NY Giants Special Teams Not So Special in Loss to Bears (Player by Player Review)

Maybe it’s all the injuries that have wreaked havoc with the personnel, but the New York Giants' special teams unit, which had been a quiet strength of the team earlier in the season, has suddenly fallen apart as well.

Once again, the Giants got little from the return game, gave up big returns, and had a couple of critical mistakes. And did we mention that they lost the starting field position battle again?

Because they did, the Giants' average starting field position was their own 31-yard line, and the Bears was their own 34-yard line.

The Giants had themselves a new kicker this week in Younghoe Koo, but he was far from the problem. Let’s dive into the player-by-player breakdowns.

Let’s get into the player-by-player breakdown.

⏹Younghoe Koo

The Giants elevated this veteran from the practice squad for this week’s game to perform the place-kicking duties that the injured Graham Gano (neck) was unable to do.

It was interesting that the coaches passed up a second-quarter chip-shot field goal at the CHI 19 for a 4th-and-1 prayer into the end zone, which fell incomplete.

We were wondering if the windy conditions would dissuade any field goal kicking, something this team has had some recent history with. However, later on, Koo did convert field goals of 32 and 19 yards, plus two extra points.

In the second half, the coaches finally gave up on Jamie Gillan’s erratic kickoffs and gave the job to Koo, who kicked off adequately twice.

Otherwise, it was an uneventful day for this 31-year-old veteran who was recently picked up from the Falcons, where he kicked for six rather successful years.

⏹Jamie Gillan

Gillan’s opening kickoff went out of bounds, gift-wrapping the Bears with immediate field position at the 40-yard line to start the game.

His next kick was a line drive middle punt – the most dangerous of all punts -- that was returned 13 yards. Good coverage defused this dangerous situation.

His next kickoff was a touchback, giving the Bears the ball at the 35-yard line. Another poor kickoff, this one short of the landing zone, gave the Bears the ball at the 40 once again.

Though there was no harm resulting from any of Gillan’s first-half kicks, each one was a mistake nevertheless.

Koo took over the kickoffs in the second half, the coaches finally giving up on the disaster that is Gillan on kickoffs.

He rewarded his coaches’ lack of trust with a 26-yard shank that gave the Bears the ball at midfield with 3:01 left in the fourth quarter, setting them up for their game-winning drive.

This is the kind of performance that loses people jobs. But of course, Giants players do not lose their jobs; they remain on scholarship until their final dollar is earned.

⏹Casey Kreiter

More reliable deep-snapping from the Giants' venerable snapper.

⏹Gunner Olszewski

The Giants' top return man didn’t have a single chance to return a thing this week. Only one kickoff was returnable (by Deonte Banks), and one punt was fair-caught by Olszewski (who smartly also allowed two punts to bounce into the end zone for touchbacks).

⏹Deonte Banks

Banks looked almost electric on the team’s lone kickoff of the game (the Bears chose to drive their other four kickoffs through the end zone for touchbacks, in deference to the threat that Banks showed them on his one return).

Banks, in fact, did properly run to daylight on his lone return, getting the ball out to the NYG 44 and setting up the offense on a short field for their third quarter touchdown drive that extended the team’s lead to 17-7.

The coaches went back to Banks on returns after Jalin Hyatt’s one-game audition last week did not impress.

⏹Nic Jones

Continuing with his gunner and contain duties, Jones continued to play reliable ball on special teams.

⏹Beau Brade

With Art Green and Beaux Collins both out with injuries, Brade was the next man up at gunner, and he held up well.

⏹Zaire Barnes

Besides getting a snap on defense, Barnes once again contributed on special teams with a solid, open-field, solo punt return tackle to keep a dangerous low punt from becoming a big play.

⏹Dane Belton

Not to be outdone by the prolific Barnes, Belton once again contributed on special teams coverage by being around the ball on every return and assisting on one of the kickoff tackles.

⏹Rico Payton

One of the team’s young corners got in on one of the kickoff return tackles.

⏹Jarrick Bernard-Converse

The bigger and more physical of the two young corners, Bernard-Converse, also got in on one of the kickoff coverage tackles.

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