John Harbaugh isn't like other coaches. He's not an offensive guru or a defensive mastermind. His background comes from the third and often most overlooked side of the ball. A former special teams coordinator, you would think that his teams would be as buttoned-up as any in the third phase.
That's not the case for the New York Giants, or at least it wasn't in their Week 10 loss to the Washington Commanders. Multiple special teams mistakes cost Big Blue in key moments and ultimately cost it a win.
Harbaugh has done an excellent job with this Giants team, but his area of expertise seems to be lagging behind in New York's quest for an NFC East title.
John Harbaugh is staring down a special teams problem after Giants loss
In any one-score game, you could pick a few plays apart as the reasons that one team lost. But in the Giants' loss to the Commanders, three mistakes stick out.
First, Dominic Zvada's missed 33-yard field goal ended up giving Washington the chance to take the lead instead of just drawing level with New York. Later, Zvada's out-of-bounds kickoff allowed the Commanders to start a critical drive from their own 40-yard line. Finally, a Jordan Stout punt traveled just 13 yards to give Washington favorable field position on a key drive.
These problems weren't exactly new. Zvada has been wildly inconsistent this season and seems to have lost Harbaugh's trust, even if the head coach still supports his kicker publicly. In Week 9, a muffed punt by Charlie Jones threatened to swing the game.
Special teams mistakes have hamstrung the G-Men this year. As a special teams guru himself, Harbaugh has to make some changes. Zvada should be on a short leash, and a switch at punt returner should be on the table.
Again, Harbaugh has done a masterful job as a CEO this year, but he may have to get back to his roots to fix one of New York's biggest problems.
Giants' special teams issues have one brutally obvious solution
Replacing Zvada may not be a fix-all for the Giants' issues, but it wouldn't hurt. The rookie kicker has now missed six of his 23 field goal attempts. That's the second-most misses of any kicker in the NFL this season, only behind Kansas City Chiefs longtime starter Harrison Butker, who is on the verge of being benched.
Harbaugh continues to support Zvada, but he did leave the door open for making a change after the loss.
""You can’t, as soon as a guy doesn’t make a play, start firing people left and right, especially your kicker, who’s a rookie. I’m confident that he’s going to become a good kicker. If at some point and time it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen. But I’m not going to panic halfway through the season with a guy who has made a bunch of kicks.”"John Harbaugh on Dominic Zvada
"If at some point and time it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen" isn't exactly a call for a kicker tryout, but it's the first public sign of being open to a switch that Harbs has given. On the field, the head coach seems to have already given up on Zvada.
Harbaugh chose to pass up what would have been a 54-yard field goal early in the game, instead trying to draw Washington offside before punting. In the modern NFL, 54-yard attempts are typically no-brainers. The fact that Harbaugh doesn't trust Zvada in those situations speaks volumes.
It's time for Harbaugh to flex his special teams muscles and find a more consistent kicker. The season might depend on it.
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