Kieran Darcy, ESPN Staff Writer 10y

Special teams costs the Giants, again

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The most disappointing group in the New York Giants' 25-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals wasn't the much-maligned Giants offense. It was their special teams unit.

The Giants had a 14-13 lead early in the fourth quarter Sunday, before back-to-back special teams gaffes handed the Cardinals two scores and, ultimately, a victory.

First, the Giants allowed Ted Ginn to return a Steve Weatherford punt 71 yards for a touchdown. Yes, Ginn is a very good returner, with six combined kick and punt return touchdowns in his career entering Sunday's game. But Giants gunner Zack Bowman had Ginn practically tackled right after the catch, before Ginn wiggled free and sprinted through the rest of the Giants' coverage team to the end zone.

"I went in there, took a shot at him, hit him real hard and I was trying to wrap him up and I just wasn’t able to wrap him up," Bowman said. "Everybody has their lanes and stuff that they need to fill, we weren't able to do it. But at the end of the day, it starts with me. I make the contact, [if] I get him down, no touchdown."

Weatherford, who gamely gave it a go Sunday despite tearing ligaments in his left ankle six days ago, tried to make a touchdown-saving tackle, but missed.

"I don't think my ankle is to blame for that," Weatherford said. "At that point in the game I would have liked to hit a better punt than that, better hang time."

"It wasn't his fault," coach Tom Coughlin said. "It had to do with pushing off of that bottom [left] foot."

The worst was yet to come. On the ensuing kickoff, the Giants' Quintin Demps caught the ball four yards deep in the end zone, took it out, and subsequently fumbled at the Giants' 22-yard line, recovered by the Cardinals.

"I didn't squeeze the ball," Demps said. "I was fighting for extra yards. ... Nobody’s fault but mine. Gotta protect the ball."

The Giants finished 27th in the NFL in kickoff return average last season (21.2 yards), and signed Demps, who was third in the league individually last year (30.1 yards), including a 95-yard touchdown return.

But Demps gained just 14 yards in his one return against the Detroit Lions last week, and failed to advance the Giants past the 22-yard line on the five other kickoff returns he had against the Cardinals, besides the fumble.

"Very frustrating, especially for myself," Demps said. "I know I gotta get it together, I know that. ASAP."

The Giants, who also were 26th in punt return average (7.2 yards) last season, hoped to have a much-improved return game in 2014. But Demps hasn't panned out as of yet, Trindon Holliday injured a hamstring in training camp and didn't make the final roster, and first-round draft pick Odell Beckham has yet to make it onto the field, also because of a hamstring issue.

Bowman is a new addition, too, on a team that gave up three punt returns for touchdowns a year ago, tied for the league lead.

The names have changed, but so far, the results look very familiar.

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