Giants' offensive line will be tested Sunday against Cardinals' defense

On to Arizona.

Those three words essentially summarized the mindset of the Giants’ offensive line going into Sunday’s game against the Cardinals, even though the residual effects of the Giants’ season-opening 40-0 loss to Dallas still linger.

“I saw a lot of issues with us as a group,” offensive line coach Bobby Johnson said before Friday’s practice. “Each guy has got things [they can improve on]. Each guy has addressed them. I’ve addressed them as a coach. They’ve addressed them as [players] . . . We’ll address them in practice [and] we’re moving on to the issues presented by the Cardinals.”

Although no unit performed meritoriously Sunday night, the play of the offensive line was particularly troublesome.

It allowed Daniel Jones (15-for-28, 104 yards passing, two interceptions) to be sacked seven times and pressured 31 times, according to the analytics-based website Pro Football Focus. The Giants totaled 108 yards on 28 carries, 3.9 yards per carry. Their longest rush was 18 yards by Saquon Barkley. PFF ranked the unit 32nd in the NFL.

And now they will face a Cardinals defense that sacked Commanders quarterback Sam Howell six times in their 20-16 loss in Washington on Sunday.

“They play hard,” Johnson said. “They play with a lot of energy. They play fast. So I think those things in general, you [have] to address [them] because you have to exceed their energy. So I’m impressed with what [they’ve put] out there already in one game.”

The Cardinals limited Washington to 92 rushing yards on 28 carries, 3.3 yards per carry.

“It’s the NFL. Everybody’s got good players,” Giants guard Ben Bredeson said. “It’s a pretty fair statement to say every week, we just have to be ready.”

Even if what took place at MetLife Stadium is not at the front of the unit’s collective mind, Sunday represents the Giants’ first chance to put the debacle behind them.

“Attack the process, not [focus] on the results,” left tackle Andrew Thomas said. “Obviously it’s not what you want, and that’s as an offensive line group. We didn’t play the way we wanted to, but the only way to get better is to focus on the technique, not trying to change [everything]. We’re [still] working every day to [build] on the little things.”

Among those things, according to coach Brian Daboll, is the mental approach. Said Daboll, “The mindset is to be ready to go each week regardless of the outcome the previous week. Just come out and bring attitude, do the things you need to do during the week so you can perform at your best on whatever day we play.”

Extra points

Thomas said he will be “a game-time decision” with a sore hamstring. He was a limited participant in practice and is listed as questionable on the injury report. Daboll said he planned to speak with Thomas and the team’s medical staff to gauge how the tackle is feeling. If Thomas cannot play, Matt Peart or Joshua Ezeudu are the most obvious choices to replace him.