Coughlin has a do-it-yourself answer

If you want something done right, do it yourself.

Tom Coughlin has been so upset by the lack of ball security on special teams – particularly from kickoff returner Devin Thomas who fumbled a ball against the Patriots on Sunday – that he’s installing a new name at the top of the depth chart. His own.

“He’s citing a depth chart move and I put my own name at the top,” Coughlin said when asked about Thomas’ statements that he had lost the job. “The rest of them are all behind there.”

Coughlin was joking (kind of; he had seven career kickoff returns at Syracuse) but the issue of ball security is not something that draws a lot of yuks among the coaching staff.

“We just have to be clear with the ball-handling,” special teams coordinator Tom Quinn said. “That’s something we’re disappointed in. We’ve been lucky so far this year that we haven’t turned one of those over … It’s too sloppy. The ball can’t be on the ground.”

Coughlin said that Thomas is still in the mix to be a returner, but the team is clearly leaning towards letting rookie Da’Rel Scott get a chance. He’s the speedy running back who had his first carry of the season on Sunday against the Patriots and ran for a first down.

“He’s fast so we’d like to put the ball in his hands at some point,” Quinn said.

Scott sounded like he’d be up for that challenge.

"There ain't going to be no dancing back there,” he said. “Hopefully get us up to the 40 or better.”

The Giants would kill for that kind of production.

As for Thomas, he said his problems have come from taking his eye off the ball too soon.

“It’s pretty much not looking it all the way in, trying to run before I get it all the way in,” he said. “It feels pretty natural to catch the ball as a kick returner, but you still have to look it in. Every once in a while if you don’t look it in it catches your shoulder pad the wrong way and that’s what happened last Sunday. I just have to be more of a veteran and realize I have to catch the ball first.”

Thomas was on the sideline for one kickoff on Sunday and replaced by Jerrel Jernigan. The rookie was injured on the play – Coughlin dubbed him “One-Play J.J.” – and said he’s unlikely to play this week.

The Giants could also have D.J. Ware handle kickoff returns. He’s done it in the past and said he’d be ready if asked to reprise the role. But it sounds clear that the Giants want Jernigan and Scott to start taking over some of the special teams jobs.

“We’ve been wanting to work them in and get them to the point where Jernigan can start being the punt returner and Da’Rel can be the kickoff returner,” Quinn said. “It just hasn’t gotten to that point so we’ll keep working with them and see.”