PA Season Ticket Holder
06-08-2003, 08:34 PM
East Rutherford, N.J. - As head coach of the Giants, Jim Fassel is asked a lot of tough questions by the media. This was not one of them: "As good as your offense was at the end of last year," a reporter asked Fassel this week, "do you think it would have helped a lot with a guy like (Jeff) Feagles doing the punting?"
"That's very easy," said Fassel, who is more than happy to hit the occasional softball. "That's the easiest question I've been asked since I can't remember. If we had Feagles last year, it would have made a huge difference in a lot of things."
Like on defense, which would have had the advantage of facing offenses backed up deep in their own territory far more often. And gross punting average, where the Giants would not have been ranked 31st in the NFL. Perhaps even that fateful NFC Wild Card game in San Francisco, where rookie punter and holder Matt Allen failed to fall on the ball on the Giants' ill-fated attempt at a game-winning field goal.
Allen averaged a league-low 36.9 yards per punt last season. Feagles averaged 41.7 yards for the Seattle Seahawks and was brilliant in the Giants' 9-6 victory here on Sept. 22, punting six times for a 47.8-yard average, with three kicks downed inside the 20. Oh, did we mention that Feagles is the NFL's career leader, with 376 punts downed inside the 20-yard line?
When the Giants embarked on their mission to sharply upgrade their special teams for the 2003 season, Feagles was one of their primary targets. Feagles and Fassel spent the 1997 season together with the Arizona Cardinals, and the coach was eager to re-join the 16-year veteran. Fassel admitted he looked into Feagles' availability last year. But the Seahawks waived Craig Jarrett and kept Feagles.
This year, Fassel got his man.
"He's a pro," Fassel said. "His bad games are still way above average. The guy is the best in the league at pinning people down. (Defensive coordinator) Johnnie Lynn said, 'Jim, you've helped our defense with that signing as much as any guy we're going to sign.'
"I knew Jeff. When I had him at Arizona, we were good friends. I was making calls a year ago. There were trade discussions last year. He was set in Seattle; he'll live there the rest of his life. But he came here because he has a chance to win."
http://www.giants.com/news/index.cfm?cont_id=184976&right_include=/includes/eisens_archive_module.cfm
"That's very easy," said Fassel, who is more than happy to hit the occasional softball. "That's the easiest question I've been asked since I can't remember. If we had Feagles last year, it would have made a huge difference in a lot of things."
Like on defense, which would have had the advantage of facing offenses backed up deep in their own territory far more often. And gross punting average, where the Giants would not have been ranked 31st in the NFL. Perhaps even that fateful NFC Wild Card game in San Francisco, where rookie punter and holder Matt Allen failed to fall on the ball on the Giants' ill-fated attempt at a game-winning field goal.
Allen averaged a league-low 36.9 yards per punt last season. Feagles averaged 41.7 yards for the Seattle Seahawks and was brilliant in the Giants' 9-6 victory here on Sept. 22, punting six times for a 47.8-yard average, with three kicks downed inside the 20. Oh, did we mention that Feagles is the NFL's career leader, with 376 punts downed inside the 20-yard line?
When the Giants embarked on their mission to sharply upgrade their special teams for the 2003 season, Feagles was one of their primary targets. Feagles and Fassel spent the 1997 season together with the Arizona Cardinals, and the coach was eager to re-join the 16-year veteran. Fassel admitted he looked into Feagles' availability last year. But the Seahawks waived Craig Jarrett and kept Feagles.
This year, Fassel got his man.
"He's a pro," Fassel said. "His bad games are still way above average. The guy is the best in the league at pinning people down. (Defensive coordinator) Johnnie Lynn said, 'Jim, you've helped our defense with that signing as much as any guy we're going to sign.'
"I knew Jeff. When I had him at Arizona, we were good friends. I was making calls a year ago. There were trade discussions last year. He was set in Seattle; he'll live there the rest of his life. But he came here because he has a chance to win."
http://www.giants.com/news/index.cfm?cont_id=184976&right_include=/includes/eisens_archive_module.cfm