For the second consecutive week, poor personnel management cost the New York Giants big, this time in a loss to the Washington Commanders.
The New York Giants fell to the Washington Commanders, 21-18, on Sunday afternoon at Northwest Stadium but the game had been lost 24 hours earlier.
On Saturday, as the team readied themselves for a trip to the Nation’s capital, kicker Graham Gano was added to the injury report with a groin issue. Practice squad kicker Jude McAtamney was not among those elevated.
Instead, the Giants entered a Week 2 game with just 52 players on their active roster after return man Gunner Olszewski was placed on injured reserve (IR) one week after it was revealed he would miss several weeks (possibly months). The two practice squad elevations were linebackers Ty Summers and Tomon Fox.
One would think the Giants learned their lesson in 2023 when they trotted out an injured Gano only to see him struggle in an overtime loss to the Jets. A day later, he was shut down for the season with a knee injury.
But these Giants — and specifically head coach Brian Daboll — don’t learn. And on Sunday, history repeated itself as Gano was lost on the opening kickoff after sustaining a hamstring injury, which may have occurred due to overcompensating for the groin injury.
Even if that wasn’t the case, the Giants had no business using Gano on the opening kickoff. They had an open roster spot and they decided to play a man short. They also could have used punter Jamie Gillan on kickoffs, as they did after Gano left the game.
Here’s a look at how those decisions impacted the team’s snap counts.
Offensive snaps: 56
Defensive snaps: 72
Special teams snaps: 21
The decision to play a man short and carry an injured kick had a dramatic ripple effect on the Giants. Not only was Gillan forced into the kicking role, missing his sole extra point attempt and forcing the team to play four-down ball with only two-point attempts after scores, but it altered other positions.
Backup quarterback Drew Lock saw his first action of the season, serving as the holder on that point-after attempt. It messed with the entire exchange and cost the Giants one point.
The two other failed two-point attempts cost them four points, which would have been an easy two points had McAtamney been available. And in a game lost by three, those 3-5 points were the difference.
Even more ironic, Summers and Fox were elevated because rookie linebacker Darius Muasau was inactive and fellow linebacker Micah McFadden was returning from injury. Neither saw a single defense snap, instead appearing only on special teams — the very unit that cost New York the game due to poor personnel management.
Remarkable ineptitude.
Should we even bother to discuss the nearly non-existent role of wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, who somehow took just 12 snaps while Darius Slayton’s penalties and dropped two-point attempt helped doom the team?
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