While the New York Giants ' significant improvements on offense and defense continue to make headlines, their near 180-degree rise in special teams prowess may be their most impressive.
After dwelling in the league's cellar just one year ago, New York's third-phase unit now ranks first in the NFL in special teams EPA (+22.4) through the first four weeks of the season.
Rookie kicker Dominic Zvada and veteran punter Jordan Stout rank among the top specialists at their positions. The coverage teams have also been solid, ranking 15th in punt coverage and 12th in covering kickoffs.
Still, New York's resurgent special teams unit suffered a notable setback earlier this week when returner Braxton Berrios was placed on season-ending injured reserve due to a foot injury.
With the Giants well-equipped to weather the storm, thanks in part to receiver Charlie Jones , assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Chris Horton remains confident his team's return game will continue to improve in its Week 5 matchup with the Washington Commanders.
"They're different skill sets," Horton said of Jones and Berrios. "Obviously, losing Braxton is huge. You talk about a guy who works so hard to get back to playing really good football, and he was doing that, so obviously he'll be missed.
"But with Charlie, another veteran guy, it's not like going from a vet to a rookie," he added. "This is going back to another veteran guy. When you've got two guys like that, you feel pretty good about what you've got going back there. We've got all the confidence in Charlie, and he'll do well."
Jun 9, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Braxton Berrios (87) waits to run a drill during the minicamp activities at Quest Diagnostics Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
In four appearances this season, Berrios returned four punts for 10 yards and five kicks for 138 yards. Though Berrios' statistics may not metaphorically leap from the page, his consistency and veteran savvy make him a hard man to replace.
Jones replaced Berrios in the second half of New York's Week 4 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. He returned two punts for 29 yards (14.5 avg.) and three kickoffs for 69 yards (23.0 avg.). While he may lack Berrios' experience, the soon-to-be 28-year-old receiver compensates with his speed and tenacity, which Horton did not miss.
"Confidence, he's a confident guy," Horton said of Jones. "Secondly, his ability to just catch the ball makes him effective. One of the things we talk about the most is just really just being able to field the ball and make great decisions. So, in those situations, and then speed. This guy is fast. He can run, and he'll do a good job for us."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/giants/onsi as Giants' Special Teams Now Face a Test Without Braxton Berrios .
