The Sports Xchange

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – When the New York Giants lost starting left tackle Will Beatty to a torn pectoral muscle back in May, the unit that was initially thought to be a strength of the team’s suddenly became the Achilles’ heel in the minds of many pundits.

While countless NFL analysts were quick to bury the unit, the five projected starters at the time – left tackle Ereck Flowers, left guard Justin Pugh, center Weston Richburg, right guard Geoff Schwartz, and right tackle Marshall Newhouse – just went about their business, shut out the outside opinions, and focused on become a unit that quarterback Eli Manning would be proud to stand behind.

So far so good. New York’s starting five has allowed just four sacks in the first quarter of the 2015 season, the third-fewest allowed by a team in the league so far. In addition, Manning has only been under pressure on 35 of his 150 drop-back attempts this season (23 percent) according to Pro Football Focus.

Against the Bills, the Giants offensive line allowed just one sack – that to safety Corey Graham.

“That was a real positive,” said Richburg, who was masterful in deciphering the Bills’ various stunts and twists and then countering with protection calls. “We handled their really different looks pretty well and obviously they have good talent. I think we, for the most part, blocked them well. They did have one sack we’d like to have back, but I think we did a good job at pass protection for the most part.

“I will say this: they did perform well,” head coach Tom Coughlin added about his offensive line. “We pass protected well. We did have some occasions to run the ball – we rushed for 92 yards, they rushed for 55 yards, so we had more yards there. Again, we prepared well. There was an awful lot that went into it from a cerebral standpoint in the game. The guys did a good job with it.”

While most of the Giants rushing yardage came behind the left side duo of Flowers and Pugh, the right side combo of Schwartz and Newhouse, the side that created the most concern going into this season, also held up well, blocking for Rashad Jennings’ longest run of the game as well as holding up well against the likes of Bills passing rushing specialist Mario Williams.

In particular, Newhouse, the veteran free-agent journeyman who had stops with Green Bay and Cincinnati, has been surprisingly solid in games after a shaky start in this, his first season with the Giants.

“He’s done a good job,” Coughlin said. “He’s come in and he’s worked hard and he’s been very good up front in terms of communication. He’s a smart guy. So he’s worked himself in very well.”

Despite the production by the offensive line, there are still critics who believe that it’s the Giants’ focus on the short passing game and not so much the blockers which has been the big difference in helping to keep Manning’s uniform clean.

“I’m sure there will be people that say things about us, but that’s not for us to really worry about,” Richburg said. “It’s up to us to continue to work hard and continue to come together as a unit, try to get better each week.”

Notes: TE Daniel Fells, who has been fighting a foot injury, underwent evaluation last week during which point he was found to have developed a staph infection. Fells, widely regarded as the Giants’ best blocking tight end, was placed on injured reserve. … DE Jason Pierre-Paul is reportedly planning on visiting with the Giants sometime in the next two weeks, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report. Pierre-Paul has been in South Florida, where he has continued to rehab from a July 4 fireworks accident that cost him his right index finger and which caused serious burns necessitating a skin graft. … OT Ereck Flowers (ankle) came out of Sunday’s game no worse for the wear according to head coach Tom Coughlin. Flowers, who started the game, had to leave after the Giants’ first snap on offense. He went on to miss 10 snaps, but was able to return to finish the game.