Nate Solder finally got a taste of what it’s like to play the position he is in charge of protecting.

The football adage is quarterbacks get too much credit on winning teams and too much blame on losing teams.

Well, after the offensive line-needy Giants made Solder the highest-paid blocker (not just left tackle) in the NFL and still Eli Manning took the most sacks of his 15-year career, Solder better understands what it’s like to walk in a quarterback’s shoes.

In a word, the expectations can be “unrealistic.”

“I think it was a little bit of a set up in terms of the way it was all portrayed as ‘This is the answer to all the problems,’” Solder told NJ Advance Media.

“I never knew that because I’ve always worked hard and I’ve always tried to get better. I know what it was. Now people inside of this building start to understand what it is, too: That it’s never perfect. You are always working toward it and there are no superhuman people out there. We’re all doing the best we can.”

Solder signed a four-year, $62 million contract with $36 million guaranteed after spending seven seasons with the Patriots. He is the No. 22-rated offensive tackle in the NFL entering Week 17, according to Pro Football Focus.

“I think there were highs and lows,” Solder said. “Adjusting to a new system, adjusting to new people next to you, new coaches, all those sort of those things. It was certainly not perfect. I’ve got a long ways to go.

"That’s the wonderful thing about it: You never have it all figured out. So, you are always improving. Hopefully, I’ll keep that going forward.”

Can a 30-year-old veteran of 110 career starts really still improve? At some point, all professional athletes peak and hit the downturn.

“As some of the qualities you have as a rookie — your athleticism, fresh legs, ability to recuperate from small nicks and bruises — start to go down, your experience and your knowledge of the game increase,” Solder said.

“Having a different system and a new way of seeing things has really expanded my understanding of the game. The mental side of the game is so big that it certainly has helped me become a better player. I have to keep pushing on both areas."

Solder is one of two players on the Giants who has played every snap on their side of the ball this season. The other is his parter on the left side of the offensive line, rookie guard Will Hernandez.

In a game the Giants led 40-0 over the Redskins, both Manning and running back Saquon Barkley got to put their feet up while the starting offensive line stayed in the trenches.

“I don’t want to come out of that game. Those are the most fun games to be in," Solder quipped. "There’s some fortune to it, some grit and toughness. The pride comes from not just being out there, but being out there and doing it well. I know for myself I’d like to have a more consistently good performance.”

With the Giants eliminated from playoff contention, Solder’s season will end with no postseason for the first time. In fact, it will be the first time in his career the four-time Super Bowl participant (two rings) has not reached the conference championship game.

“I’ve been sacrificing a lot at home to be here and put as much as I can into this, so I’ll be spending time with my kids and my wife,” Solder said.

“I’ll work with the training staff here and figure out the best way (to handle extra time off). It’s a new area. The fact that I’m not beating myself up worse will be an improvement over other years physically.”

The Giants used 10 different offensive linemen, nine of whom started, in 2018. Solder graded out best, but there could be as many as three new starters in 2019, including possibly another big-name free agent who could face what Solder just did as the poster boy for good or bad.

Solder is no longer the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL.

“People start settling in and having genuine expectations of what to expect from a person,” Solder said. “The other thing that’s really cool about our game that’s really difficult is we are all dependent on each other. A rising tide floats all boats.

"When we are all playing well, we all look better and it covers over a multitude of sins when you are winning a lot of games. It really magnifies a lot of the things you are not doing well when you are struggling or not scoring points or moving the ball.”

Ryan Dunleavy may be reached at rdunleavy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rydunleavy. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.