New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll watches from the sideline during the second half of an NFL preseason football game against the Detroit Lions, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
EAST RUTHERFORD — Fourth and One. 28 seconds to go.
The tide of the entire 2023 season shifted for both the New York Jets and New York Giants Sunday afternoon on one play-call.
Clinging to a 10-7 lead late in the contest, and with his third-string quarterback, Giants head coach Brian Daboll elected to kick a 35-yard field goal to try and go up by six in the final seconds against a Jets offense that had recorded just one third-down conversion all game.
The decision would backfire thanks to Graham Gano hooking the field goal wide, and leaving Gang Green with enough time on the clock to get into field goal range. Two completions of 29 yards from Zach Wilson and the offense would get the Jets into field goal range to send an ugly Sunday contest into overtime. A late pass interference call on his defense would send Daboll’s squad home with another loss, and question the late-game decisions of the head coach.
While there are those vilifying the Giants’ head honcho following the subsequent 13-10 overtime loss to the Jets, one fellow head coach made it clear that he agreed with his counterpart’s decision.
“I felt like kicking the field goal was the right thing to do,” Jets head coach Robert Saleh said. “You make it a touchdown lead, no timeouts, 30 seconds left? I probably would’ve done the same thing.”
It was Saleh’s staff that breathed a sigh of relief when, for the second time on Sunday, Gano missed a makeable field goal he had seemingly hit numerous times before in his 14-year NFL career.
Perhaps that was part of the problem though when it decided that. As strong as Gano has been over the years, his 71% field goal percentage this year is the lowest in over a decade. Whether it’s part of the left knee injury he has been…
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