Dominic Zvada’s kickoffs may have looked simple from the stands or on television, but New York Giants special teams coordinator Chris Horton insists they are not.
Asked on Thursday whether landing the ball in the 20-yard zone is an easy adjustment for a young kicker, Horton pushed back.
“It’s not simple. I don’t think anything that those guys go out there and do is simple,” Horton told reporters. “When we talk about the kickoffs, everything’s strategic, everything — where we want to play the ball.”
Horton credited Zvada for his five kickoffs Sunday night against Dallas. The Cowboys often use one returner, and Horton said moving that player with precise placement takes skill.
“He came out here, he practiced his butt off for us to put that ball in,”
Horton said. “Sunday night, I mean, he was on point, and it was really good.”
The same process guides field-goal range. The staff warms Zvada up, picks a line and sticks with it unless weather intervenes. To start a game, the Giants felt good from 58 yards. Of course, he never had to attempt one.
“If you’ve got to start the game, we feel good at like 58 yards,” Horton said. “This kid, he has a strong enough leg to get the ball there. But it’s all about the consistency.”
Horton said the Giants will keep moving kickoffs around and trusting the work Zvada puts in during the week.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' Chris Horton: Dominic Zvada's kickoffs are strategic, not simple
