Despite Struggles, Ereck Flowers Will Remain The Giants Starting Left Tackle
Two games into the 2017 season, it is clear that the New York Giants have serious issues on the offensive line. Third year left tackle Ereck Flowers has really struggled so far, but it looks like he is retaining his starting job for now.
It might not be what New York Giants fans want to hear a few days after a sloppy 24-10 loss to the Detroit Lions, but Ereck Flowers is going to remain the starting left tackle.
On Tuesday, Giants head coach Ben McAdoo stated that Flowers “absolutely” is still the starting left tackle, as reported by Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.
Ben McAdoo says Ereck Flowers is "absolutely" still the Giants starting left tackle.
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) September 19, 2017
This vote of confidence comes just one day after the Giants offensive line was dominated by the Lions defensive line. Quarterback Eli Manning was sacked five times in the game. Lions defensive end Ezekiel Ansah, who Flowers was supposed to be blocking, had three of the five sacks.
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Even though Manning did not play his best game on Monday night, it is hard to put a lot of the blame on him when he had no time to throw the ball. When he did have time, he actually completed 22 of the 32 passes he attempted for a total of 239 yards.
If the Giants are going to turn things around, then Manning is going to need better protection from his offensive line. Flowers just has not gotten the job done at left tackle this season, or during his entire career for that matter. For a guy the Giants drafted in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft with the ninth overall pick, he has really been a disappointment.
The problem is that the Giants do not have a whole lot of depth behind Flowers. Rookie Chad Wheeler is considered to be his backup. Unless they want to give Wheeler a shot, the Giants are going to have to stick with Flowers.
Next: Why is McAdoo still calling plays?
Part of the problem with the Giants offensive line is that general manager Jerry Reese did not do enough during this past offseason to address this area. Besides signing Wheeler as an undrafted free agent, the only other move he made to improve the offensive line was signing veteran guard D.J. Fluker.
The Giants need to figure out their offensive line problems quickly. Next up for them is a tough divisional matchup on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles. If the Giants lose to the Eagles on Sunday, then their season could spiral out of control.