New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll will be calling the offensive plays this season which has many wondering what, if anything, will change.
All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas was asked his take on what is different with the head coach calling the plays this year instead of offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.
“It’s not different. It’s the same scheme,” Thomas said. “We have a saying, ‘he calls it, we haul it.’ Whatever’s going on, we try to execute that play.”
The offensive line is finally healthy and intact as the regular season nears. Thomas missed seven straight games after injuring his hamstring in the Giants’ 40-0 drubbing by Dallas in last season’s opener. This year, he is in a better space.
“I’m excited. It’s a new team,” Thomas told reporters on Wednesday. “Obviously, it’s the first game of the year, so we’re trying to make a statement, come out and get a win.
“It was a lot of things that we dealt with last year, but we’re putting that to bed, have a new group up front. We’re trying to be dominant, be physical, protect (Daniel Jones), and open holes for the run game.”
And that run game will be without running back Saquon Barkley for the first time since 2017. Instead, Devin “Motor” Singletary will be leading the charge out of the backfield.
“Obviously, different type of backs, but Motor’s done a great job for us getting downhill,” said Thomas. “He makes really good cuts in the hole. He does a great job for us with pass protection, too. That goes unnoticed sometimes, but he’s done a really good job for us.”
Thomas needs to stay healthy for the Giants to return to being competitive again. Since the beginning of 2022, they are 13-12-1 with Thomas in the lineup and 2-5 without him.
