With Gunner Olszewski ruled out, the New York Giants will be looking for recently signed return specialist Ihmir Smith-Marsette to provide a spark on special teams.
Smith-Marsette, a homegrown talent from Newark, NJ was named the Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year in 2018 and won Super Bowl LVII with the Kansas City Chiefs. Last season, the Newark native returned 37 punts for 322 yards and one touchdown as a member of the Carolina Panthers.
Giants coaches impressed by the veteran’s physical traits
The Giants’ newly hired special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial boasted to the media that Smith-Marsette has “Real, real speed,” and was larger than then he had anticipated (h/t Giants.com).
On film, Smith-Marsette displays that tremendous straight-line speed, wasting little time getting vertical. He is an explosive, one-cut returner who can make the first man miss and find a seam quickly.
Listed as the primary back-up behind Olszewski at both punt returner and kick returner, Smith-Marsette is expected to be the featured return man on both units this Sunday, with rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. or Eric Gray as the off-returner on KOR.
An explosive return can open up the offense
One of the easiest ways to help a struggling offense is by giving them a short field to work with. If the former Super Bowl champion is able to get loose this Sunday, it will take some pressure off of quarterback Daniel Jones and the rest of the Giants’ offense.
Oftentimes, play callers will look to take shots downfield shortly after crossing the 50-yard line. If Smith-Marsette can flip the field with a big return, it may open up opportunities for the Giants to test the Commander’s exploitable secondary with deeper throws, something they were criticized for not doing in Week 1.
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The ball is the program
“The ball is the program.” One of the most emphasized lines in college football could not hold more true.
After Darius Slayton’s near disaster last week, and going through a revolving door of returners in 2023 before signing Olszewski, Giants fans will just be hoping to see someone field the ball cleanly. Something that Ghobrial mentioned was the “number one priority.”
With plenty of NFL experience and no glaring competition on the roster, look for Smith-Marsette to establish himself as the Giants’ go-to return man for the foreseeable future.
