NFL

Giants punter can’t Dodge trouble

What did Matt Dodge think when, for the second time in the past three games, he actually dropped the snap prior to his first punt?

“It was a case of like ‘Golly gee, here we go again,’ ” Dodge said following the Giants 28-20 victory over the Lions yesterday.

This one was the worst of all. When he had a case of the drops against the Bears, Dodge was able to pick the ball up and punt it away. This time, he picked it up, dropped it again and by that time Lions defensive end Lawrence Jackson was there to recover it on the Giants’ 43-yard line.

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“I can’t think of times I’ve done that in college,” Dodge said. “It’s just a mental thing, I guess. Crap happens sometimes, excuse my language. It’s frustrating.”

Asked what he thought of that play, coach Tom Coughlin said, “I don’t get to share some of those.”

Immediately, injured kicker Lawrence Tynes told Dodge to put a glove on his left hand. Dodge obliged and went on to have a strong game punting the ball. He said he’ll continue to wear the glove.

“You kind of take for granted the first part of the punt,” Dodge said. “It’s tough. I hopefully bounced back pretty well.”

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Tynes, who sprained his left ankle during last Friday’s practice, was replaced by Shayne Graham
, a 10-year veteran. Graham hit all four PATs but didn’t have a field goal attempt.

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Mathias Kiwanuka
will travel today to California to meet with neck specialist Dr. Robert Watkins
.

“The pain is going away so I assume that’s positive,” said Kiwanuka, who has missed the last three games with a bulging cervical disk. Kiwanuka said he should have an answer if he can return to the field by Wednesday.