NY Giants studs and duds vs. Bengals: Graham Gano kicks way to division lead
NY Giants kicker Graham Gano’s foot, and running back Wayne Gallman’s legs were instrumental in Sunday’s 19-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals that lifts New York into first place in the NFC East
NY Giants kicker Graham Gano was instrumental in beating the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday, but first had to win a battle over COVID-19 just to get back on the field.
“I had the fever, body aches, a headache,” Gano revealed following Sunday’s game. “The fever got pretty aggressive.
“I don’t think there was a time I was worried. Today, I was a bit fatigued. I mean, there were things here and there that I had to kind of work through, but at the end of the day, they trust me to go out on the field and kick the ball, so I was able to do that.”
Gano spent much of the past two weeks quarantined in a local hotel room, where he spent his time practicing kicking into a net, when he wasn’t sitting around on his laptop, watching TV or movies.
While Gano returned, the Giants now face uncertainty at the quarterback position after Daniel Jones suffered a right hamstring injury in the third quarter Sunday.
While Giants head coach Joe Judge is “optimistic” that Jones will be able to return Sunday, Jones will undergo an MRI to determine the injury’s severity and whether he will be forced to miss any time.
For now, the Giants hold a tenuous lead in the NFC East division race. But, before looking too far ahead, let’s take one last look back at Sunday …
Here’s a look at the studs and duds from the Giants’ monumental victory on Sunday that moves New York into first place in the NFC East:
RB Wayne Gallman – STUD
Gallman has been a focal point of the Giants’ offense the past three weeks, and that was once again the case against the Bengals, particularly on the Giants’ opening possession.
On the first series of the game, Gallman touched the ball on seven of nine plays, as he produced 17 yards from scrimmage and a one-yard rushing touchdown on fourth and goal with 10:01 remaining in the first quarter. Gallman now has six rushing touchdowns since Week 7.
If the Giants are going to continue to find success down the stretch this season, Gallman is going to need to continue to play a key factor, as he did against the Bengals with 24 carries for 94 yards, and a touchdown while averaging 3.9 yards per carry.
Gallman extended his touchdown streak to five consecutive games but most importantly proved capable of carrying the load of a run-first offense.