LANDOVER, Md. — At the end of the day, it would be easy to ignore the role Bryce Ford Wheaton played in his NFL debut last week. It was supposed to be a big moment for the Giants.
These important but unseen contributions are often forgotten when the team suffers a major defeat.
The 24-year-old was on the tail end of a dynamic special teams tactic.
Early in the second quarter, with the Giants trailing 7-3, Jamie Gillan punted deep in Vikings territory.
Ty Summers prevented the ball from bouncing into the end zone and threw it backwards to Dane Belton, who handed it off to Nick McCloud.
The ball went to Ford Wheaton, who downed it at the 1-yard line.
“That was a great play with a lot of different factors going into it,” Ford Wheaton told The Post. “It was just teamwork. Ty Summers dropped the ball first, put it back in play, and then Dane Belton, Nick McCloud and the returner tried to knock the ball out of Nick's hands. I was right there, so I fell over there. Credit definitely to the two guys who dropped the ball first and Jamie for making a great punt.”
“I didn't really do anything other than touch the ball, but I heard the crowd roaring and getting excited and it was really cool to put our defense in a good situation. I was excited.”
Unfortunately, the momentum shift was short-lived, as the Vikings went 99 yards on a touchdown drive and the Giants lost, 28-6.
If the Giants can hang on to a close game against the Commanders on Sunday, special teams play could be the difference.
LB Micah McFadden will make his season debut against the Commanders along with Bobby Okereke.
He was in uniform but did not play last week because of a groin injury.
McFadden established himself as a sophomore in the NFL in 2023 with 101 tackles in 14 starts and showed a nose for the ball with four fumble recoveries.
Former first-round draft pick CB Emmanuel Forbes will miss the Commanders due to a thumb injury.
Forbes had already lost his starting spot.
Two defensive starters, DE Clelin Ferrell (knee) and S Quan Martin (hamstring), are questionable to play.
Want to know the keys to winning games in the NFL?
Coach Brian Daboll studied the first week of the season and came up with the following numbers for his team.
“One thing I know is there were 16 games last week,” Daboll said. “Teams with more turnovers were 10-1. Teams with more explosive plays were 10-1. [20 yards or more] We've won 11 and lost three of our 16 games, with the other two being draws, which is big.”
Rookie QB Jayden Daniels ran for 88 yards in his NFL debut last week.
If he gains 37 yards against the Giants, he will pass Robert Griffin III for the most rushing yards by a quarterback through his first two games in the Super Bowl era.
RG3 ran for 124 yards in the first two games of 2012.
Kicker Graham Gano (groin) was placed on the injured list Saturday but has not been designated for the game and the Giants expect him to be able to play.
WR/returner Gunner Olszewski has been placed on injured reserve and will miss the next four games.
The Giants left a spot open on their 53-man roster and elected to promote linebackers Tomon Fox and Ty Summers from the practice squad for Sunday's game.
— Additional reporting by Ryan Dunleavy
