Giants' Brian Daboll getting blasted for absurd risk in heartbreaking Week 2 loss
This one is going to hurt for a while. Hindsight is always 20-20, but NY Giants head coach Brian Daboll is going to have plenty of regrets following the team's 21-18 Week 2 loss to the Washington Commanders. Straight up, the Giants had no business losing this game. If they had a kicker capable of hitting a PAT, they'd be 1-1 on the year and not 0-2.
That's where things fall on Daboll. On the opening kickoff, disaster struck with Graham Gano suffering a hamstring injury. He was out for the rest of the game, and Jamie Gillan's lone attempt at a kick was embarrassing. So, why didn't the team elevate Jude McAtamney from the practice squad? That's what everyone is wondering:
Graham Gano (hamstring) is doubtful to return for the Giants vs the Commanders.
— Doug Rush (@TheDougRush) September 15, 2024
Punter Jamie Gillan will handle the kicking duties since practice squad kicker Jude McAtamney wasn’t put on the active roster. pic.twitter.com/18OYJUf3km
NY Giants fans are blasting Brian Daboll following the Week 2 loss to Washington
Gano was on the injury report leading up to the Washington game with a groin injury. He clearly wasn't 100 percent. Add in the hamstring injury on the opening play, and it was a recipe for disaster. As soon as this happened, countless Big Blue supporters knew not having a quality backup kicker available, especially with Gano banged up, would hurt this team. It's exactly what proved to be the case.
More "calculated risks" blow up in the #Giants face. The team was aware that their 37-year old kicker had a groin issue.
— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) September 15, 2024
They decide not to add a kicker and take the "risk." He gets hurt on the opening kick-off, and the #Giants play the game without a kicker.
One would think…
Gross incompetence. Arrogant. No accountability. We all would have hedged this bet.
— sjones71 (@sjones71) September 15, 2024
Graham Gano was added to the injury report long before this game. We saw what happened last year when Gano tried to play through an injury. For Brian Daboll not to have a legitimate backup kicker on the roster today is inexcusable.
— The Entertainah (@TheEntertainah) September 15, 2024
Brian Daboll and the Giants not adding a kicker has them 0-2. This is so frustrating #NYGiants
— GMEN HQ (@GMENHQ) September 15, 2024
Brian Daboll really put himself firmly on the hot seat today by having the @Giants go for multiple head-scratching 2 pt conversion attempts.
— BS (@brettstev89) September 15, 2024
Also - not having a healthy kicker ready?
This is not 3rd year head coach stuff…
This is just a small sample size of people letting Daboll have it. What's wild is that at this point two seasons ago, Daboll was a rockstar in East Rutherford and he could do no wrong. Now, things have flipped after he went 6-11 in 2023 and his team is off to their rough 0-2 start in '24.
Entering the campaign, there was hope that the Giants could actually be at 2-0: they started off the year with the Sam Darnold-led Vikings at MetLife, but Daboll and Co. couldn't do anything right. Quarterback Daniel Jones was under fire after his performance, but he looked strong vs. Washington.
With Jones playing so well and Malik Nabers having an unreal game (let's forget about his costly drop), Big Blue had everything going their way to come out victorious. Instead, not having a kicker cost them a win. There's no other way to say it, the Giants lost this game because Gano got hurt and there was no one there behind him. That's on Daboll, 100 percent.
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