John Harbaugh Stands by Rookie Kicker Dominic Zvada as the Giants Regroup From a Three-Point Loss to Washington

The New York Giants walked out of Thursday night's 24-21 loss to the Washington Commanders with plenty to second-guess, from a missed short field goal to a final drive that ended in an interception. But head coach John Harbaugh made one thing clear after the game: he is not giving up on his rookie kicker.

Asked whether the team still believes in Dominic Zvada, Harbaugh answered, "Yeah, we're confident," and added that he expects the young kicker to develop into a good one, according to NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk ^[1]. Athlon Sports reported that the Giants do not plan to make a reactive change at the position ^[2].

A Costly Miss in a Three-Point Game

Zvada's only field goal attempt of the night came in the first quarter. After the Giants hit a 34-yard completion to move into range, the rookie pushed a 33-yard try wide left, wiping out what would have been an early lead, Athlon reported ^[2]. In a game decided by three points, that miss loomed large once Stefon Diggs caught Washington's go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter ^[5].

The numbers explain why the questions keep coming. Zvada has made 17 of 23 field goal attempts this season while converting all 16 of his extra points, according to Athlon ^[2]. He began his NFL career by making his first nine attempts, which means he has gone 8 of 14 since that hot start ^[2][6].

It is a steep slide for a kicker who arrived with real credentials. Zvada went undrafted out of Michigan, where he set a school record with seven field goals of 50 yards or longer in 2024, and he beat out Ben Sauls for the Giants' job during the offseason, the Associated Press reported in September ^[6]. Harbaugh handed him the job in his own first season as the Giants' coach ^[6].

The Final Drive Under the Microscope

The kicking was not the only decision drawing scrutiny. On the Giants' last possession, quarterback J.J. McCarthy moved the offense to the Washington 48-yard line in the final minute, needing only a field goal to force overtime. Instead of working the ball closer, he threw deep on his final two passes, the New York Post reported ^[3]. The last one, aimed at Malik Nabers, was intercepted by Rasul Douglas in the closing seconds to seal Washington's win, according to NBC Sports ^[5].

McCarthy said afterward that he saw a one-on-one matchup he liked. "I wanted to give my playmaker a chance," he said, according to the Post ^[3]. Harbaugh pointed to the Commanders' all-out blitzes, explaining that the routes being run were the ones called against that kind of pressure, the Post reported ^[3].

Not everyone was persuaded. A separate New York Post analysis argued that while most of Harbaugh's calls since taking over in New York have worked, several of his more conservative choices backfired on Thursday ^[4].

Related Fresh Heart, Old Fire: Super Bowl Winner Bruce Arians, 74, Says He Has the Itch to Coach Again

Why Patience Is the Right Call

Here is my take. Kickers are the loneliest men on a football field. When they make it, nobody remembers; when they miss, everybody does. Zvada is a rookie who made his first nine kicks in the NFL and has hit a rough patch in his first autumn as a pro. That happens to young players at every position. What a young man needs in that moment is a coach who says publicly what Harbaugh said: we believe in you.

There is something old-fashioned and right about that. Loyalty is not weakness, and it is not the same as ignoring results. Harbaugh has spent a long career demanding accountability, and he knows a jittery kicker who fears for his job every week rarely kicks better. By standing up for Zvada in front of the cameras, he took the pressure on himself instead of piling it on a rookie.

That does not mean the leash is endless. Close games in November and December are often decided by special teams, and every miss will be measured. If the struggles continue, Harbaugh will face a hard choice. For now, though, the coach has made his decision and explained it plainly.

What Comes Next

Playing on Thursday gives the Giants a few extra days to clean up the mistakes that turned a winnable night into a narrow loss. For Zvada, the path back is simple to describe and hard to do: make the next kick, then the one after that. For McCarthy, it is about pairing his aggressiveness with the patience to take what a defense gives him when the clock is running down.

Harbaugh has chosen faith in his young players over panic. The coming weeks will show whether that trust pays off.