The New York Giants lost, 13-10, to the New York Jets last Sunday in overtime but the game should have been over in regulation way before that, according to special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey.
With 24 seconds remaining in regulation, Giants kicker Graham Gano missed a 35-yard field goal attempt that would have put the Giants up, 13-7. The Jets came back and were able to kick a field goal to tie the game at 10, sending it into overtime where they won, 13-10.
McGaughey said that Jets rookie Will McDonald lined up illegally on the play over the center. With the down and distance of fourth-and-1, the penalty would have given the Giants a first down and would have effectively ended the game.
Giants say Jets’ Will McDonald lined up illegally on Graham Gano’s crushing missed kick https://t.co/lEvH1aDrVS pic.twitter.com/FBzlZvn3nL
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) November 2, 2023
“You can’t cover the center and he was covering the center,” McGaughey said of McDonald. “If you align inside the framework of the center, that’s illegal formation, can’t do that. So, you have to be completely outside of the framework of the center.”
Reporters had intimated that McDonald’s jumping over the line was the issue. McGaughey said that was legal. The place where he lined up was not.
“You can jump over the line of scrimmage. Yeah, you can jump,” he said. “You just can’t use anybody to leverage or gain an advantage in height, but you can jump from one side of the line scrimmage and not touch anybody and land on the other side, that’s perfectly legal. But if you line up within the framework of the shoulders of the center, it’s an illegal formation by the defense.”
Asked if they’ve heard from the league regarding the play, Giants head coach Brian Daboll simply said, “I’ll keep that private.”
In other words, yes. They have.
So, the Giants lost another game due to an official’s error. That’s the story of the 2023 Giants, folks.
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