Justin Pugh Recaps Wild First Game Back with Giants
In this story:
From straight off the couch, offensive lineman Justin Pugh's return to the New York Giants after five years away was, by all accounts, a positive for an offensive line that has been a disaster all season.
Pugh, the Giants first-round draft pick in 2013 out of Syracuse, was signed to the practice squad two weeks ago as he entered the latter stages of his rehab from a torn ACL suffered last season. A versatile lineman, the Giants have worked Pugh mainly at left guard since he landed in East Rutherford.
Sure enough, guard is where Pugh stepped in to play for the Giants' sixth different starting offensive line combination in as many games. Pugh opened the game at left guard, playing nine snaps before being forced to play left tackle after Joshua Ezeudu had to leave the game with a toe injury, the first time he's played that spot since 2015.
"I feel good," Pugh said after the game. "I feel good, like standing here in the locker room after the game. We'll see how this week progresses and see how everything feels. See how I wake up tomorrow. But I feel good. I'm in one piece. Play the whole game."
Pugh brought a semblance of calm and experience to the struggling unit that desperately needs some experienced heads who can play this game. Pugh started well and looked sharp with all of his assignments, that is, until Ezeudu went down, and Pugh had to move to left tackle.
He slid over to the edge, and predictably, he struggled mightily. Two of the sacks came around him. He also committed several false starts, but as he's always one throughout his career, Pugh took ownership of what he didn't do well.
"I made mistakes just having issues with the cadence," he said. "It wasn't even like physical issues; it was more like getting the cadence dialed in. So obviously, I wish I could get those plays back."
Although Pugh was put into a very tough spot, he showed himself to be more than capable as a veteran backup with starting potential at left guard and that ability to slide outside at a moment’s notice. And his presence seemed to instill a sense of calm on the offensive line that's been missing for weeks.
"There's a lesson in this somewhere where it's like, you know, get dealt a hand, you gotta play the best you can and like go out there and fight for your guys," Pugh said. "That's the one thing that I'll always do is look to the guy next to you, to the right of you, and look at (quarterback) Tyrod (Taylor) back there, and you're like, 'I got a job to do. I want to go out there and fight for those guys.'"
- Get the latest breaking news and analysis on the New York Giants
- Follow and like us on Facebook
- Submit your questions for our mailbag
- Check out the Giants Country YouTube Channel.
- Subscribe and like the LockedOn Giants YouTube Channel
- Connect with us via text alerts! Free 14 Day Trial!
