LANDOVER, Md. — The Giants spent all offseason and preseason believing they had the right combination of starting offensive linemen to allow the team to function in 2021. In the face of criticism, in the face of injury, in the face of some uninspiring play, they stuck with their plan.
It lasted 17 snaps.
That’s how long starting left guard Shane Lemieux lasted in the opener before his knee gave out and he was replaced after three series by Ben Bradeson for the rest of that game against Denver in Week 1. When the team took the field against Washington on Thursday night, the unit that is supposed to protect Daniel Jones and open holes for Saquon Barkley had undergone further rejiggering that included moving their most consistent player in the group to a new position and starting someone who had been on the field with them for four practices.