Marshall Newhouse was Giants’ highest-graded offensive player, per PFF

New York Giants fans spent the last several months calling, demanding, and screaming for GM Jerry Reese to sign or draft a replacement for right tackle Marshall Newhouse.

The volume only increased when the offensive line seemed to be a notch or two below a row of blocking dummies in pre-season.

So perhaps it’s a fittingly "Giants" result that he wasn’t just the Giants’ best lineman in their nail-biting win over Dallas, but their best offensive player, period.

Or at least he was according to Pro Football Focus.

In fact, three of the Giants’ five best offensive players were offensive linemen: Marshall Newhouse (83.3), Justin Pugh (78.3), and John Jerry (73.2).

The other two were receivers Sterling Shepard (75.1) and Odell Beckham Jr. (74.1).

It was a great start to the season on Sunday for the Giants’ offensive line, as a unit they allowed just five total pressures and didn’t give up a hit or a sack (Manning got himself into trouble a couple of times, but the line kept him clean). RT Marshall Newhouse lead both the line and the offense as a whole, allowing just one hurry in pass protection while also posting a team-high 84.0 run-blocking grade. Rookie WR Sterling Shepard made his presence felt in Week 1, catching three of four targets for 43 receiving yards and a touchdown.

-- (Pro Football Focus)

PFF even put Newhouse on its "Team of the Week."

On the defensive side, second year safety Landon Collins (82.7) was the defense’s highest-graded player. Collins flashed just about every play, with solid coverage and crushing hits coming down hill. His most memorable plays were probably preventing Dez Bryant from scoring a touchdown and hurdling a cut block to get pressure right in Dak Prescott’s face on a blitz.

Right behind him was the defensive line — DE Olivier Vernon (81.1), DE Jason Pierre-Paul (78.4), (DT) Jonathan Hankins (77.1), and DT Damon Harrison (75.6) — who smothered the Cowboys’ dangerous running game and improved in their pass rush throughout the game as they got a feel for Prescott.

Giants fans quickly warmed up to the idea of having Olivier Vernon and Damon Harrison team up with Jason Pierre-Paul and Jonathan Hankins on what should be—if Week 1 was any indication—an extremely productive defensive line. Those four combined to create 15 QB pressures and 10 defensive stops. Vernon tied for the team lead with six pressures (with Pierre-Paul), and also tied with Hankins to lead the team with four stops. On the back end of the defense, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie allowed just five of nine targets to be caught for a total of 46 yards; he also notched two pass defenses.

It might not have been a pretty win, but the defense played very well.

But really, Newhouse was the Giants’ best player? Raise your hand if you saw THAT coming.