NFL

Giants counting on Hill’s return

This past Sunday was the last day of Will Hill’s four-game NFL suspension, and with the Steelers delivering three huge special teams returns that afternoon, the Giants safety took some flak.

“You’re just like, ‘Aggghhh!’ And then the people who were at my household, looking at me like, ‘Yeah, you know you’re supposed to be right there, right?’ ” Hill said yesterday. “They’re beating me up, while I’m beating myself up.”

Hill’s absence was felt in the Giants’ loss, and his presence will be needed on multiple fronts this week. Ineligible the last four games because of his suspension for Adderall, Hill was back at practice yesterday and should be activated for Sunday’s game against the Bengals. He will not only be valuable on special teams — he’s a gunner on coverage — but he should be the Giants’ third safety, replacing Tyler Sash in an important role with Kenny Phillips slated to be out again.

Phillips has missed the last five games with a knee injury, and coach Tom Coughlin revealed yesterday the plan is for Phillips to miss a sixth game this week, then perhaps return after next week’s bye to face Green Bay. Coughlin said it was “not a setback,” but either way, the Giants will have Antrel Rolle and Stevie Brown starting at safety against the Bengals, while Hill should be the third safety.

“[Hill’s] a playmaker and he’s an athlete,” Rolle said. “Will played some great football for us while he was here with us.”

Hill, who attended St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, made the team as a rookie free agent, then played in the Giants’ first five games before his suspension. Back on the field yesterday, the 22-year-old insisted he felt sharp physically.

“I felt as though this break actually gave my body a little time to rest,” Hill said, noting he worked in Atlanta with former NFL defensive back Ray Buchanan during the first week of his suspension. “Everybody out there today was like, ‘I’m jealous, man. You’ve got fresh legs.’ I’m running around everybody right now.”

While Hill said he watched each Giants game on DVR as film, he admitted he has to learn some new things that defensive coordinator Perry Fewell implemented during his absence. He planned to go to Rolle’s house last night for a tutorial.

“I built a bond with these fellas. I felt I was letting them down by not being there,” Hill said. “It would have helped them.”

mark.hale@nypost.com