On big punt, Jeff Feagles pins Panthers
December 22
New York Daily News
"When Jeff Feagles was running onto the field for his key fourth-quarter punt Sunday night, Tom Coughlin's instructions were, "We need it inside the 5."
When Feagles returned, he asked Coughlin, "How about the 1?"
There were many reasons why the Giants pulled out an overtime victory in Sunday night's game against the Panthers but Feagles' punt, which rookie Terrell Thomas downed at the 1, may have been the turning point.
It changed field position after a Julius Peppers sack forced the Giants out of field-goal range. The Giants then stopped the Panthers on a three-and-out then took over, marching 44 yards for the game-tying touchdown.
"It was huge," said Coughlin, who had giddily greeted his Pro Bowl punter when he returned to the sideline and didn't mind the wisecrack. "It got us out of a situation where we weren't able to get any points on the board. It was a very good play by Terrell down there, too.
"Jeff has been doing that for what, about a hundred years now? That's big. That's why he's a Pro Bowler," said Justin Tuck, who made second and third-down tackles that kept the Panthers at the 5 and Jason Baker punting out of his own end zone. "And we got points off it. That's what it was today, all three phases working together."
The 42-year-old Feagles, who will be going to just his second Pro Bowl in his 21st season, perfectly judged the wind, which was blowing into his face and to the right, toward the right coffin corner with the ball at the Panthers' 38.
"The returners are told when it's inside the 10 to let it go, so I just have to play the wind and Terrell made a great play on it," he said.
And while he said it was one of the biggest punts of his career, he's done it time and time again at practice."
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