played one more game. But Philadelphia’s O-line has taken a big hit, as coach Nick Sirianni told reporters earlier this week that starting left tackle Jordan Mailata will miss some time due to a hamstring injury. Fred Johnson filled in at left tackle once Mailata left last week’s game and allowed two pressures on just five pass blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. In two and a half games this season, Johnson has allowed two sacks and a total of 18 pressures.