EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – One huge play was all Gunner Olszewski needed to become the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

Olszewski received that honor after his scintillating 94-yard punt return in the Giants' loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

With the Giants trailing by seven points, Olszewski fielded an Ethan Evans punt at the Giants' 6-yard line, slipped out of attempted tackles by Jason Taylor II and Christian Rozeboom, made his way to the right sideline and sprinted to the end zone with 3:27 remaining in the game. The touchdown lifted the Giants to within 26-25 of the playoff-bound Rams. That became the final score after the Giants were unable to convert their 2-point try and missed a late field goal attempt.

Olszewski's punt return was the longest in the NFL this season by seven yards and the longest since Dec. 12, 2021, when Jakeem Grant, then with the Chicago Bears, scored on a 97-yarder in Green Bay. It was the second longest punt return in Giants history and the longest in 95 years. On Sept. 30, 1928, Al Youngblood scored on a 95-yard return in a season-opening road game against the Pottsville Maroons.

The Giants had played 132 regular-season and three postseason games since their previous punt return touchdown. Dwayne Harris scored on an 80-yard return vs. the Jets on Dec. 6, 2015.

The punt return touchdown was the second of Olszewski's career. On a Dec. 6, 2020, he scored on a 70-yard runback for the New England Patriots against the Chargers in Los Angeles. In that game, Olszewski returned three punts for 145 yards (48.3-yard avg.), a performance that earned him AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. He finished that season with a 17.3-yard punt return average that led the NFL and was the highest in Patriots history. Olszewski was selected first-team all-pro.

A five-year veteran, Olszewski was signed to the Giants' practice squad on Oct. 23, two days after he was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was added to the active roster on Nov. 3. In nine games with the Giants, he has returned 20 punts for a 12.2-yard average. Including one return with Pittsburgh early in the season, Olszewski ranks fifth in the NFL with a 12.0-yard average.

Olszewski is the second Giants player to receive a Player of the Week award this season. Quarterback Tommy DeVito was selected NFC Offensive Player of the Week after leading the Giants to a 24-22 Monday night victory against Green Bay in Week 14.

Olszewski is the first Giants player to be named Special Teams Player of the Week since kicker Graham Gano in Week 2 of the 2022 season. Gano had won the Giants' previous three special teams POW honors. Olszewski is the first Giants return specialist to receive the award since 2015 Week 7, when Harris was named Player of the Week. Harris' 100-yard kickoff return touchdown was the deciding score in a 27-20 victory against Dallas in MetLife Stadium.