DENVER — Andrew Thomas outperformed Nick Bonitto so quickly that Bonitto barely had time to erase his social media comments.
The highly anticipated face-off between the Giants and Broncos featured Thomas, a former second-team All-Pro left tackle, and Bonitto, who led the NFL in sacks early in the season with eight.
After struggling against Thomas in their initial matchups, Bonitto shifted his focus to right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, despite primarily facing left tackles up until now. He also found himself in pass coverage more than he had anticipated.
Last week, Bonitto took to X to call out the Giants’ “paranoid fan base,” but he quickly deleted the post. This prompted a Giants fan to give Thomas a heads-up.
After a couple of injury-plagued seasons, Thomas is once again showcasing why he’s considered one of the premier left tackles in the game.
He came into the game allowing only two quarterback pressures out of 130 pass-blocking snaps.
Moreover, he effectively shut down the left side, which created a significant gap for Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s 31-yard touchdown.
In the second half, Bonitto was further stifled by Thomas, concluding the game with just one tackle, no points allowed, and one QB hit.
The Giants’ well-paid secondary faced its own challenges.
Free agent signings Jevon Holland and Paulson Adebo spent much of the second half off the field due to knee injuries.
Initially, the Netherlands fell behind but managed to score twice before halftime; however, Adebo was injured in the third quarter.
Dane Belton filled in for Holland and made a pivotal play, stopping Courtland Sutton on a fourth-and-goal attempt just outside the end zone.
Deonte Banks took over for Adebo and quickly became a target for Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.
Abdul Carter, who had been questionable, was cleared for play after pre-game training but missed one snap when he was tackled. He seemed to recover quickly, however, engaging in some banter with the Broncos before officials sent him off the field due to a suspension.
LB Victor Dimukeje made his Giants debut after recovering from a torn pectoral muscle, contributing with a significant pass deflection when the Broncos attempted a tackle-target play that left Garrett Bolles open in the end zone.
The Giants were without several key players, including WR Darius Slayton and LB Demetrius Flanigan-Fowles, among others.
Interestingly, Neal was a healthy scratch for all seven games this season, despite the tight situation on the interior offensive line.
