The New York Giants' most improved player thus far this season is probably a guy who, last year, going into the start of this season, the fans were hoping the team would dump.
That would be punter Jamie Gillan, who, after struggling with his consistency, has quietly put together a string of mostly solid punts that have helped his team win the field position battle.
"He's definitely taken a step forward," said special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey. "I think I attribute it to him just getting more comfortable in who he is and trying to use his skill set better."
Specifically, the Giants have worked more rugby-style kicks into Gillan's repertoire with noticeable success. In his last three games, Gillan has recorded seven (out of nine on the season) punts inside the 20. His net average is currently a career-best 45.1 yards, and thanks to his punting and the coverage team, the Giants have only allowed 71 return yards on punts.
Related: Justin Pugh: The Good, the Great, and the Ugly
Gillan, who earned a two-year contract worth $4 million this past off-season, has always had a big, strong left leg that the Giants have envisioned as an advantage. However, his inconsistency in punting throughout the game--he'd usually be good for at least one clunker per week--made his performance maddening to watch sometimes.
But since allowing Gillan to punt in a style that he's more comfortable with, things have quieted down to where Gillan has been an asset rather than a detriment.
"Those rugby guys, I mean, they’re different. Jamie is one of the best ball strikers I've ever coached, and he can hit a variety of different punts. So, just trying to do a better job as a coach managing him, trying to put him in a position where he feels comfortable, and he's not thinking, he's just letting that muscle memory kick in," McGaughey said, noting that the Giants first began experimenting with having Gillan punt rugby style toward the end of last year.
"He’s done a really good job of developing his routine and coming out here and just working hard and trying to work at the different types of kicks he has."
More must-reads: