One disaster was negated, but another remained in place for the Giants.
Kicker Graham Gano, who entered Sunday’s game with a groin injury, injured his hamstring trying to chase down the Commanders’ Austin Ekeler on a 98-yard kickoff return touchdown to start the game.
A holding penalty took Ekeler’s points off the board for the time being – the Commanders later settled for a field goal – but did not create a time warp. In other words, the Giants still lost Gano and had to turn to punter Jamie Gillan, who was 1-for-2 on field goals in his career, to pull double duty.
Sure enough, Gillan missed his first kick – a PAT after the Giants took a first-quarter 6-3 lead.
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Whether Gano was more susceptible to a hamstring injury because he was running with a groin injury is up for debate.
But it was an easily preventable mess that felt a lot like déjà vu for the Giants.
Gano was added to the injury report after Saturday’s walkthrough, but the Giants chose not to elevate rookie Jude McAtamney from the practice squad as an insurance policy or to handle kickoffs and lessen Gano’s workload.
Just last week, the Giants turned to an injured Gunner Olszewski to return punts even after he looked hobbled returning from a groin injury in training camp. Olszewski re-injured his groin during pre-game warmups, and receiver Darius Slayton fumbled a punt return when he was forced into a role that he has practiced for years but rarely needs to do during games.
Just last season, the previously automatic Gano struggled kicking through a knee injury. He missed a field goal in a win against Washington and then made just 1-of-3 field goals in an overtime loss to the Jets, missing a chip shot that would’ve all but clinched a win in regulation.
Gano went on season-ending injured reserve the next week.
Special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey took a lot of heat and was fired after the season, so it is curious to see the same two positions – punt returner and kicker – have been mismanaged at the start of a new season.
