EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants were sick and tired of hearing about J.J. Watt. So they did something about it.
The Giants' much-maligned offensive line dominated Watt and the rest of the Houston Texans' defense, particularly at the line of scrimmage, in a 30-17 win Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
The Giants rushed for 193 yards -- 176 of them by Rashad Jennings, a career-best. Eli Manning was sacked just once. Watt got that sack, but it came on the very first series of the game -- he was relatively quiet after that.
Right tackle Justin Pugh admitted he and his teammates had grown weary of the queries about Watt, the 2012 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
"The whole week it was like, 'What’s he gonna do, how’s he gonna disrupt, how badly is he gonna hurt you guys?'" Pugh said. "And now you guys are asking the opposite questions, 'Why wasn’t he disrupting?' We didn’t want to hear that, we didn't want to have to answer those questions."
Pugh did give up the sack, which helped bring the Giants' first drive of the game to a screeching halt.
"Obviously I can’t do that," Pugh said. "It was a technique error on my part."
But the Giants weren't derailed for long. They marched down the field on their next drive, before tight end Larry Donnell fumbled inside the Texans' 5-yard line. And eventually they started putting touchdowns on the board.
Watt moved around, lining up against different players, but they were all up to the task. Center J.D. Walton and right guard John Jerry both mixed it up with Watt after the whistle, too, showing no intimidation.
"Just football," Walton said, smiling. "Just guys talking. Happens all the time. He's gonna talk, I'm gonna talk, other players are gonna talk. It happens."
Manning was thrilled with the line, and rightfully so -- Watt's sack was the Texans' only quarterback hit of the game.
"Our offensive line, they did an outstanding job," Manning said.
The Giants' O-line was arguably the team's biggest question mark, and biggest concern, entering the regular season. And they did little to distinguish themselves in the first two games of the year.
But they looked different this Sunday. And it sounds like the chip on their shoulder had something to do with it -- a chip bigger than the Texans' All-Pro defensive end.
"I remember after Week 1, people were asking if we’re the worst offensive line in football," Pugh said. "So I think coming up putting 200 [rushing] yards is good, but it’s one game. We’ve got 13 more to go, and we’ve gotta keep that rolling."
Houston had only given up 30 points in its first two games combined, but that stat is a little misleading -- the Texans had been giving up 5.0 yards per carry, tied for the worst mark in the league. Watt aside, the Giants will face tougher challenges up front. But this offensive line may be developing an identity, and integrity, before our very eyes.
Underestimate them at your own risk.
"We've got a bunch of fighters in that offensive line room," Pugh said. "People doubt us, and there's beauty in that."
