Giants get passing grades for ‘05: ST's

Ok, fans. It’s time for the Giants final report card. And just remember that the players are being graded on their entire season’s body of work, not just the terrible playoff game that ended the year prematurely. Players not listed received incompletes.

Here goes the Special Teams:

Jay Feely – He rebounded from as big a nightmare as a kicker can ever endure in Seattle and finished a record-breaking season for the Giants. His kickoff ability and coverage tackling skills were also welcome additions to New York’s special teams. Grade: B+

Jeff Feagles – Showing no signs of slowing down, Feagles dropped 26 punts inside the opposing 20-yard line and averaged more than 42 yards a punt. Grade: B+

Ryan Kuehl – Forgot about him, huh? That’s exactly how he likes it. Grade: B+

Willie Ponder – The league’s defending kickoff return champ, Ponder wasn’t able to defend his title as he was shelved for five games because Tom Coughlin was unhappy with his indecision and ball security on a few kickoff returns. He still averaged a team-best 25.9 yards, though, so Ponder obviously knows a little bit about what he’s doing. Grade: B

Chad Morton – The dual threat return specialist the Giants have been seeking, Morton was good on kickoff returns and great on punt returns. He even returned one punt 58 yards for a TD. Grade: B+

David Tyree – A Pro Bowl special teams demon, Tyree has turned the art of covering kicks and punts into an art form. He chipped in a very key blocked punt this year against Philly as well. Grade: B+