It’s getting ugly for Brian Daboll and the New York Giants.
Following yesterday’s inexplicable loss to the Washington Commanders in a game they should have certainly won, the Giants – once again – dug themselves an 0-2 hole to start the season.
Just how bizarre was the 21-18 loss to Washington? … Well, the Giants became just the second team in NFL history to lose a game despite scoring three touchdowns and allowing none to their opponent.
The only other team to “accomplish” such a feat is the 1989 Los Angeles Rams.
They also scored three touchdowns, allowed none, and lost to the Minnesota Vikings. However, that defeat came in overtime, making the Giants the first team to pull off this oddity in regulation play.
The series of events leading to this historic loss began with an injury to kicker Graham Gano, who hurt his hamstring while trying to chase down Commanders running back Austin Ekeler on the opening kickoff.
Ekeler ended up scoring a touchdown on the play. However, it was called back due to a penalty, meaning Gano was injured on a play that shouldn’t have even happened in the first place.
Taking it a step further, you can certainly make the argument that Gano shouldn’t have even been on the field.
Daboll and the Giants were aware that Gano was banged up as he dealt with a lingering groin issue. However, the Big Blue coach refused to have another kicker on the active roster.
We know how valuable active roster spots are on gameday. No one wants to have to carry two kickers. A way around this would have been to have punter Jamie Gillan handle kickoffs. (While he wasn’t reliable kicking extra points or field goals, he would have been more than capable of handling kickoffs.)
We all know how things turned out…
While Big Blue certainly hurt themselves in more ways than one (Malik Nabers fourth down drop, putrid rush defense), had Gano not gotten hurt, or if the Giants had another reliable kicker on the roster, it’s safe to say they would have won the game.
With the shadow of Bill Belichick looming over the Meadowlands, we’re now suddenly a long way away from Daboll’s Coach of the Year season in 2022.
Meanwhile, Washington deserves credit for hanging in and winning an ugly game. After all, a win is a win no matter how you slice it.
While they failed to reach the endzone, kicker Austin Seibert impressively drilled seven field goals, including the game winner as time expired.
As for the Giants, do you think Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen are in trouble?
If things continue down this path, do you think owner John Mara should rip off the band-aid at the end of the season and bring Belichick home???