Football is a game of inches, sure, but sometimes it’s a game of sheer, unadulterated verticality. If you’re a Giants fan, you probably still have the mental image of Isaiah Simmons suspended in mid-air like some kind of glitch in a video game. It was October 6, 2024. The Seattle Seahawks were lining up for a 47-yard kick that would’ve tied the game at 23-23. Instead, the Giants block field goal play became an instant classic, a 60-yard house call that silenced Lumen Field and left everyone—coaches included—wondering how the heck he pulled it off.
Honestly, the Giants weren't even supposed to be in that game. They were playing without Malik Nabers. They were without Devin Singletary. They had already let a goal-line fumble turn into a 102-yard touchdown the other way earlier in the day. It was the kind of game that usually ends in a "heartbreaking moral victory" for Big Blue. But then, the jump happened.
The Schematic Genius of Michael Ghobrial
We talk a lot about Brian Daboll and the coordinators, but that specific Giants block field goal was the brainchild of Special Teams Coordinator Michael Ghobrial. He’d been sitting on this "Leap" play all week.
Basically, the Giants saw a weakness in the Seahawks' protection. They noticed that Seattle’s guards, specifically Laken Tomlinson, tended to stay low to prevent an interior push. Ghobrial told Simmons on Tuesday that he might be the "jumper." Simmons, a guy who had literally never played on the field goal block unit in 116 career games dating back to Clemson, was suddenly the centerpiece of a high-stakes gamble.
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- The Friday Prep: Simmons only practiced the jump once.
- The Execution: He timed the snap perfectly.
- The Leverage: Rakeem Nunez-Roches and Dexter Lawrence didn't just push; they "anchored" the Seahawks' line down.
- The Result: Simmons cleared the gap between the long snapper and the guard without touching anyone.
The ball caromed off his left forearm. Bryce Ford-Wheaton, a guy who’s mostly been a special teams ace, saw the ball bounce perfectly into his breadbasket. 60 yards later, the Giants had a 29-20 win and one of the most improbable highlights in franchise history.
Why the Blocked Field Goal Wasn't a Penalty
There was a lot of whining from the Seattle side afterward. Laken Tomlinson was pretty vocal about thinking the play was illegal. Even Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald seemed a bit skeptical about the "pushing down" on the line. But here's the thing: it was completely legal.
The NFL rulebook is pretty specific about this stuff. You can't use a teammate as leverage to jump—meaning you can't step on their back to get higher. Simmons didn't do that. You also can't make "forcible contact" to the head or neck of the long snapper. The Giants were smart. They pushed on the shoulders and backs of the guards, creating a "dip" in the line that gave Simmons the clearance he needed.
Walt Anderson, the NFL's officiating analyst at the time, confirmed it. Pushing down is fine as long as you aren't grabbing the facemask or landing on the snapper's neck. It was a masterclass in knowing the rulebook better than the opponent.
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The Anatomy of the Leap
The physics of that Giants block field goal are actually kind of insane when you break them down. Simmons is 6'4" and change with a vertical that belongs in a dunk contest. When he timed that snap, he wasn't just jumping; he was "threading the needle."
If he hits Jason Myers’ foot, it’s a penalty. If he touches the guard on the way over, it’s a penalty. If he lands on the snapper, it’s a penalty. The margin for error was essentially zero. This wasn't just luck; it was a "freak athlete" doing freak athlete things in a moment where the season was effectively on the line.
A Turning Point for Giants Special Teams?
Looking back from 2026, we can see how that play changed the narrative around the Giants' third phase. For years, the special teams unit under previous regimes felt like a liability. You’d hold your breath every time a punter took the field.
But Ghobrial brought an aggressive, almost "defensive" mindset to the unit. The Giants block field goal against Seattle wasn't an isolated fluke; it was a symptom of a coaching staff that started looking for "calculated risks" rather than just playing safe. While the 2024 season had its fair share of ups and downs, that win in Seattle proved that the Giants could win games in ways other than Daniel Jones' legs or a lucky defensive stand.
What Most People Get Wrong About Special Teams
People think special teams is just about not screwing up. They think if you don't give up a return TD and your kicker makes his 30-yarders, you’ve had a good day. That's a boring way to look at it.
The Giants block field goal in Seattle showed that special teams is an offensive weapon. When Ford-Wheaton crossed that goal line, it flipped the Expected Points Added (EPA) by a massive margin. Seattle went from a 70% chance to tie or win (assuming they make the kick and go to OT) to a 0% chance in about eight seconds.
Actionable Insights for Football Students
If you're coaching at the high school level or just a die-hard fan trying to understand the game better, there are a few takeaways from the Simmons jump:
- Identify the "Low Guard": Look for offensive lines that prioritize "low-man" leverage over vertical protection. If they aren't looking up, they can't see the jumper.
- The "Anchor" Technique: You don't need to blow the center off the ball. You just need to keep him from standing up. Use your biggest interior defenders to keep the "roof" low.
- Communication is Key: Simmons told Ford-Wheaton right before the snap: "Be ready to scoop." That wasn't just trash talk; it was a directive. Special teams plays fail because players aren't ready for the "what if."
The Giants block field goal remains a blueprint for how to steal a game on the road. It wasn't just a lucky bounce; it was a week of film study, a brave coaching call, and a "freak" of an athlete executing a play he’d only practiced once. That’s the beauty of the NFL. One jump can change everything.
Keep an eye on the interior gaps during the next field goal attempt you watch. Most teams won't try the leap because the risk of a penalty is so high, but after what Simmons did in Seattle, every long snapper in the league is a little bit more nervous when they see a 6'4" linebacker lining up in the A-gap.