NFL

Positives neutralize negatives for Giants

The Giants special teams had been arguably the worst in the NFL coming into Sunday’s game against the Raiders. And even though they were hardly awesome — culpable for a touchdown for a third straight game — at least they weren’t awful. In a 24-20 win over Oakland, they kept their season on life support. They’ll take that.

Jerrel Jernigan fumbled away the opening kickoff to hand Oakland a touchdown just 45 seconds into the game, and Steve Weatherford averaged just 31 yards on four punts, having the last one blocked to give Oakland the ball at their own 33 with 4:22 to go in the fourth quarter.

But Damontre Moore’s blocked punt and Cooper Taylor’s ensuing 21-yard TD return was redemption, Big Blue’s first punt block for a score since 1988.

“It leaves you speechless just to know that you made a play and put the team in a great situation,” Moore said. “It’s just really a breathtaking experience. You get a little self-gratification to know how we’ve been performing and just trying to make it better and fix our weak points and make our weak points our strong points.

“If any player makes a bad play, you honestly feel bad about it. When you come back it gives you a little more self-gratification to make a great play like that, going in, scoring a touchdown. I’d say today all three phases were clicking. It made up for it — it didn’t completely cancel it out, but it made you feel a little better.’’

There had been plenty to redeem, like allowing an 86-yard punt return touchdown to the Vikings’ Marcus Sherels and having Zak DeOssie’s sailing long snap against the Eagles recovered and returned for a score. Oh, and they had allowed the most punt return yards (424) and TDs (3) in the NFL.

“I can accept all the negative comments. Much deserved. It will make me a stronger person/player,’’ tweeted Weatherford, who didn’t dally in the locker room. “Important thing: our team got the win!’’

They were a mixed bag Sunday, but that’s better than all bad. When they saw Oakland give them the exact look special teams coordinator Tom Quinn and assistant Larry Izzo had shown them on film, Moore broke through. After poor technique — not keeping his hands below his eyes — led to him only partially-blocking a Chiefs punt on Sept. 29, he closed the deal Sunday.

“I saw Cooper Taylor run by full speed and scoop it up,” Moore said. “That’s what really made me happy, that Cooper scored. He was my roommate in training camp and we were really good friends. We had a bond. He scored and it was a 1-2 punch, old roommates, so that’s honestly what made it special.’’

Taylor had a convoy into the end zone, knotting the score at 7-all with 9:22 left in the first quarter.

“I didn’t know what to do, I was so happy. I was pumped for Demontre,’’ Taylor said. “I was so excited the way it unfolded. It changed the momentum. No words can express how ecstatic I was. To have a big special teams play to redeem ourselves definitely helped build confidence.’’

Coach Tom Coughlin noted the pressure they put on Oakland’s special teams, but also the pressure the Raiders put on theirs.

“Unfortunately, we got pressure ourselves, too,” he said, “which gave us a bad taste in our mouths. We got pressured right away. We got pressure later on. Their punter did an outstanding job of keeping us backed up, way backed up, in our field position in the first half.’’