Giant’s mouth, returns have been quiet so far

EAST RUTHERFORD — The mouth that has defined Brian Mitchell as much as his kick returns over 13 NFL seasons has closed.

Well, that’s speaking in relative terms. Mitchell is never truly quiet. It’s not his nature. But the flow of bulletin board fodder, a staple of other seasons in Washington and Philadelphia, has ebbed to a level that doesn’t even reach the dignity of a trickle.

“I’m a vocal, in-your-face kind of person,” Mitchell said as he prepared to face his employer of 2000 to 2002, the Eagles. “But it’s hard to be that way when things aren’t going your way. It’s hard to do it when you’re getting one-yard returns.”

He’s had plenty of those this year. The NFL’s alltime kick return leader ranks last in the league with a 4.2-yard punt return average. And he’s 16th in the NFC with a 20.5-yard kickoff return average.

Things have gotten so bad that questions have started popping up over whether s~~~~~~ but less experienced Delvin Joyce would serve the Giants better than the 35-year-old Mitchell.

At 4-5, the Giants could certainly use better field position than Mitchell has afforded, and that Joyce achieved on four kickoff returns for a 23.3-yard average. It is Joyce who has the team’s longest return this year, 35 yards on his only kickoff against Washington.

Yet, coach Jim Fassel remains steadfast in his support of Mitchell. He even took Joyce off the field last week on kickoffs to put an extra, beefier blocker in front of Mitchell.

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By Ernie Palladino, Gannett News Service

Ernie Palladino can be reached at (973) 428-6671