As expected, the New York Giants have released kicker Jude McAtamney after missing a pair of extra points in Sunday’s 33-32 loss to the Denver Broncos.
He became the first kicker in the last 40 years to miss a pair of unblocked extra points while his team lost by one point.
“It’s on me,” McAtamney said after the game. “I missed vital points at vital times today. I’m not going to shy away from that. The snap and hold was good. It was just my lack of execution on the kick. I’m not going to shy away from my mistakes and letting the team down.”
The 25-year-old shanked the extra point following the Giants’ first touchdown wide left. Then pulled the extra point following Big Blue’s go-ahead score with 37 seconds left wide right.
With a 32-30 lead, Shane Bowen’s defense collapsed and allowed the Broncos to drive 56 yards into field goal range for Will Lutz to hit the game-winner as time expired.
“Honestly, when it came off the foot, I thought it was good,” McAtamney said. “Went for it, looked up, and it was wide right. I was as shocked as everyone else. I stuck to my process, went for it and kicked it in the target and pushed it right.”
McAtamney found himself on the Giants’ roster after Graham Gano got hurt, but he was still not the favorite to make the team after they signed former Atlanta Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo.
Inexplicably, general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll went with McAtamney, a 66.7% field-goal kicker during his college days at Rutgers, instead.
