Can the Giants’ Special Teams Rebound After a Shaky Performance?

The Giants' special teams have shown remarkable resilience this season. Despite the setback of almost all three of their kickers being injured, they managed to sign new players and pull from their practice squad. This adaptability was tested in Sunday night's game against the Bengals. The kickers should have practiced their kicks when not on the field during the game. It was not the most significant move the Giants have made, but they still had something to work with for the game. 

The Giants signed Matt Haack 24 hours before this game kicked off. He only had a little practice time before joining this team. However, with all their kickers out, they recently added Greg Joseph. Both Graham Gano and Jamie Gillan are currently out due to injury. Gano has been out since Week One with a hamstring injury, while Gillan also has a hamstring injury. The Giants have worked out several other punters and kickers while these two are recovering. 

Haack has appeared in many other games, while Joseph has not. Unfortunately, with this game, it showed. Joseph was allowed twice to take the lead in the game and tie it up in the fourth quarter. This was not the case; Joseph attempted the same kick in two different situations. In the second one, the Giants attempted an onside kick so they could get the ball back. However, Joseph missed both, costing the Giants to lose this game. 

So many fans were not thrilled by these missed kicks, and neither were the Giants. This coming week, the special teams should be more in order. They will have more time to focus and straighten their situation out. The Giants can potentially improve their special teams, especially if Gillan and Gano are not ready to play in this weekend's game. They are trying to figure something out for this weekend's game against the Eagles, one of their more challenging rivals. Joseph’s performance, while not ideal, is a learning opportunity for the team until they find better substitutes. Hopefully, Week Seven will be a much better turnout.