The New York Giants almost pulled off an impossible upset of the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night and they did it with an offensive line held together by spit, duct tape, and chicken wire.
The Giants lost left tackle Joshua Ezeudu to a toe injury nine plays in and had to reconfigure the lineup once again. They were already operating without starting left tackle Andrew Thomas and starting center John Michael Schmitz.
Ben Bredeson started at center with Mark Glowinski at right guard, Evan Neal at right tackle and Justin Pugh at left guard.
That’s right. No misprint. Justin Pugh.
Justin Pugh:
“Straight off the couch” 😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/pQZ4xSd5h3
— Lawrence Tynes (@lt4kicks) October 16, 2023
Pugh, who was recently signed to the Giants practice squad as a free agent, last played for the Giants in Week 8 of the 2017 season before being placed on season-ending IR with a back injury.
After the 2017 season, Pugh signed with the Arizona Cardinals on a five-year, $45 million free-agent deal. He started 56 games over four seasons, mainly at guard but saw some action at right tackle.
In 2022, Pugh suffered a torn ACL in Week 6 and missed the remainder of the season. He became a free agent last March and the Giants reached out to him earlier this month when he was given medical clearance to play.
When Ezeudi went down in the first quarter, the Giants were strapped at tackle. Enter Pugh, who shifted to left tackle, a position he said after the game that he could not remember the last time he played.
“You’d have to look that up,” Pugh told reporters when asked. “Eight years? Maybe my second or third year in the league? ’15-’16? I don’t know.”
Nevertheless, Pugh played fairly well and the Giants now have some solace that their line could be settling down. They allowed just three sacks on the night after a two-week stretch that’s saw them surrender a combined 19 against Seattle and Miami.
Pugh is currently on a practice squad salary and now the Giants have a decision to make. Do they risk sending him back to the practice squad where another team can scoop him up, or do they sign him themselves?
Giants are going to have to face reality with Justin Pugh. Sending him back to the practice squad after last night can't happen.
Sense I get is Pugh's going to garner interest from around the league, and I'd be very surprised if he goes through another week at $20K. Sign him.
— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) October 16, 2023
The answer is pretty clear. He is healthy and willing to play anywhere to help the franchise that drafted him in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
