Dominic Zvada and Steve Rausch never think that far ahead, to the point where they’re talking about a problem — the Giants and their recent kicking history — and a potential solution in Zvada.
They focus on the day to day, on the improvements and the consistency that a mechanical routine requires. They never spend time thinking about the bigger picture of Zvada, just a rookie and just over six years into a kicking career that began as a junior in high school, and his Giants responsibilities, or how he, at just 22, has been tasked with halting Big Blue’s kicking woes over the next 18 weeks.
But, Rausch did reveal, Zvada “has that unique ability to really focus in the moment, and that’s, I’ll just say this: that will bode well over time for everyone.” The Giants — after the untimely Graham Gano injuries, after the Younghoe Koo swing-and-a-miss moment, after the collection of underwhelming names they’ve cycled in and out — could use that.
The individual pieces required for some kicking stability have started to stack together for the Giants, too. Zvada was an All-American in college, someone who etched his place in the national conversation at Arkansas State before getting his chance on a Big Ten stage. John Harbaugh has a special teams background and, more than most coaches, understands the importance of that third phase. And Zvada, after an impressive training camp where he stacked together strong days for a month’s worth of practices, did enough to fend off Ben Sauls.
