Clay already puts muffed punt behind him
The odds of a miracle comeback were slim when Kaelin Clay took the field.
His mistake eliminated the opportunity completely.
Signed off waivers by the Giants one week ago, Clay muffed a punt with 45 seconds left at the Giants’ 21yard-line, ending any hopes of a season-opening win Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
“There’s still no excuses,” the punt returner said after the Giants fell to the Jaguars, 20-15. “You come in as a punter returner, the first thing you are supposed to do is catch the ball. Just put it behind me, man, move onto Dallas.”
Clay said he misjudged the punt, which is why he went to both knees to field the Logan Cooke kick. Ironically, a major reason the Giants signed the 26-yearold Clay was because they had a need for a returner after cutting Hunter Sharp because of his inability to hold onto the ball.
“It’s only Week 1,” Clay said. “It doesn’t define you as a person or your season.”
Giants coach Pat Shurmur said he didn’t consider using Odell Beckham Jr. as a punt returner late in the game, despite him practicing there during training camp.
➤ It was a rough Giants debut for LT Nate Solder. He was beaten twice on one series by DE Yannick Ngakoue. He was called for a holding penalty on the first and Eli Manning was forced into a hurried incompletion on the second.
“If we would’ve kept it in manageable down and distances — we prevented ourselves from a lot of plays getting the penalties and stupid things that we control,’’ Solder said.
➤ An interception by CB Janoris Jenkins help set up the first points of the season for the Giants, but they failed to find their first touchdown, stalling despite a first-and-goal on the 8yard line. … Beckham’s first catch went for 24 yards and he drew two pass interference penalties late in the second quarter. ... RB Wayne Gallman left in the third quarter with a knee injury. … Shurmur lost his first replay challenge with the Giants late in the second quarter when he claimed running back T.J. Yeldon was not down by contact on the Giants 1-yard line before losing the ball in the end zone. … Manning played in his 217th game for the Giants, the most in franchise history. He had been tied with Michael Strahan.
➤ Three of the eight players picked up this week were inactive: CB Michael Jordan C Spencer Pulley and S Kamrin Moore. That means five newcomers made their Giants debut less than a week after joining the team: Clay, CB Antonio Hamilton, LB Nate Stupar, DT Mario Edwards and DT John Jenkins.