Big Blue View
Giants coordinators hold weekly media availabilities
New York Giants coordinators addressed a wide variety of topics, including Jalin Hyatt, kicker injuries, lack of turnovers created, and more during their Thursday media sessions. Here are some of the takeaways.
Special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial was “fired up” for rookie placekicker’s Jude McAtamney’s NFL debut last Sunday against the Washington Commanders.
McAtamney, elevated to kick after substitute placekicker Greg Joseph went on IR with an oblique injury, made an extra point and a 31-yard field goal.
“Awesome, man. I was fired up for him,” Ghobrial said. “A guy that you bring in, and then you as a group start to see the maturation. Both as a person understanding the business and then also as a player. Being very convicted in himself of understanding that he belongs in this league, but also having the courage to adapt some things and learn from some veterans to where when he does get his opportunity, he gets to take advantage of that. So, to see Jude get his opportunity was awesome, number one. To see him excel in it was another thing, knowing that he was ready. He had a lot of confidence going into the game. And I thought he did a nice job for us.”
McAtamney will travel to Germany with the team for Sunday’s game against Carolina. He won’t kick unless regular placekicker Graham Gano, who is expected to be activated off injured reserve after missing seven games with a hamstring injury, suffers a setback.
Gano, Joseph and punter Jamie Gillan have all suffered injuries this year. Joseph and Gillan were injured in practice. Ghobrial didn’t have an explanation.
“Honestly, unfortunate. Nothing extreme with the workload,” Ghobrial said. “You’re always going to evaluate when you see just a culmination of injuries like that pile up. So, you look at the workload, you look at what you’re asking them to do, spacing between games and all that, and it was nothing out of the norm from a general NFL year and a general volume of kicks that they normally take on.”
The Giants have only one interception. That was off a tipped pass in Week 1 and was by rookie linebacker Darius Muasau. They don’t have an interception from a defensive back, and have gone a franchise record eight games without one.
What gives?
“It starts with making sure we stop the run. We got to get them in some passing situations. Get in some favorable situations for us where we can rush, we can cover. Play with vision, affect the quarterback,” defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said. “Continue to make the plays that are there. Hopefully get some balls tipped in the air that we can catch. Just got to create those opportunities for ourselves and when they present themselves, we got to be able to make them.”
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