New York Giants special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial said this week that the team’s poor special teams performance against the New England Patriots in Week 13 was “uncharacteristic.”
“We certainly
didn’t live up to our standard,” he said. “We’ve got to be better, I’ve got to be better, the players got to be better. When we watched the tape, everybody owned it. That’s the beauty of having a group that’s had success — they know that’s not our standard.”
Asked whether he had seen a play unfold like Younghoe Koo’s aborted kick attempt, Ghobrial said the sequence, while rare, is not unheard of.
“It doesn’t happen very often, but you do see missed snaps, you do see missed holds, and sometimes there’s just a variety of different outcomes when it comes to that,” Ghobrial said. “Sometimes the kicker sees that the ball is replaced and is able to kick through it. Sometimes they kick through it and it hits the o-linemen in the back of the head because it’s not placed the proper way. Sometimes there’s a fire drill where they’re obviously trying to just throw the pass and sometimes guys just dirt the ball. So, it does happen.
“We need to be cleaner with the full operation of it.”
Ghobrial addressed whether punter Jamie Gillan outkicked his coverage on the Patriots’ return touchdown, noting that hang time and ball placement are always factors — but tackling still comes down to winning individual battles.
“There are 10 other guys on the field that need to tackle,” he said. “We want better ball placement, but we’ve got to be able to win a one-on-one. Sometimes kicks don’t go exactly where you draw them up. We’ve got to adjust.”
With Gillan working through an injury, the Giants signed veteran punter Cameron Johnston to the practice squad. Ghobrial praised Johnston’s experience and said he has integrated well.
“He’s a great personality, true pro,” Ghobrial said. “He’s good enough to be one of 32 punters in the league. If his opportunity arises, he’ll be ready.”
He added that weather will be a major factor in the final four games.
“Three of four, let’s put a stamp on it — it’s going to be some bad weather. We’ve just got to be the storm and weather it.”
The Giants also brought back return specialist Xavier Gipson, who has struggled with fumbles. Ghobrial said the emphasis for Gipson is fundamentals and daily repetition.
“He understands he’s got to take care of the ball better,” Ghobrial said. “He has a really special skill set. He’s going to work tirelessly at it, and we’ve got to do a good job as coaches bringing it to attention every day.”
