On Sunday, the New York Giants (0-2) learned the hard way just how important kickers are and joined unfortunate company as a result.
During their 21-18 road loss to the Washington Commanders (1-1), the Giants performed better than they did in Week 1, scoring three touchdowns on offense while the defense kept the team’s division rival out of the end zone. However, Commanders kicker Austin Seibert’s franchise record seven field goals, coupled with New York’s own kicking woes, were enough to propel Washington to victory.
As pointed out by Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith, New York became just the second team in NFL history to lose a game despite scoring three touchdowns and allowing zero TDs.
According to Smith, the last time this occurred was in Week 9 of the 1989 season when the Los Angeles Rams suffered a 23-21 overtime loss to the Vikings in Minnesota. During that game, Vikings kicker Rich Karlis, like Seibert, made seven field goals in regulation before the team’s defense recorded a safety in overtime to knock off Los Angeles.
New York had several chances to pull away in Sunday’s contest, and while it’s hard to say for certain, the disastrous outcome was rather avoidable.
The Giants entered the divisional clash with kicking concerns, as veteran PK Graham Gano was added to the team’s injury report on Saturday due to a groin issue. Instead of elevating practice squad kicker Jude McAtamney to the active roster, the Giants started Gano, who promptly injured his hamstring during Sunday’s opening kickoff.
New York turned to punter Jamie Gillan to fill in for Gano, but after the former undrafted free agent missed his lone extra-point attempt in the first quarter, the team abandoned the kicking game.
The Giants would score two more touchdowns in the game, though they failed to convert on each two-point conversion attempt. Then, with 2:12 remaining in the fourth quarter, while deep in Washington territory, the Giants chose not to attempt a field goal but rather a pass to rookie Malik Nabers, who dropped a would-be fourth-down conversion.
During his postgame news conference, Giants HC Brian Daboll adamantly defended his decision to start Gano.
“We thought Graham would be OK,” Daboll said. “He got hurt chasing down a hamstring. He didn’t hurt his groin. He hurt his hamstring.”
Daboll, the 2022 AP Coach of the Year, entered the season on a lukewarm seat after coaching New York to a disappointing 6-11 record in 2023. But with his team now sitting 0-2 on the season, thanks largely to his own incompetence, Daboll will have to quickly prove he’s still the right coach to lead the Giants.
