After ‘nightmare’ game, Giants’ PK Graham Gano says ‘put this one fully on my shoulders’

After stunningly missing two field goals, including one with :28 left in what became a 13-10 overtime loss by the New York Giants to the New York Jets, Giants’ placekicker Graham Gano wasn’t making any excuses.

Gano has been on the team’s injury report the last couple of weeks with a left (non-kicking) knee injury. In a somber post-game locker room, Gano did not want to hear about his knee.

“It doesn’t matter. I mean, I just played poorly,” Gano said. “I’m not going to make excuses about anything. I’ve just gotta do a better job. I think everybody expects an excuse. Everybody wants that. Everybody’s thinking there’s gotta be a reason. There’s no reason. I just played really bad.

“At the end of the day, they expect me to make my kicks and so do I. And I just, I’m disappointed. I mean, put this one fully on my shoulders. It was just a terrible game by me and I gotta do a better job.”

Gano made one of his three field-goal attempts on Sunday, and has now made just 11 of 17 (64.7%) field goals this season. In his first three seasons as Giants’ placekicker, Gano made 89 of 97 field-goal attempts (91.8%).

Gano also missed a 42-yard field goal last week against the Washington Commanders.

According to a report from Art Stapleton, the 36-year-old Gano might be facing surgery on that left knee. He refused to discuss it Sunday evening.

“I don’t want to get into that is then, I mean, everybody’s gonna blame that. That’s not the reason I’m missing kicks. I just have to do a better job,” he said. “I’m not, I’ve never been one, it’s just not in my nature to point fingers, place blame. Not [on] anybody but myself. At the end of the day, I gotta make ‘em.

“It’s a nightmare game, but I’m not gonna stand here and make any excuses about it. There’s no other choice than to just move on and, and play better. You are not gonna get anything outta me other than that. I mean, that’s not who I am. So I’m disappointed. Disappointed. I let everybody down. It was 100% me.”

Gano’s final miss came on a fourth-and-1 from the Jets’ 17-yard line. The Jets had no timeouts left. The Giants could have won the game by converting a first down there, but coach Brian Daboll chose to try the field goal.

After the miss, the Jets moved 46 yards in two plays before a spike stopped the clock with :01 left. Greg Zuerlein kicked a 35-yard field goal to force overtime, then a 33-yarder in overtime to win it for the Jets.

“If I make those kicks, we win the game,” Gano said. “It’s frustrating. I care about this team, the fans, I put a lot of work into this. It sucks, it sucks that I let everybody down. You can put it straight on me; there is nobody else honestly. This one is on me for sure.”