**Jude McAtamney Takes Responsibility for Missed Kicks in Giants’ Narrow Loss to Broncos**
DENVER — Jude McAtamney was accurate only after his nightmare had ended. Speaking in his Irish accent, McAtamney accepted full responsibility for the Giants’ heartbreaking 33-32 loss to the Broncos.
The game slipped away after McAtamney missed two crucial PATs following the Giants’ second and third touchdowns. The final miss proved especially costly, as it would have given the Giants a 33-30 lead and a chance to force overtime — before Wil Lutz’s 39-yard game-winning field goal as time expired.
“It’s on me,” McAtamney said at his locker. “I missed vital points at vital times today. I’m not gonna shy away from that.
“The snap and the hold were good. It was my lack of execution on the kicks. I’m not gonna shy away from my mistakes and letting the team down.”
The decisive miss went wide right. “Honestly, when it came off the foot, I thought it was good,” he explained. “I looked up, and it was wide right. I was as shocked as everyone else.”
This is the kind of accountability a stand-up player shows when facing adversity.
When asked if the turf played any role, McAtamney said, “Not at all. I had a great week of practice. We practice on grass, I had a great warmup. It’s just one of those things — you gotta make the kicks once the opportunity comes.”
His first miss, a PAT wide left, was equally costly. “Gotta make the kicks. Not gonna shy away from that. I’ll take full responsibility,” he said.
Earlier, special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial shared his confidence in McAtamney: “I think at this point, having him kick a game last year and in the preseason, and now obviously kicking on our active roster these past couple of games, we have confidence in him — just like we have confidence in Graham [Gano] — to be able to be sent out there whenever his opportunity arises.”
Two missed PATs — one wide left, one wide right — underscored the fragility of the Giants’ kicking operation. When everything isn’t clicking smoothly, the kicker takes the blame.
But McAtamney refused to offer excuses. “I’m a professional kicker, I gotta be able to make those,” he said.
The Giants had hoped to rely on veteran Younghoe Koo after Graham Gano injured his groin during Week 3 pregame warmups. Instead, they settled for the inexperienced McAtamney, who had already missed a PAT against the Eagles.
In the end, those missed kicks wound up costing Brian Daboll and the Giants dearly.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/20/sports/jude-mcatamney-shoulders-blame-for-kicking-nightmare-that-cost-giants/
