Big Blue View
Jude McAtamney converted on two short field goals and an extra point in place of injured placekicker Graham Gano on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers. With veteran placekicker Younghoe Koo on the team’s practice squad, New York Giants special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial would not commit on Thursday to McAtamney keeping the job.
“Although Jude did a really nice job for us and excelled with everything we were asking him to do, I think ultimately, you still treat that like a competition and every week is a new week,” Ghobrial said. “We’ll take a common-sense approach as we have more discussions as a coaching staff later in the week.”
Sunday’s game was McAtamney’s second in the NFL. He was on the Giants’ practice squad last season and kicked in one game as a replacement for the injured Gano. Koo, 31, was recently released by the Atlanta Falcons. He has kicked in 93 regular-season games, and has made 181 of 211 field-goal attempts (85.8%).
Koo just joined the Giants last week.
“Koo obviously is a very accomplished kicker and there’s still an acclimation period where that guy has to get used to the operation of snap and hold, obviously,” Koo said. “The more time on task, I think that transition could happen for him. I think Jude just obviously having been here, understood the operation time a little bit more and we just felt like he gave us the best chance to win that week.”
Gano, on Injured Reserve with a groin injury, has to miss at least three more games. How the placekicking situation evolves will be worth watching.
The Giants surprisingly debuted cornerback Tae Banks, the team’s first-round pick in 2023, as a kickoff returner on Sunday against the Chargers. It doesn’t sound like Sunday’s kickoff return appearance, during which he had returns of 33 and 21 yards, will be a one-off for Banks.
The Giants have rotated kickoff returners next to Gunner Olszewski this season, using Wan’Dale Robinson, Tyrone Tracy, Devin Singletary and Banks. Those four players have had 16 return opportunities. Opposing teams have kicked to Olszewski just one time.
Ghobrial said Banks, who is splitting cornerback reps with Cor’Dale Flott, could “potentially” be the answer to the return rotation.
“We’ll have more conversations at the end of the week, but Tae is definitely a guy that could do it at a high level for a long time,” Ghobrial said.
Banks is 6-foot, 197 pounds and ran a 4.35 40-yard dash before the 2023 NFL Combine.
“Tae is obviously a gifted athlete. He has the elite top-end speed. He has the frame that you’d want in a returner and he showed us that he has good ball skills,” said a smiling Ghobrial when asked about using Banks as a return man. “The ability to have good catch mechanics is always number one priority for me as a returner. The second thing, when the run skill shows up and the frame shows...
