When the New York Giants brought in John Harbaugh as head coach and Chris Horton as special teams coordinator, it showed they were serious about upgrading their special teams.
For the first four games, things were going great guns, and while punter Jordan Stout is on his way to another Pro Bowl, the rest of the operation is beginning to slip.
In Week 5, rookie kicking sensation Dominic Zvada missed three of his five field goal attempts in a game that ended in a tie. This week, their new kick returner, Charlie Jones, fumbled, leading to a New Orleans touchdown.
There were also other faux pas on special teams Sunday, including getting guys on and off the field in time.
Another week, another special teams snap where the Giants only had 10 on the field https://t.co/EQQvhrmOaRpic.twitter.com/dkTS8ONYQD
— Doug Analytics (@Doug_Analytics) October 18, 2026
This has been a recurring issue for the Giants on special teams. They also had just 10 men on the field during a field goal attempt against the Washington Commanders in Week 5. Before that, they had plays with only 10 men against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3 and the Tennessee Titans in Week 4.
"When we do end up in a situation where we have 10, that's on me," Horton said after the Titans game.
Horton went on to explain that playing with 10 guys instead of rushing an 11th onto the field at the risk of a penalty is something "you might be okay with."
That would be fine if it were a one-off. For these Giants, it has become a persistent problem, and their margin of error is too thin to continue playing a man short.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants continue to struggle with just 10 players on special teams