Gano Misses Dooms Giants
Photo: Michael Henriquez NY Beacon
By Andrew Rosario
Photo: Michael Henriquez NY Beacon
On a very nasty, rainy Sunday afternoon where the New York Football Giants hosted the New York Jets, the team they share MetLife Stadium with, both teams played like it was a pre-season game. The numbers bear that out. Ugly is an understatement to describe the game. Let’s begin. In the 13-10 Jets overtime win, in which both offenses combined for a total of 24 punts. The Jets 11 times, the Giants 13. Both teams gained only 12 first downs. Even more putrid was their third down conversion attempts. The Jets were 2 for 15 (13%) while the Giants were worse 2 for 19 (10%). While the Giants were hell bent on running the ball given the sloppy conditions, that was the only positive aspect of their offense. Running back Saquon finished with 128 yards on a whopping 36 carries, his longest being 34 yards. The Jets grind game was non-existent as they only managed a total of 58 yards with quarterback Zach Wilson running for 25 of those yards.
Big Blue won the coin toss and elected to defer to Gang Green and they had a chance to get in the end zone the first time the defense stepped on the field. With Wilson lined in shotgun formation. Giants defensive end Kevon Thibodeaux hits Wilson forcing a fumble that is recovered by linebacker Jihad Ward on the Jets 19- yard line. The Giants offense led by Tyrod Taylor for the 3rd straight week (Daniel Jones did not get cleared to play and was put on the inactive list the Friday before) would go 3 and out and had to settle for a Graham Gano 31-yard field goal giving them a early 3-0 lead. The next 6 possessions resulted in all punts before Wilson got them on the board.
Photo: Michael Henriquez NY Beacon
At midfield with a 1:18 left in the first quarter, Wilson hits running back Breece Hall with a quick pass and Hall scampers the 50 yards into the end zone for the 7-3 lead. Then, it was the beginning of Gano’s nightmare afternoon. Taylor moved the team to the Jets 19 yards line and Gano would miss a 47-yard field goal pushing the ball left. Injuries would take a toll on both teams going forward.
First, Jets center Connor McGovern goes down with a knee injury. Then, Giants Taylor, scrambling after getting control of a deflected pass, gets tackled by Quinnen Williams and C.J. Mosely. Taylor would lay on the turf for several minutes before going straight to the locker room. Taylor was taking to a local hospital as it was revealed he suffered a rib injury. Third string rookie Tommy De Vito was pressed into action and he played like the undrafted quarterback out of Illinois. De Vito did not complete a pass in regulation but he got the Giants in the end zone with a 6-yard touchdown run that gave the Giants a 10-7 lead.
Looking to ice the game, the Giants get down to the Jets 17 with :28 seconds left. They needed 1 yard to get the first down but head coach Brian Daboll decided to send out Gano for the 35-yard field goal. Again, Gano misses left and the Jets get the ball back with :24 seconds with the ball on their on 25. Wilson connects with wide receiver’s Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard after a Giants pass interference penalty. Wilson then spikes the ball with :01 second left. Greg Zuerlein calmly converts the 35-yard field goal sending the game into overtime.
the Giants won the coin toss and elected to receive. 5-plays later, they punt giving the Jets the ball on their 39 yard line. Another Giants pass interference gets the Jets down to the Giants 15-yard line. Not wasting any time, head coach Robert Saleh sends out Zuerlein who ends the game with a 33-yard field goal.
The Giants dropped to 2-6 while the Jets improved to 4-3.
A totally dejected Daboll talked about his decision to go for the field goal instead trying to get the first down. “Kick a field and they have 24 seconds with no time outs and need a touchdown. I make it a field goal and they have :24 seconds with no time outs and they have to drive it a length and out defense was playing real good all game that’s why l made the decision.”
Gano did not shy away from the media after the game, taking full responsibility for his miscues. “I have no excuses,” he began. “That’s not who l am. I just have to do a better job and not let anybody down.”
Had the New York Football Giants been able to come away with the win, there record would have been 3-5 with a very good chance of going to 4-5 with a winnable game this Sunday in Las Vegas before facing division rival Dallas Cowboys the following week. Instead, as a result of the loss, the organization has already moved a player prior to the Tuesday 4pm trading deadline. They shipped defensive end Leonard Williams to the Seattle Seahawks for a 2024 second round pick and a 2025 fifth round pick.
Daniel Jones will be back under center when the Giants travel to the face the Raiders. The Jets host the Los Angeles Chargers in a nationally televised contest next Monday.
