Giants Announce Season Kickoff Plans

It’s not the time for a detailed rundown of who made it to the roster and who didn’t.

Following Friday night’s preseason finale, which ended with a 23-6 victory over the Jets, head coach John Harbaugh was not ready to discuss any roster changes leading up to Sunday’s deadline for the 53-player limit.

However, he did share one significant piece of news: rookie Dominic Zvada has been named the starting kicker for the season.

“He’ll win the job, he’ll be the kicker,” Harbaugh stated confidently.

This announcement didn’t come as a surprise, especially given how well the 22-year-old University of Michigan alum performed throughout the summer. In the game, he proved his mettle, going 3-for-3 on field goals from distances of 23, 46, and 53 yards.

Harbaugh noted, “That was kind of the last step to prove he could do a whole game.”

Zvada faced stiff competition from Ben Sauls, who had a perfect record with eight field goals late last season for the Giants. While Sauls, a left-footer, caught Harbaugh’s eye, Zvada simply outperformed him.

“I would say Ben also won a job; he should be kicking in the National Football League based on the fact if we didn’t have Dominic, Ben would have been the guy,” Harbaugh commented. “I thought he had a great camp as well.”

Meanwhile, it was noticeable that quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan was the one calling offensive plays instead of offensive coordinator Matt Nagy. Harbaugh clarified that this should not be seen as a sign of change.

“Just an opportunity to change it up a little bit,” he explained. “You never know, right? If Nags can’t make it to the game, caught in North Jersey traffic or something like that, maybe Cally can handle it. Just something different.”

It’s not uncommon for various teams to experiment with roles during preseason games. Just last week, Donald D’Alesio, the defensive passing game coordinator and secondary coach, was calling plays for the defense in the Giants’ win over the Dolphins.

Additionally, the Giants were strategic with their choice of starters. On offense, they fielded three key interior linemen—rookie right guard Sisi Mauigoa, center John Michael Schmitz Jr., and left guard Jon Runyan. Notably, Mauigoa tackled his older brother, Jets linebacker Kiko Mauigoa, during Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s 6-yard touchdown run.