Head coach Brian Daboll continues to receive criticism for his handling of Graham Gano and Jude McAtamney, which left the New York Giants without a healthy placekicker for the majority of this past Sunday’s 21-18 loss at the Washington Commanders that dropped the Giants to 0-2.
During Monday’s edition of the WFAN afternoon show, Giants legend Tiki Barber attempted to explain Daboll’s mindset regarding a decision that went poorly for the club.
“To me, this comes down to Brian Daboll being too loyal to his guys,” Barber said, as shared by Ryan Chichester of Audacy. “You have to know that Brian Daboll asked Graham Gano, ‘How do you feel? You good to go?’ ‘Yeah coach, it’s just a little groin, I’ll be fine.’ So he trusts his guys…and trusting your guys is fine. But sometimes, it’s common sense that has to prevail.”
Gano entered the weekend with a groin injury, but Daboll nevertheless elected not to elevate McAtamney from the practice squad for Sunday’s matchup. That proved to be a costly error, as Gano became unavailable for the remainder of the game after he hurt his hamstring on the opening kickoff. Meanwhile, the Giants were unable to attempt a field goal when the score was tied 18-18 late in the fourth quarter because of Gano’s injury.
Daboll reportedly featured a softer personality this offseason but was his old fiery self while speaking with reporters about the Gano decision shortly after Sunday’s defeat. Barber seemed unbothered by Daboll’s demeanor.
“I know what he’s doing,” Barber added about Daboll. “He’s intentionally being obscure and obtuse. He doesn’t care to give us answers. I know you have to do it as beat reporters…but I know I’m getting nothing out of him.”
The Giants turning a potential victory into a second straight loss is made all the more frustrating due to what’s ahead. As Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post pointed out, New York’s next six games are against opponents that finished the 2023 campaign with winning records. If things go from bad to worse for Big Blue over the next month and a half, which many fans fear will be the case, whispers about Giants co-owner John Mara potentially parting ways with Daboll before January will grow only louder.
As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Giants as six-point underdogs for this coming Sunday’s clash at the 1-1 Cleveland Browns.