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Jordan Raanan, ESPN Staff Writer
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Giants right tackle Evan Neal, facing criticism after a disappointing performance in a 24-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night, issued a bold challenge to his critics. In an interview with NJ Advance Media, Neal encouraged the fans to “boo louder” and took a swipe at fair-weather supporters. However, he later took to social media to apologize for his remarks.
As the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, Neal has faced high expectations since joining the Giants. The offensive line’s poor performance, which included allowing 11 sacks against the Seahawks, prompted frustrated boos from the home fans. At halftime, Neal sarcastically gestured for more booing from the crowd.
Speaking about the incident, Neal stated, “They were booing us, so I said, ‘Boo louder!'” However, he emphasized that he didn’t care about the opinions of his critics.
Neal further questioned the credibility of his critics in the interview, comparing them to sheep and suggesting they held menial jobs. He also labeled some Giants fans as “fair-weather” and “bandwagoners.” Despite New York’s success in the previous season, the team has struggled in their home games this year, being outscored 64-3. The Giants have allowed 18 sacks in their first two home games, the most by any team in that span since sacks started being tracked in the NFL.
In a subsequent statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Neal apologized for his comments, recognizing that he was wrong to lash out at passionate and frustrated fans. He acknowledged that his words were a distraction and expressed remorse for belittling others’ jobs.
— Evan Neal (@ENeal73) October 5, 2023
Concerns about Neal’s performance have intensified after his struggles against the Seahawks. The second-year lineman allowed a team-high seven pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. Throughout the season, Neal has given up a total of 20 pressures. His pass block win rate currently ranks him 39th among qualifying tackles.
This performance has put Neal under scrutiny, especially with the Giants already having concerns about their offensive line. Despite the criticism, Neal asserted that he isn’t bothered by outside opinions.
He stated, “Most critics really don’t understand the game of football to the level that we understand it in this building. So why would a lion concern himself with the opinion of a sheep? I’m just going to focus on Evan — and getting better. I honestly do not care what anybody has to say about Evan Neal because they’re going to talk anyway.
“At the end of the day, I put a lot of good things on film. But people are going to go and find the bad reps, and that’s what they’re going to highlight. That’s what they’re going to put out there. I can’t control that. So why should I care?”
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