The New York Giants concluded their preseason with a 23-6 victory over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Friday night. Head coach John Harbaugh announced that rookie Dominic Zvada will be the team's kicker for the upcoming season. Zvada, a 22-year-old from the University of Michigan, successfully made three field goals during the game from distances of 23, 53, and 46 yards. Harbaugh noted that this performance was crucial in demonstrating Zvada's capability to handle the role throughout an entire game.
Zvada's competition for the kicking position was with Ben Sauls, who had a successful stint last season, going 8-for-8 on field goals. Harbaugh acknowledged Sauls' strong performance but confirmed that Zvada outperformed him in the preseason. "I would say Ben also won a job, he should be kicking in the National Football League based on the fact if we didn’t have Dominic, Ben would have been the guy," Harbaugh stated.
In addition to the kicking announcement, Harbaugh mentioned that quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan called the offensive plays during the game instead of offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, describing it as an opportunity to mix things up. He noted that this approach is common in preseason games, as seen when defensive passing game coordinator Donald D’Alesio called plays in a previous game against the Dolphins.
The Giants also strategically placed several starters on the field, including rookie right guard Sisi Mauigoa, center John Michael Schmitz Jr., and left guard Jon Runyan, who played together for the first time. Mauigoa notably blocked his brother, Jets linebacker Kiko Mauigoa, during a touchdown run by Tyrone Tracy Jr.