Graham Gano’s sudden inaccuracy of the kick hit head coach Brian Daboll squarely in the chest.
With the Giants leading by three points and facing 4-1, Daboll sent Gano out for a 35-yard field goal. This, combined with the converted and almost automatic touchback, would have forced the Jets to drive 30 yards. They reached the field within 24 seconds with no timeouts and stole the victory.
Considering the Jets converted a third of downs and gained eight first downs in the first 59 minutes, they won regardless of whether the Giants kicked a first down or attempted to get a first down. It sounded absurd enough that the odds were the same (99.7 percent), the magazine said. ESPN.
But Gano missed his chip shot – likely due to Jets rookie Will McDonald’s car-hopping vertical leap – and Zach Wilson connected with two deep passes to set up a field goal that tied the game. , the Jets won a stunning 13-10 come-from-behind victory. , working overtime.
“There’s no excuse. That’s not me,” Gano said. “I have to do a better job and not let everyone down.”
Daboll’s other option would have been to ask his offensive line, studded with backups, to push Barkley with four outs and first base.
Barkley’s first 25 telegraphed runs of the second half (while third-string quarterback Tommy DeVito attempted only one pass) somehow gained 94 yards.
But if the runs had been kept short, the Jets could have simply gotten within range of kicker Greg Zuerlein, who has good legs, to force the game into overtime.
Sadly, Gano’s mistake gave the starting position an additional eight yards, allowing that scenario to play out.
“We were hoping to make a field goal, but then we had 24 seconds with no timeouts and we still have to drive all the way, but our defense played well the whole game. That’s why I I made a decision,” Daboll said. “There’s always a flip side. I understand what that is.”
Jets head coach Robert Saleh wasn’t surprised to see Gano on the field.
“We can create a touchdown lead without any timeouts,” Saleh said. “I probably would have done the same thing.”
The Jets believe McDonald — a first-round pick who went viral in college for a video of him jumping over a car — influenced Gano’s missed kick.
“Everyone was already saying he was going to block,” cornerback DJ Reed said. “They put him in there to block it. He didn’t block it, but he got close and definitely converted the kick. That was a big play.”
One of the X-factors is whether the Giants thought Gano would be out all season, possibly for health reasons.
Gano, who has made 91.8 percent (89 of 97) of his field goals over the past three seasons, has made 64.7 percent (11 of 17) since signing a three-year, $16.5 million extension before the season. He is currently dealing with a knee injury. several weeks.
“No problem,” Gano said. “The way my knee is, I have to kick. That’s not why I missed today, I just played poorly.”
The Jets’ odds of winning were down to 0.01 percent, but Barkley thought he might have moved his feet for a first down, but was stopped short on third-and-three.
Therefore, Barkley had no intention of questioning Daboll’s decision.
“I’m not going to quibble about that situation. We’ve got to find a way to get a first down before that happens,” Barkley said. “Our defense is playing perfectly and we have a really good kicker. His calls are exciting.”
Daboll seemed to have a magical touch when it came to making calls last season when he made the playoffs.
The worm definitely turned during this 2-6 start.
“There are so many different things,” Daboll said. “I was happy with what we talked about. It didn’t work out and I’m disappointed.”
