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New York Giants' special teams vow to bounce-back following Week 13 fiasco
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- New York Giants' special teams vow to bounce-back following Week 13 fiasco
During a nightmarish Monday Night Football meltdown against the New England Patriots in Week 13, the New York Giants ' special teams unit unraveled spectacularly, turning an early 3-0 deficit into a 33-15 rout.
The nadir came on a 47-yard field goal attempt when kicker Younghoe Koo 's foot slammed into the frozen turf at Gillette Stadium, sending the unit scattering unexpectedly. Holder Jamie Gillan attempted to turn nothing into something, only to get "sacked" for a 13-yard loss.
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The viral blunder drew savage online mockery, with fans dubbing it a "Charlie Brown moment." That came after a coverage bust allowed a 94-yard punt return touchdown, adding insult to a cascade of errors.
Thursday's revelation that Gillan tweaked his left knee on that chaotic scramble poured salt in the wound, sidelining the "Scottish Hammer" at practice and prompting the signing of veteran Cameron Johnston to the practice squad as insurance.
Yet, amid the wreckage, special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial sees silver linings.
"Yeah, very uncharacteristic of our group," he told reporters. "We have been playing good special teams throughout the majority of the year. Last game, credit to New England and (Patriots coordinator) Jeremy Springer. He did a good job coaching up his guys. They did a good job executing. We certainly didn't live up to our standard, and we could argue on every unit. That's where we've got to be better, I've got to be better, the players got to be better. We're all in this together.
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"When we came back and watched the tape, we all owned it. That's the beauty about having a group that's had success throughout the season is when they see the instances on tape that aren't necessarily a reflection of what they've done throughout the entirety of the season, they're like, well, that's not our standard, and everybody's owning that. We certainly are going to use that game to fuel us and just get back to what has made us great, and that's the fundamentals, that's the attitude, the effort, the enthusiasm."
With Gillan "doing everything in his power to play" despite the inflammation, the Giants eye a cathartic rebound against the Washington Commanders ' stout unit.
After a refocusing bye, Ghobrial's crew is primed to transform embarrassment into elixir.
"After the bye week, I think our guys have responded, and we're excited for the opportunity," he said.
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In the NFL's unforgiving December chill -- three of four games forecast to be rough weather -- redemption demands precision. The Giants are banking on coach and player ownership to reignite their spark.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' special teams vow to bounce-back following Week 13 fiasco
