The New York Giants moved to 2-0 in the Daniel Jones era with a 24-3 throttling of the Washington Redskins on Sunday, a result that must have inspired some emotion for a certain member of the Washington offensive line.
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Former Giants first-round pick Ereck Flowers made his fourth start for Washington after being cut by his original team last October. He had some interesting things to say about his Giants tenure after the game.
Redskins G Ereck Flowers on his time with the Giants: "Being here for me was just toxic. On the field, off the field. It doesn’t fit me."
— Bob Glauber (@BobGlauber) September 29, 2019
What was toxic? "Everything. You name it, everything. Not teammates. I liked my teammates in my time there. I think they had my back."
More Flowers on his time with the Giants: "I just didn’t like it. It’s not for me. Everybody can’t fit everywhere."
— Bob Glauber (@BobGlauber) September 29, 2019
On his new team: "I think I found so much more energy, on and off the field. I’m really enjoying it."
He went on:
“Once they get back to losing, the stadium will be back empty,” Flowers told NJ Advance Media. “That’s how I feel about them.”
“I don’t care for Giants fans,” he said. “They feel about me how I feel about dentists. I don’t care for this place much. I would’ve loved to have come out of here with a W, but it’s all good."
Flowers’ point of view might be understandable, as the Giants looked quite dysfunctional up until Jones showed up and inspired the franchise’s first real hope in years. However, picking Flowers ninth overall out of Miami in the 2015 NFL draft was emblematic of that dysfunction.
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The feeling was probably mutual for the Giants, given what the good folks at Pro Football Focus had to say about Flowers’ career in New York:
Flowers’ efforts in New York, to put it simply, were bad – historically bad. Among the 275 offensive linemen with at least 1,800 pass-block snaps in the PFF era (2006-Present), Flowers ranks dead last in pressure percentage allowed (9.45%) and 273rd in pass-blocking efficiency (94.8). The former Miami (Fla.) product allowed 180 total pressures, including 130 hurries, 34 hits and 16 sacks, across his 1,911 (regular season) pass-block snaps with the Giants. His 61.8 career pass-block grade ranks 271st among the same group of offensive linemen, as well.
His run blocking, though better than his play in pass protection, didn’t save Flowers from criticism, either. He ranked 58th among 74 qualifiers in run-block grade (52.8) in 2017, and through 41 run-block snaps in 2018, he had accrued just 55.6 run-block grade.
Not great.
That’s all in the past now. The Giants will happily move on with Jones and hope to put their selection of Flowers in the rear-view mirror, and Flowers will try to do the same with the Giants.
Then again, Flowers probably could have landed with a less toxic franchise than the winless, maybe-about-to-fire-their-coach Redskins for his second chance, though you wonder how many other teams were willing to give him $4 million.
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