Aldrick Rosas was the image of consistency last season for the Giants.
Now they are looking back to find what’s gone missing.
Rosas has missed extra points in three straight games, a troubling trend for a kicker who missed just one in 32 attempts during his Pro Bowl season last year.
“It’s just timing with him. Just making sure he leaves on time,” special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey said Thursday. “We kind of went back and looked at some stuff from last year, looked at his stance, looked at his body posture, just things of that nature. Just leaving on time and just getting into the things that he had success with last year and just try to get back to that.”
It is the first time the Giants have missed a PAT in three straight games since 1932, though before 2015, PATs were snapped from the 2-yard line compared to the new spot from the 15-yard line.
For a team that needs all the points it can get, a more consistent Rosas would be helpful. Through 10 games this season, he has made 8 of 10 field goals and 19 of 22 extra points.
Jabrill Peppers has not gotten an extended opportunity to show what he can do returning punts and kicks with the Giants, but he indicated he may be getting more of a look soon.
“Me and Golden [Tate] are both going to be back there,” Peppers said.
The starting safety has returned only three punts this season — after returning 55 punts and 33 kickoffs over the last two seasons for the Browns — despite being one of the Giants’ more explosive options.
The Giants have used Tate and T.J. Jones (before he was cut) to return punts and Corey Ballentine, Darius Slayton and Cody Latimer to return kicks.
“It’s been kind of a rotation thing,” McGaughey said. “It’s just the flow of the game. If Jabrill has the juice to get back there, he’ll go back there. If he’s a little tired, Golden is standing right there.”
Shurmur said it was “unlikely” veteran tight end Rhett Ellison will play this week because of a concussion. He is still in the protocol and has yet to practice this week, instead relegated to running off to the side while everyone else went through drills on Thursday.
Evan Engram (foot) also missed another practice, making it likely that the Giants will be without their two top tight ends Sunday against the Bears and leaving them with newly re-signed Scott Simonson and rookie Kaden Smith.
LT Nate Solder, CB Janoris Jenkins and WR Sterling Shepard appear to be on track to clear the concussion protocol Friday. They were all full practice participants Thursday, with Solder upgrading from limited Wednesday.