Michael Ghobrial – Syndication Server

Giants’ Isaiah Simmons called his shot days before Seahawks game

The very second the play was added to the New York Giants’ playbook last week, DB Isaiah Simmons knew he was blocking a kick in Week 5.

New York Giants defensive back Isaiah Simmons leaped over the line, splitting two offensive linemen, and managed to get hit feet down and then propel himself back in the air to block a Jason Myers kick.

Game.

THE NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS!! pic.twitter.com/wecnASCDM2

— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2024

It was an incredibly athletic display by Simmons, who called his shot days before the Giants even took off for the West Coast.

“I said today I was going to block a punt or field goal, one of the two. I didn’t know which one, But it was going to be one of them,” Simmons told reporters after the game.

If the Bryce Ford-Wheaton scoop-and-score looked too clean, it’s because that was predicted as well. He was in the precise spot he was supposed to be in knowing Simmons was about to block the attempt.

“I said, be prepared to scoop because it’s getting blocked. See that ball off wherever it hits, just see it off. I promise it’s getting blocked. So just be ready to scoop,” Simmons said. “He was more than ready to scoop from what I’ve seen I’m happy for BFW. Good for him.”

“We didn’t even practice Isaiah jumping over, we just knew he was capable of doing it. Big shout out to him,” Ford-Wheaton said.

The perfectly executed play wasn’t even in the Giants’ playbook until Tuesday of last week. That’s when special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial approached head coach Brian Daboll with the idea and the two settled on Simmons as the perfect player to pull it off.

“I think it was Tuesday Ghobi brought that play up to me. You know, he talked about who he thought would be a good candidate to do the jump. Isaiah came to mind. He executed perfectly,” Daboll said.

“There is risk-reward, because if you get a penalty then it’s first down for the offense. I thought Ghobi did a good job setting up the rush. Called it at the perfect time. Then, you know, Isaiah is over there before the play practicing get-offs and what he’s doing, so he was prepared to go. We had Dexter (Lawrence) in there. Well-executed play. Critical situation.”

Some questioned whether or not there should have been penalties called on Lawrence and Rakeem Nuñez-Roches for using leverage on the back of offensive linemen, but the league confirmed there had been no infraction. Not only did the offensive linemen dive, but both Lawrence and Nacho kept their hands on the nameplates as opposed to the neck or helmet.

On the most important play of the game, the Giants did literally everything to perfection.

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It’s only Week 3 and Giants are already playing specialist roulette

Injuries already have the New York Giants playing “specialist roulette” and it’s only Week 3 of the 2024 regular season.

It’s only Week 3 but the New York Giants’ special teams are already a revolving door.

First, the Giants lost returners Isaiah McKenzie and Gunner Olszewski to injuries and last week, had to play without a kicker after Graham Gano tweaked a hamstring on the opening kickoff and was ruled out.

This week, the Giants signed veteran kicker Cory Joseph to spell Gano, who was placed on injured reserve (IR). But he has yet to be named the starter.

Joseph will apparently still have to beat out practice squadder Jude McAtamney for the role.

“It’s going to be good competition between him and Jude,” special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial said on Thursday. “I think at the end of the day, you always want to have multiple specialists on your roster.

“Jude, again, (we) have ultimate confidence in him and his ability to go out there and have success. And then the same thing with Greg. The thing that Greg has is obviously the experience of kicking in games and obviously the good production with that. And then Jude, like I said, had a very promising preseason.

“So, it’s not necessarily a lack of what he still needs to prove or still needs to show. We’re going take it down the wire and figure out who gives us the best chance to win in Cleveland.”

At returner, the Giants signed Ihmir Smith-Marsette last week but he did not get on the field. It appears he may have been the primary punt returner but there was one catch — the Commanders did not punt in the game.

“Honestly, him being here for a little bit over a week now, you’re excited for him to get those opportunities,” Ghobrial said. “The thing I love about him is he’s not going necessarily… He’s a great teammate and you could feel that already. When he gets his opportunities, he’s going to be excited to take advantage of that. So, the person has definitely checked all the boxes.

“The player has checked all the boxes. He approaches the game the right way. In practice, he’s always asking questions on exactly where we want things to unfold. Obviously, we’re excited for him when he gets his opportunity to go out there and have success.”

The Giants have been using running backs Eric Gray and Tyron Tracy Jr. as kick returners. Gray, if you recall, was a disaster in that role last year as a rookie. So far, he’s averaged 25.0 yards per return on six attempts with no turnovers.

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Giants’ Michael Ghobrial: Adoree’ Jackson is ‘dynamic with the ball in his hand’

New York Giants special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial says veteran cornerback Adoree’ Jackson is a “dynamic” return man.

New York Giants first-year special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial has a lot on his plate with the 2024 NFL season just days away.

Like every other special teams coach around the league, he’s still toying with the new kickoff rules and alignment but Ghobrial has other issues he is focusing on.

First off, his top returner, Isaiah McKenzie, is out for the season with a foot injury and his No. 2 option, Gunner Olszewski, is recovering from a groin injury.

“He’s back there working at it, doing a great job catching the football,” Ghobrial said of Olszewski, who was limited at Wednesday’s practice.

In this Sunday’s season opener, Ghobrial may have to go with recently signed Adoree’ Jackson to return punts against the Minnesota Vikings.

“I’ll never close the door on getting the ball in the playmaker’s hands,” Ghobrial said while calling Jackson “dynamic.”

“He’s back there working at it, and obviously you guys know we only suit up 48 people on game day, so the more position flex, the more versatility a player can have, the better.”

Ghobrial cut right to the chase when defining what he wants to see first and foremost from his returners.

“The biggest thing to me with any returner value is the person has to make sure they can own the football,” he said. “That’s safely securing it because the most telling statistic in terms of winning and losing in this league is turnover margin. So, we want to make sure whoever is back there, that guy is owning the football and making smart decisions to catch it.”

Ghobrial was asked about second-year wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton, who has emerged as a solid gunner on punts. The Giants kept ‘BFW’ on the 53-man roster over more experienced wideouts due to his play on “teams.”

“I love Bryce Ford-Wheaton, by the way. He’s wired the right way. I think it starts with the mentality. When the mentality is right, the rest of it comes into play,” Ghobrial said. “Obviously, as a receiver, he has a natural feel for being able to get people off the spot. He’s a really good catcher. He gives that possession position flexibility in terms of that.

“Anybody that’s a receiver that’s out there, you’ve got to obviously regard them in terms of coverage. I think the mentality, number one, is awesome because he approaches it like he is going to go win that rep every time. Then again, the experience of him being a receiver also translates in other parts.”

Finally, the issue of placekicker Graham Gano’s rehabilitation from a knee injury that cut his 2023 season in half, came up.

“I’ve seen Graham, the Graham Gano that wins football games in this league,” Ghobrial said. “I’m really excited to see him put pen to paper. He is a proven kicker in this league and I’m fully confident in his ability to go make kicks at any distance.”

The Giants had Northern Irish national Jude McAtamney in camp but released him after Gano proved to be healthy.

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Giants’ Michael Ghobrial trying a simple approach to new kickoff rules

New York Giants special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial is taking a simple approach to the new kickoff rules … for now.

Michael Ghobrial is entering his first training camp as the New York Giants’ special teams coordinator. He is being tasked with just more than commandeering a new group — he’s also got to nail down the new kickoff rules as well.

Every team will be in the same boat, trying to figure out how to exploit the new formations as well as defend against them. Ghobrial has a plan, though. He’s not leaving any stone unturned in his preparations.

“I think when you have an open mind based off of just understanding that this game is ever evolving and regardless of what the rules are in play, your personnel,” he told reporters on Thursday. “You always have to have an open mind to change your scheme, to change how you teach things, and just be ready to understand that that’s this game. It is changing. And it’s our jobs as coaches to ultimately figure out what we could use, what we could discard, and just go from there.”

Special Teams practices are way different under Michael Ghobrial. https://t.co/jbra5HtTl7

— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) August 1, 2024

What exactly he has in store for his team and the opposition remains to be seen, but Ghobrial is poised to unleash his plans.

“I think everybody has this notion that you can do so much with this kickoff return scheme, and you’re drawing up, I mean, for example, I’ve drawn up 50 returns,” he said.

“Now, does that mean that I’ll be able to have all 50 come into action? I don’t believe so. I think, ultimately, the foundational piece of your kickoff return scheme has to start simple. I think a lot of people will be simple to start in preseason, and that will ultimately tell you how complex you can get with your scheme in a few games.”

Michael Ghobrial highlighted three special teams players in his predraft press conference:

Miles Boykin: (was asked) said he’s a tone setter who sets the example

Matthew Adams: tough interior asset on ST

Chris Manhertz: Owns his role on ST, veteran leadership

— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) August 1, 2024

Ghobrial was asked where the players were in the acclimation process of mastering the new rules.

“I think they’re in a really good spot because one of our meetings is dedicated to explaining what are the rules and what are the certain things that could come from that rule,” he said. “And we focus on one. And then the walkthroughs are really a slower tempo pace of this is what we’re trying to get accomplished on kickoff return and kickoff. Then you get into practice and they can speed it up a little bit more.”

Ghobrial went a bit further when asked to place a number on the preparedness of his units.

“1 to 10…I would say a seven. I think with everything this new rule provides, it is a challenge. It’s a challenge to coaches, it’s a challenge to players. But, these players are resilient. They are. They truly are pressing themselves to give feedback just as much as take coaching points,” he said.

Ghobrial and the Giants will get their first real taste of the new kickoff rules next Thursday night against the Detroit Lions.

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Giants hoping a healthy Graham Gano can once again become Mr. Automatic

The New York Giants are relying on kicker Graham Gano to return to both health and dominance during the 2024 regular season.

The New York Giants’ 2024 season hinges on a particular player — quarterback Daniel Jones — successfully rehabbing from ACL surgery and returning to action 100 percent.

But there’s another knee the team will be keeping an eye on this summer. That of veteran kicker Graham Gano, who also missed the second half of the 2023 season with an injury to his left knee that required surgery.

The 37-year-old Gano’s injury was to his plant leg, not his kicking leg, and although it was reported in mid-October, he was not placed on injured reserve (IR) until November 3.

Gano, who had been hitting over 90 percent of his field goal attempts since becoming a Giant in 2020, was just 11-of-17 last year. He was also dealing with a right ankle issue early on in the year.

The Giants replaced Gano on the roster with Randy Bullock and Mason Crosby. Punter Jamie Gillan was also thrust into spot placekicking duty one week.

This spring, Gano — who is under contract until 2026 — was back on the field at OTAs kicking, but the Giants aren’t taking any chances. They will have former Rutgers standout Jude McAtamney on hand in case Gano should suffer a setback.

First-year Giants special team coordinator Michael Ghobrial is looking forward to working with Gano this summer and beyond.

“He’s a tremendous person to have in the room, a guy that’s seen a lot of football,” Ghobrial said at the Giants’ minicamp in mid-June. “He has great foot accuracy. You obviously see the explosive leg… So it’s been fun to work with him and to see his skillset in terms of the kickoff and field goal stuff. I’m excited for him to start off day one with us.”

Ghobrial also addressed the plan for Gano this summer, which will depend on how well Gano is coming along.

“I think you always have to monitor how many kicks a specialist has in general,” he said. “But the fact of the matter is that is like a conversation that you always have with the player. How are you feeling today? The biggest thing is you want to make sure they show up to the game healthy and ready to go. I’ve seen him do everything that I need to.”

That’s good news for the Giants. Gano has been a stalwart for them and they need all of the consistency they can get as they attempt to climb back into contention.

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Giants draftee Darius Muasau embraces film study, special teams

New York Giants sixth-round pick Darius Muasau prides himself on being a studious, prepared player and special teams producer.

Following the 2024 NFL draft, New York Giants sixth-round pick Darius Muasau spoke with reporters and discussed what he would bring to the table as he joins the team and enters the NFL.

During the pre-draft process, one of the most important aspects of scouting is determining what additional value a player, especially a late-round pick, will bring to the team. Namely, can they play special teams and produce there?

As it turns out, Muasau played under current Giants special teams coach Michael Ghobrial at the University of Hawaii before transferring to UCLA.

“Yeah, Ghobi is my guy. I was at the University of Hawaii with him. He was my special teams coordinator. I was on the phone with him just chopping it up and he told me that I was getting drafted. Man, I was just very excited and just happy at the moment.” Muasau told reporters.

“I started playing special teams a lot during my freshman year at the University of Hawaii. As my playing time on the defense started rising, my playing time with special teams kind of dwindled. I did play special teams all three years at the University of Hawaii.”

Coming into the NFL is a major adjustment so it will certainly help a player like Muasau to have a familiar face on the coaching staff.

Any time a rookie can embrace the impact they can have on special teams, it’s a good headstart. Not only does Muasau embrace being a part of special teams, but he also loves watching film, which will be another big part of adjusting to the NFL.

“One thing that I pride myself on is being the most instinctive and smartest player on the field every time I step on the field. I love to watch film. That’s what I do,” he said. “I spend most of my days in the film room and also on the field but mostly in the film room breaking down film, knowing tendencies, and little details of the offense and I feel that’s what I do best. That’s why I’m headed to New York, and I’m just ready to showcase my abilities there.”

Muasau certainly seems ready to embrace everything that comes with his rookie season. If his work ethic matches his love of film study and his willingness to play special teams, he will have plenty of chances to shine during his debut season.

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Giants’ Michael Ghobrial ‘excited’ to adjust to kickoff rule change

New York Giants special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial is “excited” to adjust to the NFL’s recent rule change on kickoffs.

The New York Giants turned the page on the Thomas McGaughey era when they replaced him with a former Bill Walsh Diversity Fellow, 36-year-old Michael Ghobrial, who was an assistant with the Jets for the past three seasons.

On Monday, Ghobrial met with the Giants’ media as the team opened their voluntary offseason workouts. The main topic, of course, was the major change in the kickoff rule which takes effect this season.

Ghobrial was very forthcoming in his take on the change.

“This game is ever-evolving, and as a coordinator, there’s an instance where you have to try and stay ahead of all the rule changes and find out what are all the intricacies of what those provide, and this obviously is going to be some foreign territory, but for everybody across the league,” he said.

“And I think the NFL has done a hell of a job in terms of taking out the speed and space of this play in terms of kickoff to keep guys healthier, which is a big deal, but ultimately bringing a play that was almost dissolving with all the touchbacks and the fair catches that you were seeing.

“So it’s exciting to see. It’s exciting to game plan. It’s exciting to kind of find the little nuances when it comes to that specific rule change. But when it comes down to it, I’ve always felt that every special teams play requires a certain level of effort, a certain level of technique and a certain level of violence. So those will be the foundational pieces of that rule change. And then obviously figuring out what is our best foot forward in terms of attacking that. We’ll do that this spring.”

Ghobrial is more in line with what head coach Brian Daboll was looking for in an assistant. McGaughey was a veteran coach set in his ways, much like defensive coordinator Wink Martindale was. Both were replaced by Daboll this season by younger men whom Daboll can mold into coaches who can execute his vision for this team.

Ghobrial said he is excited to be part of the New York ‘Football’ Giants and plans on bringing his style to the special teams with an approach that deploys the “best 11 players on the roster on special teams”

He explained what he’s looking for in his players and what he sees in the roster thus far.

“Some of the things that I look for, you know, when I look at special teams players are instincts, toughness and football IQ,” he said. “Those are three things that you kind of evaluate, whether it’s different schemes or anything, you’re trying to figure out, again, it goes back to putting your personnel in the best situation for them to have success.

“So those are three things that I kind of look at and you start to categorize guys, players, into two special teams categories. That, to me, is interior core players and outer core players, if you just look at like interior punt, your guard tackle slots and PP, and then your outer core players are your gunners, your speed guys.

“When I evaluated this roster, it was kind of like deciphering where guys fit in that mold, and then you start to look at what are guys’ strengths, what are guys’ challenges, how do we improve that, and also figure out what were the technique differences to where we can get guys acclimated to a new scheme, new technique and then ultimately be able to play at a high level.”

It’s a new day for the Giants and their special teams. On Tuesday, Ghobrial will meet with the entire team, an idea that Daboll is behind 100 percent.

“Ghobs will meet with the guys,” Daboll said on Monday. “The whole team, he wanted to meet with the whole team to talk about special teams so that will be tomorrow for him.”

And we’re off…

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Giants’ Michael Ghobrial lays out his vision for special teams

New York Giants special teams coach Michael Ghobrial talks about his vision for the unit and the new kickoff rule.

The New York Giants hired Michael Ghobrial to be their new special teams coordinator to replace longtime coach Thomas McGaughey this offseason

Ghobrial, who spent the last three seasons on the New York Jets’ staff, has some additional challenges facing him, such as the new kickoff rule, but he’s ready.

“To me, that’s one of the most fun parts about the game,” Ghobrial told Giants.com of rule changes. “It’s evolving, and [I have] tremendous respect for the how the NFL is trying to make this game safer for the players, for longevity, and obviously still want to put a good product out there. To be honest, it keeps you hungry to find the new details that you can take advantage of. The rule changes are something you always have to educate your players on and not just once. I think you have to stay connected to it. I think the second you deviate from emphasizing rules, that’s when the bottom falls out and you see guys struggle in moments of truth. It’s no fault to the player. I truly believe you get what you emphasize.”

Ghobrial was a bit of a surprise hire by head coach Brian Daboll, but you can see what endeared the Giants coach to his style and philosophy.

“I think when you talk about special teams, it’s the purest form of football,” Ghobrial said. “Block destruction, block ability, ability to rush, ability to make tackles in space, how you approach a ball carrier’s speed, change of direction — all those things are attributes of any good football player, whether it be defensive or offensive players. And to me, that experience is invaluable [from] playing the game.”

The Giants’ special teams needed a change at leadership after McGaughey’s tenure under three head coaches. Ghobrial might be that breath of fresh air New York needs.

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Giants hire Michael Ghobrial: 5 things to know about the special teams coordinator

The New York Giants have hired Michael Ghobrial as their next special teams coordinator and here are five things fans should know.

The New York Giants officially announced the hire of Michael Ghobrial as their next special teams coordinator on Thursday.

Ghobrial will replace long-time Giants coach Thomas McGaughey, who was fired on Black Monday after six seasons with the team (second stint).

Here are five things fans should know about Ghobrial.

Giants hire Michael Ghobrial as special teams coordinator

The New York Giants have officially hired Michael Ghobrial as their next special teams coordinator, replacing Thomas McGaughey.

The New York Giants have announced the hire of Michael Ghobrial as their special teams coordinator.

Ghobrial had been with the New York Jets as their assistant special teams coach since 2021. Before that, he served as a special teams coordinator at three different college programs, including Washington State (2020), Hawaii (2018-19) and Tarleton State (2016-17).

In 2017, Ghobrial also spent time with the Detroit Lions as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship.