Unhappy Returns: Giants Could Be Without Kickoff Returner Corey Ballentine vs. Cardinals

After developing a persistent headache earlier int he week, kickoff returner Corey Ballentine is in the concussion protocol and will likely miss Sunday's game against the Cardinals.

Giants rookie cornerback and kick-off return specialist Corey Ballentine is likely to miss Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals after being entered into the league’s concussion protocol.

Ballentine has returned nine kick-offs for 237 yards and a long of 52 yards. He also has seven returns of 20+ yards, tying the Giants with Miami and Atlanta in that category.

The Giants’ 26.3 kick-off return average is currently the seventh-best mark in the league.

 Giants Special Teams Coordinator Thomas McGaughey didn’t want to say who might replace Ballentine should the rookie indeed be declared out of Sunday’s game. Still, a couple of candidates that could receive consideration include receivers Cody Latimer and Darius Slayton.

Latimer is the more experienced of the two. He’s posted 23 kick-off returns in his career for 562 yards, an average of 24.4 yards per return. 

Slayton has not returned a kick in his professional career, but he did return one kick when he attended college at Auburn, losing 11 yards on the attempt.  

Still, Slayton’s speed and elusiveness could be appealing to the Giants, whom McGaughey said has been learning the role.

“Yeah, we’ve been training him,” he said of Slayton. “He did a lot in the spring, and our plan was during the preseason to get him all the reps. It just didn’t work out--he got the hamstring and all of that stuff. 

“He’s been catching punts and kicks every day for the last three months. Just hopefully that work will pay off in the game.”  

Despite the practice reps, McGaughey said they wouldn’t know what they have in Slayton until he gets out there in a live game scenario.  

“The more game experience you get, the better off you are,” McGaughey said.

This week whoever returns kick-offs for the Giants will have a solid test. Cardinals kicker Zane Gonzalez has launched 14 returnable kick-offs this season, with opponents averaging just 23.6 yards per return.

“Gonzalez does a great job of placing his kicks, he does a good job of disguising where he’s going to hit the ball, so it makes it a little bit more difficult as a kick-off returning unit,” McGaughey said. 

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