New York Giants punter Jamie Gillan aka “The Scottish Hammer” had a solid game against Dallas on Thanksgiving, averaging 48.3 yards on four punts and did not allow a return.
The Giants have wanted Gillan to be better at placing punts while improving his hang time. Special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey reflected on Gillan’s most recent performance with the media on Wednesday.
“It was pretty good. It was pretty good,” McGaughey said. “It’s trending more in the right direction as far as hang and distance and what we want to accomplish, but we got to help him out. The gunners got to help him out, make some plays for him down there. He did a really nice job; he’s trending in the right direction for sure.”
McGaughey also commented on how his returners are benefitting from fielding punts off the left off of Gillan while they prepare for Washington’s lefty punter, Tress Way, this Sunday.
“They’ve been seeing it ever since training camp, and Jamie and Tress are very similar in how they hit the ball,” McGaughey said. “They like to hit the same style of punt. So, it shouldn’t be anything new because they see the same lefty spin with the same kind of power every day.”
Way, a former Pro Bowler, is one of the many weapons the Giants have to contend with this week against the Commanders.
“He is a ball striker,” continued McGaughey. “He’s one of those guys where he’s so effective hitting his directional ball out to his left, and then he can hit that pull spiral, and it’s going the complete opposite direction with hardly any hangtime, and it just goes. It just goes forever. And when his ball hits the ground, it just rolls. So, when he’s in the 30-yard backed up, 60-yard backed up, that ball could easily be inside the 10 (yard line or) inside the 5-yard line quickly.”
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