New York Giants punter Jamie Gillan has had a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde start to the 2023 season. After punting three times for an average of 53.3 yards and 47.7 net yards in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, Gillan only averaged 37 yards per punt in Week 2 against Arizona.
However, Gillan appears to have turned the corner. He rebounded in Week 3 with six punts and a 52.7 average. Obviously, the averages in Weeks 1 and 3 were a weapon for the Giants because they allowed the team to instantly flip the field. However, the average in Week 2 suggests two scenarios: Either he punted to pin the offense deep, or he was off that week, and his punting suffered.
“We just try to do some things that he feels comfortable with in practice and the games, and then just getting confidence through the execution part of it, whether it be a warm-up session that we had in Arizona where he kicked the ball pretty well, whether it be just a session when we're in here by ourselves,” Giants special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey said.
According to McGaughey, being comfortable is key to Gillan's production. The Giants appear to have helped Gillan get comfortable by incorporating a rugby kicking style in select situations.
Gillan has two punts this season that have eclipsed 60 yards, one of which came against the 49ers game when the team was backed up, both executed in the rugby style.
"He's been playing rugby since he was this big. So, he gets the ball out of his hands faster that way than it does the conventional way," McGaughey said.
“It’s certain points in the game that we feel comfortable with him out there and certain situations and down and distance that we'll do it (rugby punt). But for him, he feels comfortable with that."
The early results have paid off for Gillan.
“He's kind of found a rhythm, and we just want to keep him on the same path," McGaughey said.
"Just keep staying in the flow of the game, staying in the moment, and just making sure that he's executing at a high level. So, we’ve just got to do our part as a cover unit and a protection unit to help him, and he's just got to do his job as a punter.”
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