Yet another New York Giants kicker has suffered an injury late in the week ahead of their matchup with the Washington Commanders. On Friday, when the final injury report dropped, a name that was left off the report all week suddenly appeared with an abdomen injury.
It was none other than Greg Joseph.
Joseph was brought in to replace Graham Gano. On September 17, 2024, New York signed Joseph off the Detroit Lions practice squad. Since joining the team in Week 3 after Gano’s injury in Washington, Joseph has scored 45 points, making 13 of 16 field goal attempts and six PATs.
Unfortunately, this late-week kicking injury is nothing Giants fans haven't seen before. It's an eerily similar situation to the one they had in Week 2 in their first matchup with the Commanders.
For the 2nd time this season, the #Giants’ kicker has gotten hurt late in the week in practice prior to facing the Commanders
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) November 1, 2024
An MRI earlier today confirmed Greg Joseph has an oblique injury, and he is listed as OUT for Sunday
Not making this up
We hope Joseph is okay and healthy. Injuries should never be taken lightly. However, the situation is flat-out comical and ridiculous. It's an absolute joke that this sort of thing happens right before their matchup with Washington again.
The first time around, head coach Brian Daboll’s inaction cost the Giants dearly. Here’s hoping this time ends differently.
How will the Giants handle their kicker’s injury this time against the Washington Commanders?
Giants fans have seen this movie before.
The Giants fell 21-18 to Washington in their first matchup this season, scoring three touchdowns but failing to convert an extra point and two 2-point conversions with Graham Gano sidelined by a groin injury. Gano was added to the injury report late that week, but the team opted not to elevate practice squad kicker Jude McAtamney as insurance.
Instead, they went into the game with only Gano, who was hurt on the very first play, leaving New York without a kicker for the rest of the matchup. The decision cost them the game. Instead of starting the season 1-1, they fell to 0-2. Adding icing on the cake, afterward Daboll got feisty with the media, becoming defensive and argumentative.
This time around, it looks like Daboll learned from his mistakes. With Joseph's abdomen ruling him out of the game, the G-Men are calling on McAtamney for kicking duties this time. He'll be much better than nothing. The Derry, Ireland native made both of his field goal attempts during the preseason (43 and 23 yards) and also added an extra point.
Let’s hope that this time, after scoring a touchdown, the team won’t end up squandering the extra point.
This story is almost unbelievable. How does the same issue happen twice - to the same team, against the same opponent, in the same season? It's absolutely unreal.
You can't make this stuff up.