Giants Kicker Graham Gano Explains What Happened on Blocked Field Goal Attempt

The Saints blocked what would have been a game-tying 35-yard field goal attempt by Graham Gano on a play similar to the Giants ' own block FGA against Seattle.

Dec 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants place kicker Graham Gano (9) reacts after missing a potential game-tying field goal as New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Bryan Bresee (90) celebrates late during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - For New York Giants kicker Graham Gano, a 35-yard field goal attempt is a chip shot he will make 99.9% of the time.

Of course, the .1% that he didn’t make the kick just so happened to come late in the fourth quarter. His attempt was blocked by Saints defender Bryan Bresee, a critical block that kept the Giants from tying the game and sending it into overtime.

After the game, Gano, who had already reviewed the block on tape, credited the Saints with making the big play.  

“They just executed it well,” he said. “When that's executed as well as they did, it's hard to stop. So, I don't think you can blame our guys for that.”

Gano opined that he hit a good ball, but the Saints pushed down the Giants’ blockers, much in the same way the Giants did so against the Seahawks in a 29-20 win when Seahawks kicker Jason Myers’ 47-yard field goal was blocked by Isaiah Simmons and returned 60 yards for a touchdown by Bryce Ford-Wheaton back on October 6, the date of the Giants’ last win this season.

“It sucks,” Gano said of the blocked kick. “Nothing I can do to control that. It's frustrating. I think it's frustrating for our team. Especially working so hard to come back like that. So many guys had big plays, and we worked hard at coming back, and it's tough to have a game end that way.”

Gano's field goal was taken off the board earlier in the game thanks to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against offensive lineman Jake Kubas.

“I saw him try to finish a play,” head coach Brian Daboll said of Kubas’s penalty. “These guys are rushing down the middle of him, and he’s just trying to finish. And they called a penalty.”

Interestingly, the Giants had another opportunity for Gano to score points, that coming in the first quarter on 4th-and-8 from the Saints’ 36-yard line.

However, Daboll decided to go for it instead of kicking the field goal despite having the wind at their back at the time.

Gano explained that the 54-yard distance wasn’t a sure thing based on his pregame warmups, so they decided not to go for it. The Giants then proceeded to fail to convert, turning the ball over to the Saints on downs.

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