Giants Defender Saw ‘Nervous’ Patriots Kicker Before Last-Second Miss

The New England Patriots failed to send the game to overtime when rookie kicker Chad Ryland missed a potential game-tying field goal in a 10-7 loss to the New York Giants.

The loss dropped New England to 2-9 on the season. On a day when the Patriots fell to a new level in a rough season, they still had a chance to extend their opportunity with three points at the end of the fourth quarter.

In preparation for the attempt, one Giants defender noted that something didn’t seem quite right for the Patriots when looking across the line of scrimmage.

“I felt like (Ryland) was going to miss,” New York safety Xavier McKinney told reporters, per team-provided video. “I think he was a little nervous. I was trying to talk to him before he actually kicked it. It was good to see him miss it. It was good to see us get a win.”

The Giants stepped up on the defensive side against the Patriots, forcing three takeaways that included a McKinney interception.

The Patriots drafted Ryland in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The rookie from Maryland is now 11-for-18 in field goal attempts this season.