E-GIANTS
Dave Klein was the Giants' beat writer
for The Star-Ledger from 1961 to 1995.
He is the author of 26 books and he is one of
only five sportswriters to have covered all the Super Bowls.
Dave has allowed TEAM GIANTS to reprint some of his articles.

By DAVE KLEIN
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Jeff Feagles has been a punter in the NFL since 1988, when he was signed as a free agent rookie out of Hurricane University in Miami.

Since then, he has played for five teams in the ensuing 16 years and has decided on one thing for sure. "I will always pick a domed stadium if I am going to be the punter," he says. "What a major difference. I don't care what the weather is all week. I don't care how the wind is blowing. I don't care if it's raining or snowing or icy outside. I just show up in this big living room and kick the ball. Man, kicking in a dome means you don't really have to think much."

Hardly true, of course, because Feagles is a thinking man's punter. He maps out wind direction (in non-dome situations). He works closely with the kick coverage teams. He relies especially on his two "gunners," the guys at each end of the line whose job it is to get downfield first, avoid a blocker and track the ball.

Feagles held court yesterday in the locker he "shares" with former middle linebacker Harry Carson. (It is the locker Carson used for all those years, and bears a brass plaque above it proclaiming that fact; indeed, it is the locker next to the one bearing the plaque saying that outside linebacker Lawrence Taylor used that space.)

"You know, it's unusual when you have one great gunner," he said, "and I've got three. Honest. I've got David [Tyree], Curtis [Deloatch] and Jack [Brewer]. They're all great. And how great was that play David made last week in Minnesota?"

That was when Feagles punted from the Vikings' 45-yard line near the end of the first quarter and Tyree managed to chase the ball to where it bounced into the air at the Minnesota less- than-one-yard line. Then Deloatch made sure to carry it out of bounds.

"I was surprised they [the Vikings' coaching staff] challenged it," Feagles said. "It looked good to me. Hey, it looked spectacular to me."

The obvious question was asked. "What did you say to Tyree? Did you get him a present?"

Feagles smiled. "Nah, I told him it was about time, and that he owed me two or three more," he said, laughing. "Imagine, we got the best offense in the NFL to start from behind their one- yard line. You know they aren't going anywhere with that ball."

In point of fact, the possession turned into an interception by rookie strong safety Gibril Wilson, which he returned 39 yards to the Minnesota 36. That, in turn, became a 30-yard Steve Christie field goal and a 20-0 lead for the suddenly 5-2 Giants.

"You just live for plays like that when you are a punter," Feagles said. "If your gunners aren't free and in the open, they can't down the ball. They can't find it, down it and be in position to make the play. That's why what David did was so outstanding."

Feagles has had a quality season so far, averaging 41.9 per punt. His net is a healthy 36.5 and 11 times he has planted the ball inside the opponents' 20-yard line. At the moment, he ranks only 11th in the NFC, but it has been a quality job by a durable professional punter.

Guess who leads the NFC? None other than the ageless former Giant punter Sean Landeta, and Feagles has a few things to say about that 20-year- veteran.

"He really understands the punting game," he said. "He is as good as anybody I've seen at judging wind currents. He always has the same motion, which is important. And the lucky guy kicks inside a dome [he's in St. Louis these days]. I had that for a couple of years in Seattle and man, there is nothing like it."

Landeta, it was pointed out, was the only punter most Giant observers have seen who could put the ball up higher than the third tier of seats and not give anything up in the way of distance. Feagles nodded, smiling. "He knew the wind currents in Giants Stadium, and they are weird," he said. "There is a swirling lower wind, usually, but if you get up over it, there is like a prevailing wind. So the trick is to punt the ball into the air hard and fast, get it to cut through the lower level of current and then catch the tail-wind up higher."

Got all that? It's probably just punter-talk, you know?

EXTRA POINTS -- Defensive end Michael Strahan made a strong point while being asked about the victory last Sunday that put the Giants' record up to 5-2, already one more victory in the basket than all last season. ... "Yeah, it was a great win," he said. "I'm happy with it, but I still feel like we left a lot on the table the week before." ... That would be the Detroit game, a 28-13 loss, and he would be right.

Center Shaun O'Hara, who spent five days in the hospital last week with a staph infection in his leg, the result of a kick in the calf in the game against Detroit. ... Last Wednesday a small red mark had grown to the size of a quarter, and according to O'Hara it was "red, real hot to the touch, real painful and sensitive." ... He was taken to the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan undergoing intravenous antibiotic treatment and spent Sunday at home watching the game on television. ... "That was no fun," he said. "I didn't enjoy it at all, but I watched the whole game and the guys made me proud."

Now O'Hara is back at the stadium, and although he didn't practice yesterday he has an outside chance of playing Sunday against Chicago. ... If he doesn't, the job will once again be handled by second-year Wayne Lucier -- "I thought he did a great job," O'Hara said -- and when the offense is in a shotgun formation, Lucier will switch with left guard Jason Whittle, who is more familiar with that aspect of the game. ... Lucier, on the other hand, is a natural guard, so the transition is easy for both men.

Weakside linebacker Barrett Green (sprained knee, ankle) got a clean bill of health after MRI studies. ... There is nothing serious involved, and while he didn't practice yesterday, either, head coach Tom Coughlin considers him a possible player for Sunday. ... "The best news was that he's back," he said. "There was some swelling but he is making progress. He's walking; he was out there during our walk-through. I'm not sure how long it is going to take [for him to play] but the news is good."

Check out Dave's website at E-GIANTS where you can subscribe to his newsletters which run much more frequently than what is available here.
- Team Giants

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