There is no sugarcoating how awful the New York Giants have been on special teams in recent weeks.
On Sunday against the Washington Commanders, the Giants gave up a 63-yard punt return touchdown to Jaylin Lane. The week before, Marcus Jones of the New England Patriots took a punt 94 yards for a score. Two weeks ago, Younghoe Koo had an aborted non-field goal attempt that led to holder/punter Jamie Gillan being injured. Last week, Koo badly missed 51- and 52-yard field goals. All of that got Koo cut.
Over their last three games, the Giants are last in the league in net yards per punt, at 26.0. That is nearly seven yards worse than any other team in the league. The Giants are 31st in the league in kicking points per game at 5.3.
Special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial did not wait for questions on Thursday before addressing the terrible play from the Giants’ special teams in recent weeks.
“Obviously not up to standard from a special teams standpoint. I’ve got to coach better, we’ve got to play better, we’ve got to execute better,” Ghobrial said. “Taking advantage of every scoring opportunity we have from a field goal standpoint is critical. Obviously, you guys know the score differential in this league is very tight. So, whether it be a PAT or whether it be a field goal, it’s critical that we go out there with the expectation to make it. Kicking in the Northeast isn’t easy, alright, but playing in the National Football League isn’t easy either. So, taking the opportunity and thriving in those situations is something we’ve got to do. Then in terms of coverage, we’ve got to be able to tackle better, and it’s all 11.”
The Giants’ kicker train makes another stop
Ben Sauls will be the fifth player to handle placekicking duties for the Giants this season. He will join Graham Gano, Jude McAtamney, Koo and Gillan. Sauls is an undrafted rookie who will be making his NFL regular-season debut.
“For a rookie and a guy that hasn’t necessarily had a regular season game yet, he’s wise beyond his years, so he approaches the game like a true pro,” Ghobrial said. “I think from his days back at Pitt, Coach (Pat) Narduzzi has done one great job with him. Then part of that is also being, you guys know, in Pitt sharing the same stadium. Being able to kick in an NFL stadium I think has also allowed him to grow up quicker. When he has obviously showed up here, he’s worked his tail off. He’s gotten operations with the specialists, so this won’t be new to him. He’s excited for the opportunity and we have ultimate confidence in him.”
Koo’s misses vs. the Commanders
The two field goal misses by Koo on Sunday were predictable if you had watched pre-game warmups. The veteran placekicker did not come close to getting the ball through the uprights on a pair of 52-yard field-goal attempts from that end of the field during a pre-game kicking session.
So, why did the Giants ask Koo to try kicks anyone who had watched knew he had little chance to make?
“You do have a certain line going a certain direction when the weather is what it is,” Ghobrial said. “But ultimately, a veteran kicker, Koo, we had a lot of confidence in his ability to execute those kicks and that’s something that I know he’d want back and we’d want back. But just got to be better there.”
Why Jevon Holland returning punts?
The Giants have two experienced punt and kickoff return men, Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Xavier Gipson, on their practice squad. Yet, with Gunner Olszewski in concussion protocol last week vs. the Commanders neither was activated. Starting safety Jevon Holland, who last returned punts in 2022 with the Miami Dolphins (four returns, 18 yards) was forced to handle that job.
Why?
“When you’re dealing with a roster on gameday and understanding that you don’t have endless amount of players to be able to elevate, that also has something to do with it. Whether there be injuries at certain positions, ultimately you have to make decisions based off of what’s best for the football team,” Ghobrial said. “Jevón Holland is a guy that goes back there every day in practice and catches it really well. Number one responsibility of a returner is to safely secure all possessions, and Jevón Holland has that. Jevón also has run skill. He’s a special athlete, so he’s going to be convicted when he gets opportunities to make the right decisions, number one, not force them. But obviously when the ball’s in his hands, he’s not afraid to be able to execute in that regard as well. When Jevón’s out there, we still have confidence in him to be able to execute at a high level and be able to change a game.”
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