The New York Giants have had their fair share of heartbreaking losses, but Sunday’s setback against the New York Jets should rank near the top.
They had a chance to either win the game by getting just one yard, or make things quite tough for their rivals with a field goal, but they didn’t get either of them.
With just 28 seconds left in the game, Brian Daboll’s team faced fourth-and-one at the Jets’ 17-yard line.
They had a three-point lead, so Daboll chose to attempt a 35-yard field goal to double that lead and force the Jets to score a touchdown with no timeouts left.
The kick was missed, the Giants ended up losing, and Daboll immediately faced criticism.
That’s why, following the loss, Daboll defended his decision by pointing out the context in which it happened, and in hindsight, it doesn’t seem like he made a mistake (via Jennifer X. Williams).
#Giants HC Brian Daboll: “Our defense was playing well all game. That’s why I made the decision.” pic.twitter.com/MsUVypq1p8
— Jennifer X. Williams (@JenXperience) October 30, 2023
Of course, the Giants could’ve leaned on Saquon Barkley to try and get that one yard, especially after already giving him a career-high 36 carries, but the odds were in their favor.
Zach Wilson had struggled all day before that series.
Then, he threw a 29-yard pass to Garrett Wilson, and an offside penalty on Kayvon Thibodeaux stopped the clock for them.
Wilson had another 29-yard completion, spiked the ball, and Greg Zuerlein tied the game before taking the win in overtime.
The Giants had undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito at quarterback after backup Tyrod Taylor left with a rib injury, so perhaps, trying to end the game rather than kicking the field goal would’ve been the wisest choice.
But at the end of the day, it seemed like the Jets would need a miracle to win the game, so it’s hard to blame coach Daboll for that.
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