Patriots fans jump on clear issue dragging down Giants special teams unit

Throughout the dynasty years under Bill Belichick, the New England Patriots were known for being a dominant force in all phases of the game, beyond what Tom Brady could do with any offensive roster he was given. That was particularly true of special teams, which Belichick emphasized during his tenure, prompting the rest of the league to follow suit.

Near the end of his time in Foxboro, however, the third group became more of a liability when on the field, with a revolving door of kickers and punters making things even worse. It didn't help that the coaching wasn't up to par, which made it more crucial for the post-Belichick coaches to prioritize that role moving forward.

That made one of Jerod Mayo's hires one of the most important of all, and although his time as the Patriots' head coach will not be remembered fondly, the decision to bring in Jeremy Springer will. His first season with the team was impressive, so much so that Vrabel chose to keep him on his staff, and it continues to pay off.

We saw that against the Giants on Monday night, which was a strong contrast to how New York's special teams performed, and Patriots fans got a good laugh once they realized who their special teams coordinator was.

It all makes sense now why the Giants special teams are not particularly good

During the worst years of the historically successful special teams group, the Patriots had Cam Achord as the coordinator. He began as an assistant in 2018 and was promoted to a coordinator role in 2020. He remained there until the end of the 2023 season, leaving the team when Belichick was fired, and has since been with the Giants.

Watching their third unit make countless mistakes in primetime on Monday night had Patriots fans looking to see who their coordinator was, and once it was revealed to be Achord, it made all the sense in the world.

It was the latest example of why it was wise to let him go, and it proved once again that the Mayo regime made the right decision by not retaining him on their coaching staff.

Clearly, there is a lot wrong with the Giants this year, hence Brian Daboll being fired mid-season and their now 3-11 record, and they'll have to address their special teams this offseason, too.

The Patriots are fortunate not to be in that position, with Springer continuing to be one of their best recent hires, as he is bringing the special teams of old back to New England in the best way possible.