The 10 Most Impactful Plays of Week 2
1. Giants Put Damper on Lutz
Win Probability Added: +21.12
NEP: +9.29
Whereas the Jets and Bills looked certain to have a defensive tussle but ended up in a shootout, the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints have two of the more porous secondaries in the NFL this season and seemed destined for a high-scoring game in Week 2. It turns out that the most obvious answer is sometimes too obvious, though, and this turned into an ugly defensive matchup. Near the end of the first half, in fact, neither team had scored at all. The Saints got forced to fourth down on the Giants’ 20-yard line, though, and decided to kick the 37-yard field goal to go up 3-0. Unfortunately for them, that’s not how it worked out.
Rookie kicker Wil Lutz lined up for the kick, the snap was clean, and the leg swing looked great. The only problem was that 300-pound Giants defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins had barreled through the line and was standing right in the path of the kick. He easily batted it down, and it squirted past holder Thomas Morstead before he or Lutz could react. Cornerback Janoris Jenkins had been faking the outside pressure on the kick and thus had plenty of room to scoop the ball and run it back 65 yards for a touchdown, untouched. This would be the only touchdown scored by the Giants in Week 2.
