Giants’ never-ending kicker mess just exposed their biggest leadership flaw
It’s getting harder to sell general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll to a fan base that’s seen enough. Every season, the same issues show up, get patched over, and then break wide open again. It’s the most predictable, exhausting cycle this team keeps repeating.
Look no further than the nonstop, head-scratching kicking issues that have haunted this team for three straight seasons. How have Schoen and Daboll still not figured out something as basic as having a reliable kicker? It’s either negligence or incompetence — and neither makes them look good.
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Kicking trouble showed up again in Sunday's 18-point fourth-quarter meltdown to the Denver Broncos. In a game decided by one point, placekicker Jude McAtamney missed two extra point attempts — you don't need to be a mathematician to understand the repercussions of the struggles. The Irishman owned it after the game:
"Got to make the kicks. Not going to shy away from that. I'll take full responsibility."
Jude McAtamney
But this issue goes deeper than just one player or one bad night. It’s a long-running problem the Giants still haven’t figured out.
Jude McAtamney's kicking struggles spotlight ugly Giants trend
For some reason, this regime cannot find a reliable placekicker. The incessant oversight has been impacting games since 2023.
In 2023, they let an injured Graham Gano limp through a 13-10 overtime loss to the Jets, where he missed two field goals they absolutely needed. That should’ve been the wake-up call. But in 2024, they ran it back. Ahead of Week 2 against Washington, Gano showed up on the injury report with a groin issue. Big Blue listed him as questionable and didn’t bother to elevate a kicker.
He aggravated the injury on the opening kickoff, and suddenly they had no one to handle extra points or field goals the rest of the game. Punter Jamie Gillan tried to fill in, but an extra-point miss forced New York into two-point attempts the rest of the game, losing 21-18.
Now it’s 2025, and nothing’s changed. After placing Gano on IR, they signed and stashed Younghoe Koo on the practice squad and rolled with McAtamney on the 53-man roster. Another week, more missed kicks, another one-point loss. Different year, same problem.
This is no longer a coincidence — it’s a pattern. It’s a failure to address a problem that continues to burn them. With three missed PATs over the last two games, the Giants may have no choice but to revisit the McAtamney vs. Koo kicking competition. Koo was released by the Atlanta Falcons for a reason, but at this point, almost anything would be better than watching this continue.
McAtamney’s struggles aren’t just on him — they’re a reflection of a front office that keeps ignoring obvious problems and never takes accountability when it blows up in their face. The approach hasn’t worked, and everyone watching knows it. The only question now is when someone in charge will finally admit it.
Insider can’t believe ‘crazy paragraph’ he wrote about Colts’ historic offense
The Indianapolis Colts added to the win column once again this week, and it was the Los Angeles Chargers who were in their way. The Colts won 38-24, and it was their offense like stuck out again, as they may be playing some of the best football of any team right now. Looking at their offense this week, they have been able to do some historic things, and ESPN’s Stephen Holder couldn’t believe he was writing this.
“The Colts have eclipsed 30 points in five of their seven games and lead the NFL in points per game (33.1) and yards per play (6.4). According to ESPN Research, their 232 points this season are their most through seven games since 1964– two decades before they relocated to Indianapolis from Baltimore,” Holder wrote.
Daniel Jones has resurrected his career in Indianapolis, and he’s getting the ball to everyone on the field. His has an array of options, and it’s almost not surprising that they’re scoring this many points every game. Add on to the fact that Jonathan Taylor is scoring every game (sometimes twice, sometimes three times), and you have the makings of an offense that’s going to be hard to stop.
Some were maybe wondering if this could be a fluke by the Colts, but through seven weeks, they look like the real deal.
Colts continue to dominate on offense
The Colts offense has been special this season, and the players themselves believe that this is sustainable as the year continues. Michael Pittman Jr. has been with the team for some time, and he knew that all they needed was one more player. That player was [Daniel] Jones.
“I always knew that we had really good players here and we were just missing something,” Pittman said. “And that’s something that Dan brought. I’ve always had confidence in our guys. We were just one player away.”
“We go into every game thinking we’re scoring 40,” Mo Alie-Cox said. “I mean, we are on the verge of doing it again. Every time we get the ball, we think we’re going to score.”
The Colts have made it look easy on that side of the ball, but their defense is also making big plays and limiting the opposing teams. If they continue to play like this as a collective unit, there’s no telling where they’ll stand at the end of the season and when the postseason arrives.
