The Giants nearly have filled out a bingo card’s worth of special teams mishaps.
Check the boxes this season for allowing a punt-return touchdown; missing a last-second, would-be game-tying field goal; committing penalties to take points off the scoreboard; fumbling a kickoff return; and having no Plan B at kicker when the situation obviously called for it.
The improvement that head coach Brian Daboll was looking for when he fired mainstay special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey on the morning after the 2023 finale hasn’t been there, but the overall product hasn’t been quite as detrimental as a few undercutting game-changers suggest.
“I think, collectively, our guys have progressively gotten better,” special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial said. “I’m proud of the guys in terms of how they’ve fought and battled, regardless of situations or score differential.”
If the bar is outperforming the NFL’s worst-ranked scoring offense, then special teams are in the clear.
If it is upgrading from last season, the news isn’t as rosy.
The Giants rank No. 23 in the NFL in special teams efficiency, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index.
The more specific ranks are No. 22 in converting field goals (80 percent), No. 13 in kickoff coverage (26.4 yards per return), No. 22 in kickoff returns (26 yards per return), No. 26 in net punt coverage (40.4 yards) and No. 30 in net punt returns (7.3 yards).
Their returners are tied for the most combined fumbles (five), but their kick-blockers have delivered twice, including a victory-clincher against the Seahawks.
“There are big plays we’d like to get back, but I feel like we are moving in the right direction,” said linebacker Patrick Johnson, who is second to Dane Belton in total special teams snaps. “Ghoby is always talking about how we are one play away. If this, if that. We’re not making the same mistake twice.”
With injuries mounting — the Giants listed 19 players on Thursday’s injury report — and the increasing need to patch holes with practice-squad elevations and in-season acquisitions, the internal feeling after last week’s roller-coaster ride is that special teams still can gel and make a positive change.
“It shows on tape that we’ve been fighting and we’re on the rise,” linebacker Matt Adams said. “When you get toward the back end of the season and the weather starts to change and it’s low-scoring games, you can win a game on special teams due to field position. Winning the special-teams phase could possibly put us up for a win.”
Greg Stroman Jr. and Jake Kubas committed penalties that negated 10 points in Sunday’s 14-11 loss to the Saints, and Graham Gano’s field goal attempt to force overtime was blocked.
On the other side of the ledger, Casey Rodgers blocked a field goal and Jamie Gillan pinned four punts inside the 20-yard line.
“We’re not going to make excuses,” Ghobrial said.
QB Drew Lock (heel, left elbow), DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches (neck/shoulder), LB Bobby Okereke (back), CB Dru Phillips (shoulder) and LG Jon Runyan Jr. (ankle) did not practice Thursday.
RT Evan Neal (hip/ankle) took a step forward to limited participation, and CB Art Green (quad) was a full participant for the first time this week.
S Tyler Nubin is “probably” headed for ankle surgery soon, Daboll said.
