The Giants’ special teams did everything wrong except allow a touchdown.
In that regard, this disaster was an improvement from the last home game.
While none of the mistakes made Monday in a 24-3 loss to the Seahawks were as decisive as the blocked field goal returned for a touchdown by the Cowboys in Week 1, the Giants’ non-functional offense and underachieving defense were not helped out by sloppy special teams.
Rookie Eric Gray fumbled a first-quarter punt in what looked like a replay of a scene from a practice this past week and the culmination of weeks of shaky catches.
The Giants fell on the loose ball but Gray was benched for Adoree’ Jackson, who suffered a seven-week knee injury as a fill-in punt returner last season.
With that worst-case scenario in mind, it seemed Jackson — who was the choice over sure-handed and seldom-used Sterling Shepard — was told not to risk his health on a return.
It worked out fine on his one fair catch, but he allowed two others to bounce and roll, pinning the Giants deep in their own territory where the offensive line was helpless against the pass rush.
The problems were just beginning.
Perhaps most unbelievable was that the Giants committed six penalties on special teams.
Third-string running back Gary Brightwell was flagged for unnecessary roughness at the end of a kickoff that put the offense at its own 10-yard line.
He wasn’t done.
After the Giants used two timeouts in the final minute of the first half to try to get the ball back and cut into a 14-3 deficit, Brightwell committed a running-into-the-kicker penalty that negated a punt and allowed the Seahawks to convert a fourth down.
Of course, had Brightwell been more aware of his surroundings, the Giants still would have lost possession because Cam Brown simultaneously was flagged for holding on the same play.
Long snapper Casey Kreiter was hit with a hold, Isaiah Simmons was caught doing an illegal shift and Carter Coughlin was penalized for being an illegal man downfield.
In other words, if it could go wrong, it did.
It was almost ironic to see the special teams run off the field celebrating when Seahawks kicker Jason Myers missed a 53-yard field goal wide left — as if that could salvage any credit.
Fittingly, the unit comprised of both offensive and defensive players summed up the problems in all three phases for the Giants during a 1-3 start.
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