*Giants Punter Brad Wing has been named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week following his performance against the Cowboys: *
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – How fitting that the player cited for his outstanding performance in the Giants-Cowboys defensive slugfest is a punter.
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Brad Wing was today named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for consistently keeping Dallas pinned it its own end of the field in the Giants' 10-7 victory Sunday night.
Wing punted nine times in the game – as did his counterpart, Chris Jones - tying his season high. He had a 43.2-yard gross average and a 42.9-yard net average, with a long punt of 57 yards. Five of his kicks were downed inside the 20-yard line. Dallas totaled three yards on three punt returns.
In the first half, a Wing punt pinned the Cowboys at their own 3-yard line, where his punt was downed by Dwayne Harris.
Wing was even better in the second half, when he punted four times and Dallas took possession, in order, at their own 9, 11, 24 and 3-yard lines following those kicks. When the Cowboys stopped the Giants on a third down at the Dallas 36-yard line with 1:15 remaining in the game, the Cowboys hoped to have more chance to win or tie the game. But Wing perfectly placed a punt that was again downed by Harris at the 3-yard line, and the Cowboys never gained a yard.
This is this the sixth Player of the Week award won by the Giants this season, and the second on special teams; Janoris Jenkins was honored in Week 2. Odell Beckham, Jr. was the NFC Offensive Player of the Week in Week 6, and the Giants have been cited for three defensive awards – safety Landon Collins in Weeks 7 and 9, and end Jason Pierre-Paul in Week 12. Collins was the NFC Defensive Player of the Month in November.
Wing is the first Giants punter to receive the Special Teams Player of the Week Award since Jeff Feagles in Week 13 of the 2005 season – also for his performance in a December home victory against Dallas.
*The Giants today signed running back Russell Hansbrough to their practice squad. A rookie free agent, he played one game for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season (Oct. 10 at Carolina). He spent most of the season on the Bucs' practice squad.
